Dave Chappelle compares Clayton Bigsby to the real ‘BlacKkKlansman’ at red carpet premiere last week in Hollywood. Thanks to BlackTree TV for the interview clip!
Whether you spelled it marvalous or marvelous, Marva L. Moncrieffe was simply funny.
The comedian known as Simply Marvalous died Wednesday in hospice care in Baton Rouge, La. Moncrieffe was 64.
She had her own HBO half-hour comedy special in 1994, and followed that up with appearances on Def Comedy Jam, House Party 3 and Class Act.
SOurce: The Comic’s Comic
MMA startup Professional Fighters League has received a $28 million equity investment from a group that includes MGM Television chief Mark Burnett, actor-entrepreneur Kevin Hart, and self-help guru Tony Robbins.
The Washington, D.C.-based Professional Fighters League (PFL) is in its first year of operations. It aims to be a competitor against UFC amid the growing public interest in MMA bouts. The PFL aims to bring a March Madness-style competition structure to the MMA world. Other investors in this round of financing include tech titan Ted Leonsis and Riot Games co-founder Brandon Beck.
The PFL at present has a one-year deal with NBC Sports Network for carriage of its fights. Burnett, the renowned reality TV producers, aims to develop a range of programming around PFL, starting with a “Challengers Series” that would be an elimination-style competition among aspiring MMA pugilists for the chance to join the league. MGM is also an investor in PFL.
“This a big sports opportunity,” Burnett told Variety.
Another goal is to develop a subscription streaming service dedicated to PFL content. The investors are banking on the growth of MMA popularity in the U.S. The UFC was acquired in 2016 by Endeavor for $4.4 billion. This year, ESPN committed a whopping $1.5 billion to a five-year UFC rights deal.
“The most valuable thing in media right now is content that can drive subscription opportunities,” Burnett said.
PFL was founded by Donn Davis, Russ Ramsey, and Mark Leschly. At present the league has 72 fighters in six weight classes competing for $10 million in prize money. The PFL’s regular season concludes this month with two bouts in Atlantic City, N.J.
“Fans have enthusiastically responded to the PFL, with over 2 million people viewing PFL4,” said Pete Murray, CEO of PFL. “Our fights are as exciting and our broadcast is as good as other MMA companies that have been around for decades, and we’re just getting started.”
Burnett has a long history of marrying boxing with TV. The prolific producer is reviving his boxing competition series “The Contender” on MGM’s Epix pay-TV channel starting Aug. 25. The series, a competition for aspiring boxers, previously aired on NBC and ESPN from 2005 to 2009.
Source: Variety
In competitive bidding, Netflix is in the home stretch on Black Stallions, a pitch vehicle for Get Out’s Lil Rel Howery, Don Cheadle and Kevin Hart in a comedy about rival brother jockeys. The leads are Howery and Don Cheadle, and Hart has showy moments of his own. Jay Longino, who most recently scripted the hoops comedy Uncle Drew, will write the script.
Deals are still being made, but Hart and John Cheng are producing through Hartbeat Productions along with Temple Hill’s Marty Bowen and John Fischer, and Inny Clemmons.
Hart is coming off Jumanji: Welcome The Jungle, and upcoming are Night School and The Secret Life of Pets 2. Howery followed up playing the dogged TSA agent in Get Out by being part of the ensemble of the Longino-scripted Uncle Drew — which Bowen produced. Howery also stars in the upcoming Fox series Rel. He also just worked for Netflix, as part of the cast of the Sandra Bullock-starrer Bird Box.
Cheadle is coming off Avengers: Infinity War.
Hart, Howery and Cheadle are repped by UTA. Hart is 3 Arts and Howery is Fourth Wall Management. Longino is repped by Verve.
Source: Deadline
Fox News’ Laura Ingraham has inadvertently solved the problem of what to call LeBron James’ new three-part docuseries that will air on Showtime in October. The series — billed as an inside look at the changing role of athletes in our fraught cultural and political environment, through the lens of the NBA — will be titled Shut Up and Dribble.
James and Maverick Carter’s busy SpingHill Entertainment and Gotham Chopra are producing the series, which was originally announced more than a year ago — before Ingraham in February on her Fox News primetime show suggested James and Kevin Durant and other pro athletes “shut up and dribble” rather than weigh in on social and political issues. The comments came after the pair criticized President Donald Trump on Twitter, after the Golden State Warriors declined an invitation (or, per Trump, dis-invited) to the White House after it won the 2017 title.
“Look, there might be a cautionary lesson in LeBron for kids,” Ingraham said at the time on her show. “This is what happens when you attempt to leave high school a year early to join the NBA. And it’s always unwise to seek political advice from someone who gets paid a hundred-million dollars a year to bounce a ball.”
James, now a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, responded with his own hashtag — #wewillnotshutupanddribble — and a retweet of a USA Today story on Ingraham’s comments. His comment was, “I am more than an athlete.”
Showtime announced the Shut Up and Dribble details during the network’s summer TCA session today at the Beverly Hilton, saying the series will use the Ingraham comments as a jumping-off point to chronicle the the modern history of the NBA and its players, starting with the 1976 merger with the ABA. The league has become an incubator for many of its top athletes to grow their brands beyond the court, becoming powerful players in pop culture, commerce and fashion. By taking control of their own destinies, they have helped bring about social change and make their own statements in the current political climate.
Chopra (Tom vs. Time, Kobe Bryant’s Muse) is directing the Showtime Sports Documentary Films and SpringHill presentation. The series is executive produced by James, Carter, Rich Paul, Chopra, Martin Desmond Roe, Chris Uetwiller and Datari Turner.
Source: Deadline
The cast of Ava DuVernay’s “Central Park Five” series at Netflix continues to make impressive additions to its cast.
Niecy Nash, Aunjanue Ellis, Kylie Bunbury, Marsha Stephanie Blake, and Storm Reid have all been cast in the show in supporting roles.
Based on a true story, the series will chronicle the notorious case of five teenagers of color five teenagers from Harlem–Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise–who were convicted of a rape they did not commit.
Nash will play Delores Wise, mother of Korey Wise. Ellis will play Sharone Salaam, mother of Yusef Salaam. Bunbury will play Angie Richardson, sister of Kevin Richardson. Blake will play Linda McCray, mother of Antron McCray. Reid will play Lisa, a friend of Korey Wise.
They join previously announced cast members Michael K. Williams, Vera Farmiga, John Leguizamo, Felicity Huffman, Jharrel Jerome and Jovan Adepo.
Reid recently starred in the big screen adaptation of “A Wrinkle in Time,” which was directed by DuVernay. She is repped by CAA, Management 360, and attorney Fred Toczek.
Nash currently stars in the TNT drama “Claws” and is known for her work in shows like “Scream Queens,” “Reno 911,” and “Getting On.” She is repped by WME, Artists First, and Jackoway Tyerman.
Bunbury starred in the Fox series “Pitch” and was the lead in the ABC pilot for “Get Christie Love.” She also appeared on the show “Under the Dome” and recently starred in the film “Game Night.” She is repped by ICM, Principal Entertainment, and attorney Cheryl Snow.
Ellis previously starred in the ABC series “Quantico” and appeared in fellow ABC show “Designated Survivor.” She also recently landed a role in the upcoming HBO series “Lovecraft Country” and will appear in the film “If Beale Street Could Talk.” She is repped by ICM and TMT Entertainment Group, Inc.
Blake also appeared in “Getting On” and had roles in shows like “Orange Is the New Black,” “Chicago PD,” “The Good Wife,” and “The Blacklist.” She is repped by Stone Manners Salners Agency.
Ava DuVernay will write and direct the four-episode series in addition to executive producing. Jeff Skoll and Jonathan King will executive produce for Participant Media along with Oprah Winfrey via her Harpo Films, and Jane Rosenthal and Berry Welsh from Tribeca Productions.
Source: Variety
Chris Rock is moving to “Fargo.”
The comedian will star in season four of FX’s hit limited series “Fargo,” the network announced Friday at the Television Critics Assn. press tour. The critically acclaimed series will begin production next year, for a targeted air date next year as well.
Described as a story of “immigration and assimilation and the things we do for money,” season 4 of “Fargo” is set in 1950 in Kansas City, Missouri, where two criminal syndicates — one Italian, one African-American — have struck an uneasy peace. To cement their peace, the heads of both families have traded their eldest sons. Rock will play the head of one of the syndicates, who has surrendered his son to his enemy, and who must raise his son’s enemy as his own. But then the head of the Kansas City mafia goes into the hospital for routine surgery and dies — and everything changes.
Noah Hawley, who created the award-winning series, will again return as showrunner, writer and director. Joel & Ethan Coen, Warren Littlefield and John Cameron have also served as executive producers. “Fargo” is produced by MGM Television and FXProductions.
“I’m a fan of Fargo and I can’t wait to work with Noah,” said Rock.
This marks a return to FX for Rock, who was an executive producer on “Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell.” which aired from 2012-2013. He also executive produced BET’s late-night talk show “The Rundown with Robin Thede” and “Everybody Hates Chris,” which ran from 2005-2009.
The first season of “Fargo,” which starred Billy Bob Thornton and Martin Freeman and was set in 2006, won three Emmy Awards, including best miniseries. Season two, set in 1979, featured an ensemble cast including Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons and Jean Smart, and earned two Emmys. The third installment, set in 2010, starred Ewan McGregor (in dual roles), Carrie Coon and Mary Beth Winstead, landed six Emmy noms.
Source: Variety
Fox is going all in for reality.
The network has ordered “The Masked Singer,” a new celebrity competition series, which will be hosted by Nick Cannon and is set to bow in January 2019.
The series, based on a South Korean format, features celebrities facing off against one another with one major twist: each singer is shrouded from head to toe in an elaborate costume, complete with a mask to conceal his or her identity. The host, panelists, audience, viewers and the other contestants are all left guessing who is singing. One singer will be eliminated each week, revealing his or her true identity.
Ken Jeong, Jenny McCarthy, Nicole Scherzinger and Robin Thicke will serve as panelists on the show.
“This is truly one of the most unique, genre-defining formats I’ve ever seen,” said Rob Wade, Fox’s president of alternative entertainment and specials. “It’s a massive international hit, and its boldness and originality make it the perfect fit for Fox.”
“There are very few hit formats left in the world, and when I saw ‘The Masked Singer,’ which is a true global and viral phenomenon that has captured the world’s attention, I knew it had to be brought to life in America,” said executive producer Craig Plestis (“Minute to Win It”).
“The Masked Singer,” which hails from Endemol Shine North America, is also executive-produced by Izzie Pick Ibarra (“Dancing with the Stars”); Alex Rudzinski (“Grease: Live”) will direct. The South Korean format was created by Mun Hwa Broadcasting Corp, which is repped by Paradigm, who also reps Plestis.
Source: Variety
for up-to-date schedules:
The Life is Beautiful comedy experience is open to all festival attendees and free admission for wristband holders on a first come first serve basis. Download the lineup poster HERE.Come September, Life is Beautiful is committed to giving festival-goers an unforgettable experience featuring performances by chart-topping artists such as The Weeknd, N.E.R.D, Arcade Fire, Travis Scott, DJ Snake, Florence + The Machine, Tyler, The Creator, Death Cab For Cutie, Bastille, Galantis, Miguel, French Montana, GoldLink, T-Pain, Cold War Kids and more!
