Eddie Murphy’s ‘Dolemite Is My Name’ Releases New Trailer For Netflix
Stung by a string of showbiz failures, floundering comedian Rudy Ray Moore (Academy Award nominee Eddie Murphy) has an epiphany that turns him into a word-of-mouth sensation: step onstage as someone else. Borrowing from the street mythology of 1970s Los Angeles, Moore assumes the persona of Dolemite, a pimp with a cane and an arsenal of obscene fables. However, his ambitions exceed selling bootleg records deemed too racy for mainstream radio stations to play. Moore convinces a social justice-minded dramatist (Keegan-Michael Key) to write his alter ego a film, incorporating kung fu, car chases, and Lady Reed (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), an ex-backup singer who becomes his unexpected comedic foil. Despite clashing with his pretentious director, D’Urville Martin (Wesley Snipes), and countless production hurdles at their studio in the dilapidated Dunbar Hotel, Moore’s Dolemite becomes a runaway box office smash and a defining movie of the Blaxploitation era.
Comics and rappers have praised Moore as a pioneering influence over the past few decades, and Dolemite Is My Name is a hilarious celebration of a singular talent who made his own legend. From director Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow, Empire); Emmy and Golden Globe-winning writers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski (Ed Wood, The People vs. O.J. Simpson); and the producing team of Oscar and Golden Globe nominee John Davis (Ferdinand, Joy), Golden Globe nominee John Fox (Joy) and Murphy; the film features an all-star supporting cast — including Mike Epps, Craig Robinson, Tituss Burgess, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Snoop Dogg, Ron Cephas Jones, Barry Shabaka Henley, Tip ‘TI’ Harris, Luenell, Tasha Smith — plus costumes designed by Academy Award winner Ruth E. Carter (Black Panther).
Watch the new trailer below:
FINALLY! Actor John Amos On Board For ‘Coming To America’ Sequel
John Amos is set to return as Cleo McDowell, the owner of McDowell’s, in Paramount Pictures’ forthcoming Coming to America sequel starring Eddie Murphy. Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, and Paul Bates are also reprising their roles from the 1988 original film with Wesley Snipes, Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones, and KiKi Layne taking on new characters.
Directed by Craig Brewer, the second installment follows former Prince Akeem who is set to become King of Zamunda when he discovers he has a son he never knew about in America – a street-savvy Queens native named Lavelle. Honoring his father’s dying wish to groom this son as the crowned prince, Akeem and Semmi set off to America.
Amos’ Cleo is also the father of Akeem’s love interest, Lisa McDowell, who was played by Shari Headley. No word yet on if Headley is returning.
Murphy is producing the pic with Kevin Misher and Kenya Barris. It hits theaters Dec. 18, 2020.
Amos, whose recent credits include HBO’s Ballers and the Netflix series, The Ranch, is repped by Buchwald.
Source: Deadline
‘Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw’ The Review
Let’s start off this movie review by stating that we walked into a comedy film unexpectedly; the other Fast & Furious films are all dramatic films with action, a little bit suspense, and of course, car racing. In every single film. They somehow manage to fit a car chase scene in every film.
With that being said, after walking out of Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw it looks like the comedy buddy action genre film of the summer is storming back, and with the right cast, we might add. Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham have chemistry on camera not seen since Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan in the Rush Hourfranchise films.
Make no mistake, then: As the trailers and all the promotional lead-up implied, Hobbs & Shaw is a quintessential buddy-cop action flick where opposites accordingly attract. That has led to some well-meaning concerns from Fast & Furious diehards, who are worried the spinoff won’t maintain the wholesome and endearingly cheesy theme of family that drives the franchise (primarily through those Diesel monologues).
Perhaps more concerningly, this spinoff is co-led by the guy who quite recently killed franchise favorite and snacking savant Han Seoul-Oh (yes, really).
But while the #JusticeForHan contingent won’t be satisfied with a throwaway line in which Shaw concedes he’s made some mistakes—that’s one way to describe killing someone!—the family ethos is still present via Hattie, Dame Helen Mirren reprising her role as the Shaw matriarch, and the third act when Hobbs reunites with his estranged family in Samoa. Also, get this: The Hobbs clan runs a successful body shop, because everyone in this universe must be tangentially related to cars. We knew they were going to add cars in there somewhere; after all its a Fast & Furious franchise right?
Anyway, Hobbs & Shaw goes from cars to channeling the superhero genre films. Maybe they had Marvel on their mind while making the film. Who knows? When MI6 agent Hattie Shaw (Vanessa Kirby) and her team are attacked by genetically enhanced supersoldier Brixton Lore (Idris Elba), she injects herself with capsules of a deadly (and vaguely explained) supervirus to prevent Lore from getting his hands on it, then flees the scene. The capsules, however, will eventually dissolve, making Hattie a ticking time bomb/pending source of lethal airborne contagion/human MacGuffin. To track her down and prevent a global catastrophe, the American and British governments separately enlist the services of the superhuman Hobbs and Deckard Shaw (Statham, and yes, he and Hattie are siblings), respectively, oblivious to the fact that these two dudes have shared animosity and more than a little chemistry in the past.
Beyond the fact that everyone has assumed their own type of superpowers—Brixton can stop bullets with his hands and anticipate attacks, and appears to have synchronized with his motorcycle like an Eva pilot; in Fate, Hobbs altered the trajectory of a torpedo with his bare hands—Hobbs & Shaw revels in the contrasting styles and life philosophies of its leads. An early split-screen sequence shows their daily routines—Hobbs, after waking up beside his very good dog, inhales raw eggs and coffee grounds; Shaw makes a fancy omelet with a base of butter for him, and, presumably, the anonymous lady who shared his bed. Shaw’s wardrobe seems entirely composed of immaculately tailored suits; Hobbs always looks like he’s one good flex away from tearing through his tank top. When he fights, Hobbs is all brute force; Shaw has the kinetic, agile energy of a spider monkey. You get the idea.
You can quibble over the illogical specificity of the Hobbs family’s car-themed backstory, or the fact that Kirby and Statham are siblings that are, in flashbacks, clearly shown to have grown up together, when they are actually twenty years apart in age. But you don’t watch a Fast & Furious movie for sensible plot developments, the same way you don’t expect any of the action sequences to obey the laws of physics—all that matters is that they DESTROY.
And let me assure you of one thing: Hobbs and Shaw does, in fact, DESTROY. Several action scenes are sooooo hot, you almost want to hit a pause button, and rewind, then you remember you are in the theater.
Along with streamlining the action so it’s easier to follow, Director David Leitch leans on the self-awareness that this franchise has gone deliriously off the rails. There are a TON of things that are physically impossible to do but Luke Hobbs is able to do in this movie, For example: Hobbs pick up an assailant off his motorcycle and ram him into a wall with one hand; he pulls down a helicopter with a biceps curl (Captain America: Winter Soldierstyle); catch Vanessa Kirby with one hand while driving a huge truck through muddy terrain; repel down a skyscraper and land on a goon’s back, twice.
Oh, but we can’t leave out the abilities of Brixton, who likens himself to a “Black Superman” and whose abilities are gifted to him by Eteon, a tech company with aspirations to “enhance” the human race. We learn very little about Eteon through the course of the film, but you get the impression its employees are huge fans of Soylent and believe Cyberdyne Systems was a well-intentioned company.
Hobbs & Shaw gleefully sets up a sequel, leaving the door open for Eteon and its mysterious leader to terrorize humanity in the future, and seems uninterested in returning to the stakes of the original Fast & Furious.
With its first franchise offshoot—and rumors of more on the way, including a female-led spinoff—perhaps the Fast & Furious can try to appease all types of fans. If Hobbs & Shaw delves into more globetrotting heroics from a British mercenary and a federal agent who can pull down a helicopter with his arm, maybe the ninth Fast & Furious film can lean a bit more into the franchise’s roots. (Well, up to a point: Charlize Theron’s cyberterrorist Cipher is officially coming back for Fast & Furious 9, and after she hacked a nuclear sub in Fate, I doubt she’ll challenge Dom to a quarter-mile street race for the fate of the world.) In any case, given the ongoing hostility between Johnson and Diesel—whose feud seems way more authentic than the one between Hobbs and Shaw—it’s best not to expect a larger Fast & Furious reunion in the future.
he absence of Hobbs was never going to be a big problem for the Fast & Furious franchise, which can boast the rest of the Toretto extended family and a rotating cast of A-listers as fresh new adversaries. But as Hobbs & Shaw has demonstrated, these characters can more than hold their own, and feel most assured when they’re not indebted to their predecessors. When family drifts apart, it’s not always a bad thing.
First Trailer Released For ‘Tiffany Haddish Presents: They Ready’
In 2017, Tiffany Haddish had her breakout with the role of Dina in the box office comedy success, Girls Trip. And she has not forgotten her comedic roots!
Despite the cancellation of her critically-animated series, Tuca & Bertie, Haddish is continuing her fruitful relationship with Netflix with a series of stand-up specials aimed at amplifying burgeoning comedians.
The first trailer for Tiffany Haddish Presents: They Ready has debuted and it already looks promising. Executive produced by Haddish and Wanda Sykes, They Ready will be a series of half-hour stand up specials highlighting her six favorite comics.
The comedians set to be featured in the series are Chaunté Wayans, April Macie, Tracey Ashley, Aida Rodriguez, Flame Monroe and Marlo Williams.
Watch the first trailer for They Ready below.
Comedian Michael Brooks Of Philadelphia Passes Away!
We just were sent the news that Michael Brooks of Philadelphia, passed away several days ago unexpectedly.
No word yet how Brooks passed away, but as we stated, it was very unexpected, as it was speculated to us that he passed away from a heart attack.
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Brooks got his comedy start in the Philadelphia comedy circuit. He’s best known for comedy that speaks to the heart of contemporary issues that everyone deals with and can relate to, as for him comedy wasn’t just a profession, it’s was his passion. Brooks recently released his first live comedy album titled WATCH THIS.
No details of his funeral was set yet; as soon as we find out we will pass it along.
Leslie Jones Lands Her New Comedy Special On Netflix
“Saturday Night Live” cast member Leslie Jones has announced a new stand-up special with Netflix.
Jones’ joins a growing number of Netflix comedy specials that includes recent additions “Best Time of Our Lives” with Adam Devine, “Live: Your Welcome” with Miranda Sings, “Son of Patricia” with Trevor Noah, “Homecoming King” with Hasan Minhaj, “Growing” with Amy Schumer, “Make Happy” with Bo Burnham” and Noble Ape” with Jim Gaffigan.
Jesse Collins Entertainment is producing the hour-long special, which is set for global release sometime in 2020.
Jones recently finished her fifth season with “Saturday Night Live” and has received three Emmy nominations for her work on the show. She is also set to appear in the Sony Picture’s upcoming “Angry Birds” spinoff, “The Angry Birds Movie 2,” in which she plays the evil villain Zeta.
The computer-animated comedy also stars a number of high profile actors including Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Bill Hader, Peter Dinklage, Rachel Bloom, Awkwafina, Sterling K. Brown and Eugenio Derbez. “The Angry Birds Movie 2” is set to hit theaters August 16th.
Source: Variety
Check Out The Red Carpet Premiere Of Marlon Wayans’ Netflix Film ‘Sextuplets’
Wednesday night in Hollywood celebrities gathered at the Arclight Theatre in Hollywood for the World Premiere of Sextuplets, starring Marlon Wayans and Bresha Webb!
Other celebs were in attendance such as Karrueche Tran, Essence Atkins, Watch Jazzy (Jasmin Brown), Nick Cannon and Martin Lawrence were just some of the stars who wanted to see the film which streams on Netflix on Friday, August 16th.
Check out the red carpet photos below!
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 07: Marlon Wayans and Damon Wayans attend the afterparty for the Netflix World Premiere Of ‘SEXTUPLETS’ at Le Jardin on August 07, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Andrew Toth/Getty Images for Netflix)
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 07: Bresha Webb and Marlon Wayans attend the Netflix World Premiere Of ‘SEXTUPLETS’ at The Arclight Hollywood on August 07, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Andrew Toth/Getty Images for Netflix)
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 07: Damon Wayans Jr. attends the Netflix World Premiere Of ‘SEXTUPLETS’ at The Arclight Hollywood on August 07, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Andrew Toth/Getty Images for Netflix)
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 07: Jay Pharoah attends the Netflix World Premiere Of ‘SEXTUPLETS’ at The Arclight Hollywood on August 07, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Andrew Toth/Getty Images for Netflix)
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 07: Bresha Webb attends the Netflix World Premiere Of ‘SEXTUPLETS’ at The Arclight Hollywood on August 07, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Andrew Toth/Getty Images for Netflix)
Atlanta’ Lands Very Early Season 4 Renewal
FX is solidifying the future of Atlanta.
The basic cable network on Tuesday announced that it has renewed Donald Glover’s Emmy-winning comedy series for a fourth season. The news arrives more than a year after the season three pickup was confirmed. Production on seasons three and four will begin next spring and film back-to-back, taking advantage of the opening in Glover’s busy schedule. A premiere time frame for seasons three and four has not yet been determined.
Exec producers Paul Simms, Dianne McGunigle, Stephen Glover and Hiro Murai will return to the FX Productions comedy.
“What more can be said about Atlanta than the critical acclaim and accolades that Donald, Paul, Dianne, Stephen and Hiro have earned for two exceptional seasons of what is clearly one of the best shows on television,” said FX Entertainment president Eric Schrier. “This group of collaborators and cast have created one of the most original, innovative stories of this generation and we are proud to be their partners.”
By the time production begins on season three Atlanta will have been off the air for two years. The series was originally expected to return in time for the 2019 Emmy eligibility window but FX CEO John Landgraf announced in February that it wouldn’t make that time frame.
“As you might imagine, Donald Glover is sort of the king of all media, and he just has had an incredibly complicated life. He’s had personal things he’s had to deal with, from injuries to other things I’d rather not say publicly that just have to do not with his personal life, but his extended family,” Landgraf further explained of the delay at the time. “One of the things that is just a reality of television today is you have to wait. We have so many things now that don’t cycle back on a regular basis…. From my standpoint, I wish for the fans as well as for us that we could get everything back on an annual basis but, again, you just have to make a decision about quantity over quality at a certain point — and we’re just erring on the side of quality.”
Glover has been busy with a Grammy-winning EP, starring in and producing his own short film, Guava Island, voicing Simba in Disney’s remake of The Lion King and portraying a young Lando Calrissian in Solo: A Star Wars Story, as well as his This Is America tour.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
James Earl Jones Returning For ‘Coming To America’ Along With Rick Ross
James Earl Jones will be reprising his role as King Jaffe Joffer in Paramount’s Coming to America sequel. In addition, 5x Grammy-nominated performer Rick Ross has also joined, with Paul Bates returning as Oha, Prince Akeem’s stiff-upper-lipped manservant and bodyguard.
In the sequel, Akeem (Eddie Murphy) is set to become King of Zamunda but discovers he has a son he never knew about in America – a street-savvy Queens native named Lavelle. Honoring his father’s dying wish to groom this son as the crowned prince, Akeem and Semmi (Arsenio Hall) set off to America to meet the unlikely heir. Craig Brewer is directing the follow-up to the 1988 hit comedy. Kenya Barris is penning. The sequel hits screens on Dec. 18, 2020.
Jones recently reprised his role as Mufasa in Disney’s $1.2 billion-grossing The Lion King. Jones was nominated for a best actor Oscar for 1971’s The Great White Hope and many know him quite well as the voice of Darth Vader. He is repped by APA and Del, Shaw, Moonves, Tanaka, Finkelstein & Lezcano.
Ross starred recently in such pics as Superfly and Uncle Drew. Ross is repped by Paradigm. His hit albums include Port of Miami which debuted in the top spot of the U.S. Billboard top 200 album chart in 2006, Trilla, another No. 1 Billboard 200 debut, and Deeper Than Rap (2009), Teflon Don (2010), God Forgives, I Don’t (2012), Mastermind, Hood Billionaire (2014), Black Market (2015), and Rather You Than Me (2017).
Bates is repped by Vanguard Management Group. His credits include such pics as True Romance, Bad Teacher, 8 Mile, and The Preacher’s Wife. He has had recent TV credits on such shows as Lethal Weapon, The Conners and Young Sheldon.
Leslie Jones Joining Eddie Murphy In ‘Coming to America’ Sequel
Wesley Snipes has already boarded the follow-up.
Saturday Night Live favorite Leslie Jones and If Beale Street Could Talk star Kiki Layne are boarding Paramount’s sequel to Coming to America.
Jones is in negotiations while Layne is set to join Eddie Murphy in the project, titled Coming 2 America.
Craig Brewer, who is currently working with Murphy on Netflix movie Dolemite Is My Name, is helming the follow-up to the 1988 comedy that is due to start shooting later in August
The original film saw Murphy play Prince Akeem, a spoiled prince from the fictional African nation of Zamunda, who arrives in Queens, New York, and in undercover fashion gets a job at a McDonald’s knockoff while trying to find a wife.
The new story sees Akeem, now set to become king, discovering he has a son he never knew about, a street-savvy Queens native named Lavelle. Honoring his father’s dying wish to groom his son as a new crowned prince, Akeem must once again return to America.
Wesley Snipes is already on board while Arsenio Hall is returning as Akeem’s right-hand man. Also returning is James Earl Jones as Akkem’s father.
Jones’ role is being kept secret while Layne will play Akeem’s daughter, burdened with feeling like she is the son her father never had.
Murphy is producing America, slatted for an Aug. 7, 2020 release, with Kevin Misher and Kenya Barris.
Jones, who is repped by CAA, Integral and Hansen Jacobson, will next be in theaters with The Angry Birds Movie 2, out Aug. 16.
Since her breakthrough in Beale Street, Layne appeared in sci-fi thriller Captive State and is shooting a leading role opposite Charlize Theron in The Old Guard, the adaptation of a Greg Rucka comic book from Skydance and Netflix. She is repped by WME, Anonymous Content and Sloane Offer.
