TRAILER WATCH: Whoopi Goldberg And La La Anthony Star In New Film Titled ‘Furlough’!
A trailer has been released for the indie comedy film, Furlough. It stars Tessa Thompson, Melissa Leo, Whoopi Goldberg, La La Anthony.
Distributed by IFC Films, it will be in theaters and VOD on March 16.
Furlough centers on a woman (Thompson) who lives with and cares for her aging mother (Goldberg), while working part-time at a jail. At work, she is given a chance to show off her abilities when she is assigned to accompany an unruly prisoner (Leo) on an emergency furlough to visit her dying mother. The trip does not go as planned.”
Anna Paquin, Edgar Ramirez and La La Anthony round out the cast.
Watch the trailer below:
TIFFANY HADDISH, DANAI GURIRA, LENA WAITHE AND TESSA THOMPSON HONORED AT THE ESSENCE BLACK WOMEN IN HOLLYWOOD AWARDS
Kicking off Women’s History Month; ESSENCE turned the spotlight on four remarkable women, during Oscar week, with its popular “BLACK WOMEN IN HOLLYWOODAWARDS,” held Thursday, March 1, 2018 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. Returning to its traditional daytime luncheon, the ESSENCE “BLACK WOMEN IN HOLLYWOOD AWARDS” was hosted by actress Yvonne Orji. This year’s program honored actress and comedian Tiffany Haddish; actress Danai Gurira; Emmy-Award winning writer and director Lena Waithe and actress and activist Tessa Thompson. For the fourth consecutive year, the ESSENCE“BLACK WOMEN IN HOLLYWOOD AWARDS” will air as a primetime special on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network on March 3, 2018 at 10 pm ET/PT.
Known as an exclusive and highly sought-after invite, this year’s luncheon was abuzz with the most gifted actresses, musicians, executives, beauty influencers and entertainers in the industry. After the intimate cocktail reception, some of the biggest names in Hollywood mingled in the lavishly decorated ballroom among legendary actresses Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine and Margaret Avery, as well as Ava DuVernay; Gabourey Sidibe,Janelle Monae, Jay Ellis, Amanda Seales, Mike Colter, Yvette Nicole Brown, Amandla Stenberg, Rep. Maxine Waters, Jussie Smollett, Susan Kelechi Watson, Angela Rye, LaLa Anthony, Essence Atkins, Kym Whitley, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Tina Knowles-Lawson, DeWanda Wise, Ruth E. Carter, Nina Shaw and #MeToo activist Tarana Burke.
Also in attendance were 2018 Academy Award nominees for “Film of the Year” Daniel Kaluuya, Lil Rel Howery and Betty Gabriel from “Get Out” and Dee Rees, nominated for Best Writing Adapted Screenplay for “Mudbound.”
Highlights of the luncheon included:
Lupita Nyong’o presenting the award to honoree, Danai Gurira who in turn surprised her friend by serenading her with a very special happy birthday and cupcakes on stage
Presenter Lil Rel Howery presenting to his dear friend Tiffany Haddish as she reminisced of their humble beginnings in Hollywood
Tiffany Haddish giving a heart-felt, intimate speech on remaining positive throughout all the highs and lows of life
Angela Bassett and “Dear White People” director Justin Simien presenting Emmy Award-winning writer and director Lena Waithe with the first 2018 Essence Black Women in Hollywood Ford Vanguard Award
Steven Spielberg sharing his love for Lena Waithe and her brilliant talent via highlight video
Lena Waithe’s powerful speech about being true to herself regarding her sexuality, and the importance of speaking your own truth
Janelle Monae presenting to her dear friend Tessa Thompson after sharing a story about meeting at an audition for the same part years ago; which neither of them landed
Tessa Thompson delivered a powerful and empowered speech about equality pertinent to the #TimesUp movement
Ava DuVernay introduced a special performance by pop stars Chloe X Halle, singing their song, “Warrior,” from the “A Wrinkle in Time” soundtrack.
Marlon Wayans On Why His First Stand-Up Special Is Like Looney Tunes
Marlon Wayans is finally standing up for himself. After three decades of working in comedy, the actor and writer known for shows such as “In Living Color,” “The Wayans Bros” and “Marlon” is starring in his first stand-up special, which bows on Netflix Feb. 27.
“Everybody has their own time for doing things, and I just have a different, kind of weird road,” Wayans says.
Wayans was thrust into the entertainment business as a teenager, and while he had no formal comedy training then, he watched various members of his family — namely his brothers Damon and Keenan Ivory Wayans — grow as artists. He began working on “In Living Color” with his brothers in the early 1990s and partnered with his brother Shawn on a number of other movie and television projects. And in the past few years, he has branched out on his own.
“As much as I’ve done, I just want to get better. I want to be the best me, and I don’t want to skip steps,” Wayans says. “I started [stand-up] from the bottom and worked my way back up to see what type of artist developed.”
The result is “Woke-ish,” just over an hour of bits that range from the political to the personal. Before putting the special together, he workshopped jokes in smaller clubs, trimming down over seven hours of material. He toured the South to test out material about Donald Trump and Barack Obama because, he says, “if I was going to do a Trump joke, I needed the Trump supporters to be laughing the loudest.” But he also wanted to see how bits about the LGBTQ+ community would play, as well: In the special he tells a story about his daughter being attracted to girls.
“I had certain themes I wanted to talk about,” Wayans says. “I had to find the right combination of stories. You want to make sure you spread it out and have a little bit for everybody, not let the scale tip one side or the other.”
While humor can be found in every topic, he says it’s most important to take the time to decide the proper approach. “As comedians we have to have the freedom to explore,” he explains.
For Wayans, the key to creating the special was to take something topical — like the politics of Trump versus Obama — and make it evergreen so that it would be relatable to a wider range of audiences. “It’s intended to make people think, to make people feel, to make people see things from a different perspective and to unite people through laughter,” he says. “We may not always agree, but if I get you to laugh at least you’ll understand what I’m saying.”
He compares his approach to Bugs Bunny, who he calls “one of the greatest comedians of all time”: “He did characters, he was animated, he was political, he was silly, he was dark,” he says. “I’m a Looney Tunes baby, so I hope this is something [that] will transcend age, race, culture, and just be funny.”
And while he says he is “not afraid to go into dark tunnels and come out with a piece of light” when constructing jokes, he is cautious about how and where he tests them.
“A good joke takes a long time to construct,” he admits. “But the way social media works now, everything you do is put on Instagram or Snapchat. You’re trying a joke [in a club] and they’re putting it on Instagram, and you go, ‘Wait, that joke’s not ready for Instagram!’”
Source: Variety
Will Packer Readies New Action Comedy Film Titled ‘Fight Night’!
Universal Pictures and producer Will Packer have teamed for Fight Night. The studio has preemptively optioned the life rights package for an action comedy that Lars Jacobson will write based on a true story about the most daring of heists.
Fight Night is the story of Atlanta-based hustler Gordon “Chicken Man” Williams and Atlanta’s first black detective, JD Hudson. Set in 1970 on the eve of Muhammad Ali’s comeback fight in Atlanta, the film centers on a post-fight party thrown by Williams that was attended by the most dangerous gangsters in the country. They were all robbed at gunpoint of more than $1 million, making it to this day the largest heist in Georgia history.
Pic has been a passion project for Jacobson and Jeff Keating, latter of whom is the longtime rights holder. Packer will produce with James Lopez through the Universal-based Will Packer Productions. Kenny Burns, who first brought the project to Packer’s attention, will serve as executive producer. Keating will co-produce.
Packer’s coming off Girls Trip and before that the Ride Along and Think Like a Manfilm series. The producer, who recently won an NAACP Image Award, saw Girls Tripbecome the ninth film he has produced that finished first at the domestic box office on opening weekend.
Jacobson, who writes for both film and television, recently sold the spy drama Fodor — based on the secret life of legendary travel writer-turned-spy Eugene Fodor –with NBC International and David Heyman producing the series, and Patrick Dempsey attached to star. Jacobson also co-wrote the upcoming Day of the Dead remake.
Universal’s EVP Mark Sourian will oversee production for the studio.
Will Packer Productions is represented by CAA; Burns is repped by Studio43; Keating by APA; and Jacobson by manager Brian Lutz and attorney Ryan Nord.
Source: Deadline
Mo’Nique Congratulates Tiffany Haddish on Her Netflix Deal
Mo’Nique has been getting a lot of attention for her public boycott of Netflix after she claims that they offered her $500K in light of giving Amy Schumer, Chris Rock, and Dave Chappelle millions for their comedy shows. When a fan pointed out that “If @TiffanyHaddish gets a multimillion @netflix deal at the level of @amyschumer it’s because @moworldwide stood up.”
Tiffany responded to the fan, writing, “I already got a deal and I signed it way before she said a thing and its not legend money but its enough to take care of my family for min.”
Mo’Nique caught wind of the situation and made it clear that she was nothing but happy for Tiffany’s deal. She wrote, “You’ve done nothing wrong my sister. You KEEP SHINING! I am proud of you. You keep doing what your doing. You are making it better for the next ones. Luv u 2 life.”
On This Day In Comedy… In 1970 Actress, Model, Producer, Niecy Nash Was Born
On this day in comedy on February 23, 1970, Actress, Model, Producer, Carol Denise “Niecy” Nash (Carol Denise Ensley) was born in Palmdale, California
Many performers shy away from the label ‘role model’. Others become them by example. After the shooting death of her younger brother in 1993, her mother founded M.A.V. I. S. (Mothers Against Violence in Schools) and Nash became its most outspoken spokesperson; informing the public about the dangers of violence on campus. That level of commitment permeates her work as well.
Nash began her career in films. The maiden voyage was 1995’s Boys on the Side in a small virtually uncredited role; the character had no name, just a description. That didn’t happen again. In 1999 she was in Cookie’s Fortune, Guess Who in 2005, Code Name: The Cleaner in 2007, Not Easily Broken in 2009, G-Force in 2009 and Trust Me in 2013.
Niecy Nash was also extremely active on television. From 2003-2010 she hosted Clean House on the Style Network. For her tenure of excellence, she won an Emmy. However, most viewers got a load of Nash when she gained notoriety on the Comedy Central sitcom, Reno 911 playing sassy Deputy Raineesha Williams from 2003 to 2009. In 2007 the show was shot as a feature-length film, Reno 911!: Miami.
Before during and after her run on Reno 911!, Nash guest starred on Reba, Girlfriends, One on One, Half & Half, That’s So Raven, My Name is Earl, Monk, and others. From 2003 – 2005 Nash had recurring roles on The Bernie Mac Show as Mac’s sister, Benita and she co-starred with Jerry O’Connell on the Fox sitcom, Do Not Disturb in 2008. She had her own reality show, Leave It to Niecy, about her new family in 2011, a recurring role on Fox as a doctor on The Mindy Project and in 2015 she was Andre Braugher’s sister on the Fox comedy, Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
Niecy Nash’s detail to craft did not go unnoticed. She received multiple acting award nominations for the part of nurse Denise “DiDi” Ortley in Getting On airing on HBO from 2013-2015. Beginning in 2012 she co-starred with Cedric the Entertainer on The Soul Man, a spin-off from the popular AMC sitcom, Hot in Cleveland. Her role as Cedric’s wife has been universally applauded, but Nash has also received acclaim for her rare dramatic performances. In the role of civil rights activist Richie Jean Jackson in 2014’s Selma she got raves. She also received good reviews for her recurring role on the CBS series, City of Angels.
The multi-faceted Nash was also no stranger to animation. She was Mama Robin in Here Comes Peter Cottontail: The Movie (2005). She portrayed Cookie Freeman on The Boondocks and Fatso’s Mama on Minoriteam in 2006. She lent her voice for the character of Mrs. Boots on the animated series, Slacker Cats on ABC Family and voiced Lorraine on American Dad from 2007-2013. Nash was heard as Miss Yelp in Horton Hears a Who! (2008), Janet on The Cleveland Show (2010) and Gloria on The LeBrons in 2011. She honestly would’ve done more, but there are only 24 hours in a day.
In 2009 Niecy Nash won a Gracie Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Reno 911! In 2010 she won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Special
On This Day In Comedy… In 1984 Comedian, Host, And Actor Trevor Noah Was Born
On this day in comedy on February 20, 1984, Comedian, Host, Actor, Trevor Noah was born in Johannesburg, South Africa
Initially known in America as Jon Stewart’s successor on The Daily Show, Noah has always carried more weight than most. When his Swiss/German father and Xhosa/Jewish mother ended their illegal relationship due to apartheid (she was jailed, and he moved back to Switzerland), Noah was raised by his mother and grandmother. That is until his mother married, got divorced and then was shot in the face by her jealous ex for getting engaged to another man. Noah was also threatened with death and moved from Johannesburg to Los Angeles, California in 2011.
Prior to relocating Noah had made his mark in Africa where themes of race were basic to his material. He broke onto the public scene at the age of 18 in 2002 starring on the South African soap opera, Isidingo. He hosted his own radio show (Noah’s Ark) on YFM, a leading youth radio station; hosted an educational show on SABC2; a gossip show and a sports show on SABC 1 and a dating show called The Amazing Date. Noah hosted the South Africa Film and Television Awards, The Axe Sweet Life (a reality competition show), his own show, Tonight with Trevor Noah and he was a spokesperson for one of the largest cellular providers in South Africa, Cell C. He’s performed all over South Africa, toured with Gabriel Iglesias and taped multiple standup comedy specials. He was the first South African comedian to perform stand up on The Tonight Show in 2012 and the first to appear on The Late Show with David Letterman in 2013. He’s been the subject of a documentary, a Roast Master on Comedy Central and a recurring contributor on The Daily Show.
So, when Comedy Central announced Jon Stewart’s replacement in March 2015 they were confident the seasoned Trevor Noah was ready. Yet despite the fact the takeover wasn’t going to happen until September, the internet was abuzz about how Stewart was irreplaceable and that this guy Noah had no right to be in a successor conversation. Haters trolled YouTube looking for incriminating evidence to support their case and he had some. They uncovered several jokes of his that did not work. Social media was aghast. A comedian who has bombed before. Unheard of! He was called anti-Jewish even though he is part Jewish, but fortunately the network ignored the firestorm and Noah made his debut. His self-described politically progressive style fit right into The Daily Show mindset. Though it took a moment for the audience to get used to the new host, Noah drew his crowd to him and the long running signature program kept bringing in viewers. So much for irreplaceability.
Trevor Noah speaks more than a half-dozen languages fluently and has won the 2012 South African Comic’s Choice Comic of the Year Award and the 2015 MTV Africa Music Award for Personality of the Year.
On This Day In Comedy… In 2011 ‘Big Momma’s House 3: Like Father, Like Son’ Was Released
On this day in comedy on February 18, 2011 Big Momma’s House 3: Like Father, Like Son was released by 20th Century Fox
Martin Lawrence once again plays FBI agent, Malcolm Turner in this sequel to the sequel to the original. This time out Lawrence has to go undercover as an old woman to protect his stepson, who saw a murder. Naturally, the step-son (Brandon T. Jackson) has to dress up like a female too and they hide out in an all-girls school. The stepson falls for one of the girls. One of the workers (Faizon Love) falls for Big Momma. They blow their covers. The gang of killers catch up to them and just as they are about to kill the duo somebody (in this case Love) come in just in the nick of time to save the day. Yay!
Big Momma’s House 3 was critically panned. There was more than one Razzie Award nomination. However, on the upside, Faizon Love’s performance was heralded, and the film was shot for less than the two previous offerings from the franchise. This was due to being shot in Georgia and Lawrence taking less money.
Budgeted at $32 million, Big Momma’s House 3 grossed $83,915,414 worldwide.
Tisha Campbell-Martin To Star In New ABC Drama Pilot On Black Police Officer Sisters
Tisha Campbell-Martin has been cast in a series regular role for an upcoming ABC drama pilot
The project, based from ABC Studios is from Pam Veasey, Robin Roberts and Regina King.
She will star in the pilot for an untitled drama that has been in development on “the lives of five African-American sisters, all officers in the NYPD, as they face the challenges of their high-risk jobs while juggling the responsibilities of marriage, motherhood and family.” It is based on the real-life story of the Holmes sisters, who Roberts covered for GMA.
Campbell-Martin joins Amirah Vann, the first sister who was cast. Veasey writes the pilot and King directs.
Her character is Sergeant Anise Kendrick-Morrison, “a witty, tough, and outspoken Patrol Officer with a sharp sense of humor. She is immensely proud of her family, especially her four sisters who are all in the NYPD. The first to join the force, she proudly patrols her own childhood neighborhood in Queens.”
This marks another ABC series for Campbell-Martin. She was a series regular on Dr. Ken for its two-season run from 2015-2017 and starred on the network’s My Wife and Kids from 2001-2005. Of course, she is most known for starring in the sitcom, Martin, from 1992-97. There have been talks of a Martin reboot as of recent, thatCampbell-Martin has all but confirmed. But if picked up to series, she would certainly be busy with this project.
Source: Shadow & Act
Is A ‘Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ Reboot In the Works — Featuring A Princess?
Just as with rumors of a Martin reboot, a The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reboot have been running rampant as of recent, led by Will Smith.
Smith fueled speculation by posting cartoon versions of the Fresh Prince characters created by fans on Instagram.
Around this same time, TMZ reported that the company that owns the rights to ‘Fresh Prince’ just applied to trademark a bunch of new merch, including toys, action figures and kids’ games.
Now, TMZ is reporting that the company is trademarking a lot more! They are wanting to lock down rights to “Fresh Princess” for a television program and what the tabloid refers to as “virtually every other media platform.” They are also wanting “Fresh Princess merch including bags, backpacks, animal collars and, of course, lots of clothing and footwear.
Because the initial trademarks they wanted were for toys, and taking into account this new information, does this mean a The Fresh Princess of Bel-Air animated series?
We can only guess, but for now, speculation will continue to run wild.
