Wesley Snipes has joined Eddie Murphy in Dolemite Is My Name!, Netflix’s biopic of envelope-pushing comedian and film producer Rudy Ray Moore.
Snipes leads a muscular roll call that also includes Mike Epps, Craig Robinson, Tituss Burgess and Da’Vine Joy Randolph as the film begins production this week in Los Angeles.
Craig Brewer, best known for directing Hustle & Flow, is behind the camera. Davis Entertainment’s John Davis and John Fox are producing along with Murphy.
Moore is sometimes called the Godfather of Rap from his reciting raunchy, sexually explicit rhymes in his comedy, often depicting pimps, prostitutes, players and hustlers, according to his obituary in the Los Angeles Times. (He died in 2008.) The son of a sharecropper, he broke through in 1970s Hollywood when his underground records became popular in black communities.
He used the proceeds to produce and star in Dolemite, a notorious blaxploitation movie featuring a pimp with a harem of kung fu-fighting prostitutes. The film was an underground sensation.
Murphy is playing Moore.
Snipes is D’Urville Martin, an arrogant actor and alcoholic who ends up directing Dolemite.
Netflix will launch the movie in 2019. Michael Beugg is exec producing. Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winner Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, whose credits range from Ed Wood to American Crime Story: The People vs O.J. Simpson, wrote the script.
Snipes appeared in Spike Lee’s last movie, Chi-Raq, with Samuel L. Jackson and John Cusack. The actor is known for action movies such as the Blade trilogy, New Jack City and Passenger 57, as well as dramas White Men Can’t Jump and Waiting to Exhale. He is repped by APA.
Burgess, who appears on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, is repped by APA, Soffer-Namoff Entertainment, and Piefodd Mahan.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
BET Networks, a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B sted NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), today announced the first group of presenters who will take the stage at the “BET Awards” 2018, T.I., Kevin Hart, LL COOL J, Chloe x Halle, Yvonne Orji, Bobby Brown, Trevor Jackson, Jason Mitchell, Mike Colter, Woody McClain, Jacob Latimore and Gabrielle Dennis. Hosted by Jamie Foxx, the “BET Awards” 2018 will air LIVE on Sunday, June 24 at 8 pm ET from the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles, CA on BET.
As previously announced, the iconic annual show will feature performances by Nicki Minaj, Migos, Janelle Monáe, H.E.R., and Ella Mai. Dominating this year’s nominations is DJ Khaled with a total of 6 including ‘Video of the Year,’ two for ‘Best Collaboration,’ with Rihanna and Bryson Tiller for ‘Wild Thoughts,’ and with Jay-Z, Future and Beyoncé for ‘Top Off,’ ‘Album of the Year,’ and ‘Coca-Cola Viewers’ Choice.’ Kendrick Lamar follows with five nods including ‘Best Collaboration,’ with Rihanna for ‘Loyalty.,’ ‘Video of the Year,’ ‘Album of the Year,’ and ‘Coca-Cola Viewers’ Choice.’ Other leading nominees include Migos, nominated for four awards including ‘Best Group,’ and ‘Album of the Year,” and SZA, also nominated for four awards, including ‘Best Female R&B/Pop Artist’ and ‘Best New Artist.’
The “BET Awards” 2018 will premiere around the world on BET’s international networks. It will air in the UK on June 26th at 9:00PM BST, in Africa on June 26th at 8:00PM CAT, in France on June 26th at 9:00PM CEST and in South Korea on June 26th at 9:00PM KST. Internationally, fans in 100 countries can also stream the “BET Awards” 2018 live with BET Play, BET International’s subscription video on demand application. The iOS and Android app, which also features current and classic BET television series, documentaries, stand-up comedy and legendary musical performances, will carry a live feed of the red carpet and the Awards, and is available for download now in the iTunes and Google Play stores for $3.99 a month following a seven-day free trial.
Connie Orlando, Executive Vice-President, Head of Programming at BET will serve as Executive Producer for the “BET Awards” 2018 along with Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment.
The “BET Awards” 2018 will take place along with the BET Experience at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles from June 21-24, 2018. BET.com/betawards is the official site for the “BET Awards” and will have all the latest news and updates about this year’s show. VIP Packages for the 6thyear of the BET Experience weekend are better than ever and now on-sale. In addition to VIP amenities throughout the weekend and incredible seats for STAPLES Center shows, all levels of BETX VIP Packages offer guests the only opportunity to purchase tickets to the highly-anticipated BET Awards, broadcast live from Microsoft Theater. Full package amenities and pricing for the Diamond, Platinum, Gold Plus and Gold VIP Packages can be found by visiting BETExperience.com or by calling (877) 234-8425.
General tickets for the BET Experience at L.A. LIVE presented by Coca-Cola® are on sale now at http://www.axs.com/betexperience.
“Atlanta” has been renewed for a third season at FX, the cable network announced Thursday.
The half-hour comedy series created by Donald Glover was all but guaranteed a renewal, given the strong critical reception the show has received for its first two seasons. Season 1 was nominated for six Emmy Awards, winning two: outstanding lead actor in a comedy series and outstanding directing for a comedy series, with both awards going to Glover. Season 2, which was titled “Atlanta: Robbin’ Season,” currently holds a 99% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
“’Atlanta’ is phenomenal, achieving and exceeding what few television series have done,” said FX Networks and FX Productions co-president Nick Grad. “With ‘Atlanta: Robbin’ Season,’ Donald and his collaborators elevated the series to even greater heights, building on the enormous success of their award-winning first season. We’re grateful to the producers and our extraordinary cast and crew for achieving this level of excellence, and we share the excitement with our audience about the third season knowing they will continue to take us to unexpected and thrilling places.”
Glover stars in the series along with Brian Tyree Henry, Zazie Beetz, and Lakeith Stanfield. The series is executive produced by Glover and his brother, Stephen, along with Paul Simms, Dianne McGunigle, and Hiro Murai. FX Productions produces.
The only question now is when the new season will premiere. The first season debuted in September 2016 while the second season did not debut until March 2018. Glover has found himself increasingly in demand on various projects in the past few years, including his role in the recently launched “Star Wars” film “Solo” as Lando Calrissian. He also has his music career under the alias Childish Gambino, with his most recent single “This Is America” currently at nearly 250 million YouTube views since it debuted in May.
The other stars of the show are also becoming mainstays in major film projects. Beetz recently starred in the blockbuster sequel “Deadpool 2” opposite Ryan Reynolds and Josh Brolin. Henry will star in the upcoming films “Hotel Artemis” and “White Boy Rick,” and Stanfield will play the lead role in the film “Sorry to Bother You.”
Source: Variety
Barbra Streisand and Netflix announced a new content deal tonight at the closing Netflix FYSee event in which the superstar appeared in conversation with Jamie Foxx at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood on behalf of her concert special Barbra: The Music … The Mem’ries … The Magic! It includes a number of her earlier TV specials stretching back to the beginning of her career in the 1960s but the really big news revolved around her 1976 film version of A Star Is Born.
The Netflix press release only says there will be a “special edition” of the film coming to the service including never-before-seen footage of Streisand performing an instrumental version of her Oscar winner “Evergreen” for the first time, and added footage to the iconic “With One More Look At You/Watch Closely Now” medley finale. No date has been given for the debut of this new footage but in an interview late Friday afternoon Streisand told me it would be in a few days. It hasn’t been set yet.
The rare interview I did with the legendary star had been scheduled to run on Tuesday, but since she gave the news of the new Star Is Born footage to Foxx earlier this evening, I can elaborate on it now.
My interview was timed to Netflix’s Emmy campaign for her special, but she surprisingly leaked the news of the new footage when I pointed out that she performs several songs from the film in the special and wondered if there was a particular reason for that. That’s when she mentioned the new Star Is Born footage and why she wanted it to come out now. “Because it was the truth when I said it was my philosophy then, and it’s still my philosophy, I want everything. As a matter of fact today [Friday], when I was doing the sound for the scene I put into my Star Is Born, it’s going to go on Netflix, my version of A Star Is Born, it starts in a few days,” she told me. “I just finished the sound and the color. I did a rock ‘n’ roll version of the last song in the movie, which I never got to edit because in those days, when I showed the one take of me singing, and the audience liked it so much, I left it alone, but now the studio has dug out the film that I never got to edit. It took three weeks to find the film, and I just edited it in the last two days and I think it’s much better.”
Streisand went on to elaborate why she wanted to do this. “It’s better, and then I put in the scene where I played him my song Evergreen for the first time, and I had no lyric to it, and it’s a scene that establishes her as a singer/songwriter, which is very good, and it kind of is much more…it gives more depth to their relationship, and I can’t believe that I, as the person who had final cut of that movie (the late Frank Pierson is credited as director), cut myself out of that scene because I was just looking at the pace, but I didn’t realize what I was cutting out until much later. Now, Netflix has given me the opportunity to do that and put these scenes in, so it’s a never before kind of scene, two scenes, with these songs that I think will also enrich the film, when I do sing the song with a lyric and it’s with (co-star) Kris (Kristofferson), and it’s about him, so now, the scene is no lyric, just me playing guitar, and I really learned it. I had to learn to play the guitar for this. I cut it out. I can’t believe I did that,” she told me adding that she had one hand with long nails to strum the strings, and the other practically with no nails at all.
Ironically the 1954 version of A Star Is Born starring Judy Garland also had issues with long lost footage resurrected at Warner Bros several years ago. Streisand told me she is pleased she had this opportunity to further enhance her own version of the classic Hollywood tale at this time. I asked her if she has seen any of the new version of A Star Is Born scheduled for release in October that Bradley Cooper directs and stars in with Lady Gaga. This one is set in the music world, but in the country music world this time around. “I saw parts of it and I thought it was very good. Bradley is a really good director, and he got a good performance out of Lady Gaga. I think it’s a story that works. It’s interesting to see my version, it’s interesting to see Judy Garland’s version, you know even to go back to 1937 (Janet Gaynor’s version), the story works every time,” she said. “But I just tried to make it about singer/songwriters. In Judy Garland’s version she was a singer, and he was actor.”
In addition to the new version of A Star Is Born, Netflix will be adding a number of TV specials from the Streisand Library including award-winning My Name Is Barbra (1965), Color Me Barbra (1966), Barbra Streisand: A Happening in Central Park (1968), Barbra Streisand and Other Musical Instruments (1973), Barbra Streisand: The Concert (1994), and Barbra Streisand: Timeless (2001).
Source: Deadline
Jerry Seinfeld is back in the driver’s seat for a new laps of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, which will premiere July 6 on Netflix. The 12-episode second half of Season 10 will feature guests Kate McKinnon, Ellen DeGeneres, Hasan Minhaj, Dana Carvey, Neil Brennan, Tracy Morgan, Brian Regan, Alec Baldwin, Zach Galifinakis, John Mulaney, and Dave Chappelle and the late Jerry Lewis.
The show features Seinfeld joining friends for a cup of coffee and a drive in a classic car, sharing stories along the way It launched on Sony’s Crackle in 2012 and moved to Netflix as part of Seinfeld’s massive deal with the streamer early last year. The first season on its new home went live in January, and Netflix now streams all previous seasons.
When their deal was announced, producer-director-host Seinfeld said: “When I first started thinking about Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, the entire Netflix business model consisted of mailing out DVDs in envelopes. I love that we are now joining together, both at very different point. I am also very excited to be working with Ted Sarandos at Netflix, a guy and a place that not only have the same enthusiasm for the art of stand-up comedy as I do but the most amazing technology platform to deliver it in a way that has never existed before. I am really quite charged up to be moving there.”
Source: Deadline
On this day in comedy on June 2, 1971, Comedian, and actor Jo Koy (Joseph Glenn Herbert) born in Spanaway, WA
Though Koy began his career in 1994 he is considered a pioneering comedian in the Filipino community. The product of a European-American father in the Air Force and a pure Filipino mother, Jo Koy was a military baby. Once Koy graduated high school, the family moved to Las Vegas, Nevada where he took up stand-up comedy after handling a little formality like dropping out of college.
Koy developed his act at Catch a Rising Star at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino. With his confidence built he rented the Huntridge Theater and hustled his own show. A Los Angeles talent agent got a load of Koy and booked him on his first national TV spot: BET’s Comic View. The urban circuit agreed with Koy and he also appeared on Laffapalooza and won on Showtime at the Apollo. He toured internationally performing for the troops and then became a cable television favorite. Koy was a regular on the VH1 series of I Love the 70s, 80’s and 90’s. He was on Tru TV’s World’s Dumbest and New Millennium and Chelsea Lately starring Chelsea Handler. He also has the distinction of being one of the rare breed of comedian to receive a standing ovation on The Tonight Show starring Jay Leno.
Koy’s career has not been without controversy. He was derailed for a while after making an anti-gay slur while the cameras were rolling. This faux pas forced Koy to issue a public apology. On the flip side his philanthropic organization, the Jo Koy Foundation does shows for charity, donating the tickets sales proceeds to The Children’s Hospital of Orange County.
Koy has toured with Carlos Mencia, done commercials for AMP’D Mobile Phone, been a semi-regular on The Adam Carolla Show, had his own Comedy Central special and won the prestigious Gemini Award; one of Canada’s highest honors.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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On this day in comedy on June 1, 1961, Comedian, Actor, Host, Mark G. Curry was born in Oakland, CA
Once Curry had put in time as an up & coming stand-up comedian on the Bay Area circuit in rough clubs and bars like The End Zone and Sweet Jimmie’s, he was ready for the visual mediums where cameras captured if you were really funny or not and kept it on record. His first outing was the Martin Lawrence film debut, Talkin’ Dirty After Dark in 1991. It must’ve impressed the right people because 1992 became Curry’s breakout year.
A year after his first film Mark Curry found himself doing two television shows. He took over as host on the syndicated hit, Showtime at the Apollo. At the same time his ABC sitcom, Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper premiered. On that show Curry played a retired NBA baller who is now a substitute teacher when he is not teaching gym. During and following Cooper’s successful 5 season run, Curry appeared in the motion pictures, Panther, the Fanatics, Switchback and Armageddon; also guest starred on Living Single, the Jamie Foxx Show and Martin.
After the turn of the century things kept rolling. Mark Curry had a recurring role on The Drew Carey Show. He played Carey’s boss. On the Holly Robinson-Peete vehicle, For Your Love, he played a doctor and hosted the Comedy Central show, Don’t Forget Your Toothbrush. Curry did movies for the Disney Channel and a few seasons later he hosted Animal Tails and then Coming to the Stage.
In 2006 tragedy struck. While doing laundry (the butler must’ve been off that day) Mark Curry was burned over 20% of his body when an aerosol can accidently fell behind a water heater and exploded. During a lengthy recuperative period, excruciating pain and being placed in a medically induced coma for several months, Curry contemplated suicide. It was the intervention of fellow comedians, Sinbad and Bill Cosby that kept Curry’s mind right and put him back on track. He got it together and went back to work.
In November 2008 Mark Curry returned with a stand-up routine on the Comedy Central special, Laffapalooza hosted by Tracy Morgan. The following year, Curry found himself as host of FoxxHole Live on Satellite Radio sirus. He toured with Earthquake, Sommore, Tony Rock and Bruce, Bruce under the title, “The Royal Comedy Tour” followed up with “Sommore’s Standing Ovation Comedy Tour” featuring Tommy Davidson and Bill Bellamy. Curry co-starred opposite Sheryl Lee Ralph in the Bounce sitcom, One Love and had the role of Marcus on the Scott Baio comedy series, See Dad Run for Nick at Nite for 2012-2015.
Mark Curry has appeared in music videos and continues touring as a stand-up comedian.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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On this day in comedy on May 31, 2002, Undercover Brother was released by Universal Pictures
Eddie Griffin stars as the title character that was created by John Ridley. Undercover Brother has but one purpose – stick it to the Man. Based on the hit Internet sensation, the film centers on the renegade’s recruitment into B.R.O.T.H.E.R.H.O.O.D., an organization formed specifically to stick it to the Man. Seems the Man has been trying to make blackness look bad and has a mind-altering drug floating around the hood. It makes black leaders and celebrities in the community go all coon and somebody has to put a stop to it.
Griffin infiltrates the Man’s criminal organization, but soon loses himself as he is under the influence of a deadly white woman (Is there any other kind?) sent by who else? The Man. Before long, Undercover Brother is an out & out Tom. Despite the pigment of his skin – he’s been converted into a white boy. It takes a bold, soul sister to get him back in touch with his blackness and B.R.O.T.H.E.R.H.O.O.D. has one of those. Griffin is back to black and the white girl follows him to that side. She’s a traitor to her own (Surprised?). In a climatic plot to get James Brown to coon Griffin disguises himself as Brown and blows the case wide open (as they say in movie review speak) and goes off into the sunset with the sistah.
Directed by Malcolm D. Lee, Undercover Brother was well-received by the critics. It won a Black Reel Award for Best Film Song and one for the film itself by the Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Awards. The movie featured Chris Kattan, Dave Chappelle, Chi McBride, Gary Anthony Williams, Neil Patrick Harris, Aunjanue Ellis, Denise Richards, Billy Dee Williams, Jack Noseworthy and James Brown. Written by Michael McCullers and co-executive produced by Ridley, the music was provided by Stanley Clarke. On a budget of $25 million Undercover Brother earned $41.6 million.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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Starz, a Lionsgate company announced today that Avan Jogia (Shaft, “Tut,” “Ghost Wars”) has been cast in the lead role of Ulysses for “Now Apocalypse,” the recently greenlit, straight-to-series comedy from creator and executive producer Gregg Araki (Kaboom, Mysterious Skin).
Jogia will play “Ulysses,” a recent transplant to Los Angeles, who is struggling to find his place in the world. Something of a thrill seeker, Ulysses admits that he’s always had an attraction to and fear of the unknown and is plagued by recurring nightmares, which he believes are a portent for a vast, sinister conspiracy.
Jogia recently wrapped Shaft for New Line opposite Samuel L. Jackson as well as the independent feature The Artist’s Wife opposite Bruce Dern and Lena Olin. Jogia previously starred opposite Sir Ben Kingsley in the epic retelling of “Tut” for Spike TV. He appeared in the independent feature The New Romantic, which won Best New Film at SXSW and also wrapped shooting the independent film Paper Year. Jogia appeared in two films featured at the LA Film Festival this past year – A Midsummer Night’s Dream, in which he stars as ‘Puck’, and A Year Of Spectacular Men. Jogia also starred in The Drowning alongside Julia Stiles and Josh Charles, with Bette Gordon directing.
Jogia appeared in two independent films at Sundance Film Festival, I Am Michael co-starring opposite James Franco, and Ten Thousand Saints co-starring alongside Hailee Steinfeld, Ethan Hawke and Asa Butterfield.
Jogia directed his own short film, Of Dogs And Men and will direct Door Mouse, his first full-length feature film next year. Jogia was recently featured as one of the faces for the Kenzo fashion brand and walked in two Dolce and Gabbana shows last year. Jogia recently shot an editorial piece with Annie Leibovitz and Grace Coddington that will appear in Vogue.
“Now Apocalypse” follows Ulysses and his friends Carly, Ford and Severine, who are on various quests pursing love, sex and fame. This surreal coming-of-age comedy series explores identity, sexuality and artistry, while navigating the strange and oftentimes bewildering city of Los Angeles. Between sexual and romantic dating app adventures, Ulysses grows increasingly troubled as foreboding premonitory dreams make him wonder – is some kind of dark and monstrous conspiracy going on, or is he just smoking too much weed?
Executive producing with Araki are Steven Soderbergh (Logan Lucky, “The Knick”) and Gregory Jacobs (Magic Mike XXL, “Red Oaks”). All 10 half-hour episodes are co-written by author and Vogue.com sex columnist, Karley Sciortino, creator and host of “Slutever” on Viceland. Sciortino also serves as a consulting producer.
Starz retains all domestic multiplatform pay TV and SVOD rights to the series. Lionsgate retains all international and domestic distribution and home entertainment rights.
Senior Vice President of Original Programming Ken Segna and Manager of Original Programming Kathleen Clifford are the Starz executives in charge of “Now Apocalypse.”
Actress Vivica A. Fox will bring her talents to the Girls Night Out for Laughs, comedy event, speaking from a woman’s perspective on Friday, June 22nd, at The Orleans Hotel & Casino located at 4500 W. Tropicana Avenue, Las Vegas.
The all-star female cast will have you laughing from start to finish and wanting more from a woman’s perspective. The event is produced by David LLC & MKY Group in a joint effort to showcase a woman’s point of view.
“This is the type of event you’d want to bring your sister, mother, aunt, girlfriend or girl next door who needs a night out for fun and entertainment. It’s an event for women by women”. Explains Vivica A Fox.
On Las Vegas June 22nd, the lineup consists of Cocoa Brown (Tyler Perry’s For Better or Worse), Melanie Comarcho (Def Comedy Jam 25, Katt Williams Tour & Martin Lawrence Tour), Dominique (NBC’s Last Comic Standing, OWN’s Herliarious & Black Jesus), and Just Nesh (Star of Kevin Hart’s of the City, Def Comedy Jam) with DJ Lucci (DL Hughley’s Daughter) on the turntables.
Actress Vivica A. Fox will also be heading to Houston on June 23rd, to The Arena Theatre located at 7326 Southwest Fwy, Houston, TX 77074.
On Houston June 23rd, the lineup consists of Cocoa Brown (Tyler Perry’s For Better of Worse), Vanessa Fraction (Barber Shop & Dish Nation), Dominique (NBC’s Last Comic Standing, OWN’s Herliarious & Black Jesus), Just Nesh (Star of Kevin Hart’s of the City & Def Comedy Jam) along with Houston native Jennifer Jermany and DJ Lucci on the turntables.
Special musical guest will be Yo-Yo, a hip hop recording artist, actress and entrepreneur. Much of her music has advocated for female empowerment, denouncing the frequent sexism found in hip-hop.
Legendary actress and businesswoman Vivica Fox will also make several additional appearances and meet and greet in support of her new book.