The Humor Mill

First-Look At 3 Generations Of ‘Shaft’ From The Upcoming Film Reboot

A first-look image from the upcoming Shaft film has surfaced, depicting the three “generations” of Shaft. The picture was posted on Instagram by fashion designer Aleks Musika.

The film is expected to be released later this year.

This reboot, which was called Son of Shaft but is now untitled, and comes from New Line and director Tim Story and it is written by black-ish creator Kenya Barris. Richard Roundtree and Samuel L. Jackson, who starred in the prior Shaft films, reprise their roles for this film.

New Line and Story searched for months to find the actor to take on the new role as the son of Samuel L. Jackson’s character. Jessie T. Usher is portraying the son of the Detective John Shaft (Jackson), who, “after long being estranged from his father, finds himself teamed up with him. The young man is an FBI agent, a cyber expert, and the partnership with dad is an uneasy collision of old school meets new school.”  He will enlist his father’s help to “find out who killed his best friend Karim and bring down a drug-trafficking/money-laundering operation in NYC.”

The film is a part of a groundbreaking Netflix deal, with the streaming giant paying “more than half the film’s high $30 million budget, in exchange for international rights and the ability to put the film on its streaming outside the U.S. two weeks after New Line releases theatrically in the United States.” This model could set a standard for “urban-themed” releases (READ: black) that don’t do well as well overseas. This is important because Netflix international audiences will be able to hop on this not too soon after it is hot in the U.S.

Source;Shadow & Act

Tiffany Haddish Set To Host MTV Movie And TV Awards

The year of Tiffany Haddish continues.

On Thursday, MTV tapped the Girls Trip breakout to host its annual movie and TV awards, set for Monday, June 18. She follows in the footsteps of recent hosts, including Kevin Hart, who emceed with Dwayne Johnson; Amy Schumer; Conan O’Brien; and last year’s host, Adam Devine.

Haddish announced it via a video on her Instagram account.

The news comes the same week that Netflix announced that it, too, was getting into the Haddish business. The streaming service issued a straight-to-series order on an animated project with the actress attached to voice a lead character. The series, Tuca and Bertie, comes from the creative team behind BoJack Horseman.

Since Haddish’s star-making role in the summer comedy, her business has been booming. In recent months, she’s hosted Saturday Night Live, released a Showtime stand-up special, starred in a Super Bowl ad and, in December, became a New York Times best-selling author.

Her runway is crowded with still more projects. Up next, she’ll star opposite Tracy Morgan in TBS’ The Last O.G. and opposite Kevin Hart in Universal’s Night School. Earlier this year, Haddish signed a first-look deal with HBO, through which projects should be coming.

Haddish is repped by APA, Principato Young and Del Shaw.

The 2018 MTV Movie and TV Awards will air on Monday, June 18 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The nominees for the show, which last year introduced TV and gender-neutral categories, will be announced at a later date.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Damon Wayans Jr. To Star In New CBS’ Comedy Pilot

Damon Wayans Jr., the most hotly pursued comedy actor this pilot season — as well as most pilot seasons in the past several years — has chosen a TV starring vehicle. Out of a dozen or so offers, Wayans has picked CBS’ multi-camera comedy pilot from writers Tim McAuliffe (The Last Man on Earth) and Austen Earl (9JKL) and The Late Late Show with James Corden executive producer Ben Winston.

In what is believed to be the biggest talent deal so far this pilot season, Wayans is set to star in the project from CBS TV Studios. The rich pact is said to include points on the show and, if the pilot goes to series, a two-year first-look producing deal with CBS TV Studios.

Written by McAuliffe and Earl, the untitled comedy revolves around Peter (Wayans) and Claire, a thirtysomething couple who are tired of their mundane life and start to reconnect with their younger, cooler selves when an emerging pop star, who is drawn to their super-normal suburban life, moves in.

Wayans’ Peter is a good guy with a sense of humor, happily married to his dream wife, Claire. He is an accountant and business manager for Cooper, the young superstar musician who comes to live with them.

McAuliffe and Earl executive produce with Winston via Fulwell 73 and 3 Arts Entertainment’s Michael Rotenberg and Jonathan Berry.

This is only the third broadcast pilot for Wayans following the single-camera Happy Endings and New Girl. Both went to series that were well received. However, because he filmed the New Girl pilot in second position to Happy Endings, which was heavily on the bubble but got surprisingly renewed by ABC, he could not continue on the Fox comedy. (He later reprised his role as Coach from the New Girl pilot as a recurring and in a season-long series regular.)

Despite dozens of offers over the years, this is the first broadcast pilot Wayans Jr. has signed on for to since New Girl in 2011. He recently did Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen’s FX pilot Singularity.

This marks a return to the multi-camera comedy format for Wayans Jr., who started his acting career as a child, recurring on his dad Damon Wayans’ popular ABC sitcom My Wife and Kids. He is repped by WME.

Source: Deadline

Lupita Nyong’o To Star In Adaptation Of Trevor Noah’s Autobiography, ‘Born A Crime: Stories From A South African Childhood’

As Black Panther dominates box offices worldwide, Lupita Nyong’o has booked another starring role.

The actress has been tapped to star in the upcoming film adaptation of Noah’s best-selling autobiography, Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood.

According to Deadline, who broke the news, says Nyong’o will play Patricia Noah, who served as an important figure to Noah in his formative years.  His mother was shot in the head by his stepfather while returning from a church service.

Noah will produce the project and Nyong’o has also joined as an executive producer.

Born a Crime was first release in 2016. It spent 26 weeks on the bestseller list and won several awards.

Up next for Nyon’go, she is satarring in the Australian zombie comedy, Little Monsters and will produce and star in an adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s bestseller Americanah, which will be written by her Black Panther co-star, Danai Gurira. Of course, rumors are running rampant about an inevitable Black Panther sequel.

Source: Shadow & Act

Sasheer Zamata Cast In Lead Role In NBC Comedy Pilot Titled ‘So Close’

Sasheer Zamata is one of the leads for the NBC comedy pilot, So Close.

The Saturday Night Live alumna will star with Sean Kleier.

The description: So Close centers on hopeless romantics Riley (Zamata) & Kyle (Kleier). At crossroads in their separate lives, they are close to settling for the wrong partner, unaware that they live only blocks apart and may be each other’s soul mates.

The duo joins Sabrina Carpenter, who was the first announced cast member.

Zamata left SNL last may after being a regular for four seasons.

Jennifer Lopez New Romantic Comedy Film ‘Second Act’ Sets Release Date

STXfilms has given a holiday season release of Nov. 21 to the Jennifer Lopez romantic comedy “Second Act.”

“Second Act” is directed by Peter Segal and also stars Milo Ventimiglia, Leah Remini, Vanessa Hudgens and Treat Williams. Lopez plays a big-box store employee who reinvents her life and her lifestyle to prove to Madison Avenue that street smarts are as valuable as a college degree.

“Second Act” was developed by STX with Lopez from an idea conceived by Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas and Justin Zackham. The film is written and produced by Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas and Justin Zackham, with Jennifer Lopez and Benny Medina also serving as producers.

It’s the fourth title to land on the date after MGM’s “Creed 2,” Disney’s “Wreck-It Ralph 2: Ralph Breaks the Internet” and Universal’s untitled Robert Zemeckis project.

EXCLUSIVE-Was Damon Wayans, Jr. Considered For The Lead In The New ‘Magnum P.I.’ Reboot’?

According to reports that were released earlier today, actor Jay Hernandez was cast as the lead in the Magnum P.I. reboot.

Hernandez will play Thomas Magnum, a decorated ex-Navy SEAL who, upon returning home from Afghanistan, repurposes his military skills to become a private investigator. Tom Selleck, who currently stars in the CBS drama Blue Bloods, played the role in the original series.

Later this evening we heard from our sources that actor and comedian Damon Wayans, Jr., was offered the lead role of the title character. While we were unable to confirm why he turned down the role, we did hear that CBS was serious in their offer to Wayans.

Wayans is currently preparing to drop a TV film titled Singularity and The Truth About Harry Quebert Affair. We also hear that Wayans will probably land on a sitcom, just no word yet on which one.

More details soon.

Viola Davis To Star In Amazon Film ‘Troupe Zero’

‘Scandal’s Joe Morton To Co-Star In CBS Drama Pilot Titled ‘God Friended Me’!

Photo credit: Benjo Arwas
Emmy-winning Scandal co-star Joe Morton is set for a series regular role opposite Brandon Micheal Hall in CBS drama pilot God Friended Me, a light hourlong procedural from Alcatraz co-creators Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt, director Marcos Siega, Greg Berlanti’s Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. TV.
Written by Lilien and Wynbrandt and to be directed by Siega, God Friended Me is described as a humorous, uplifting series, which explores questions of faith, existence, and science. It centers on an outspoken atheist whose life is turned upside down when he is “friended” by God on Facebook. Unwittingly, he becomes an agent of change in the lives and destinies of others around him. Cast also includes Suraj Sharma and Javicia Leslie.

Morton will play Reverend Arthur Finer, Miles’ (Hall) father. A thoughtful and intelligent man, Arthur Finer has been the Reverend of Trinity Church for the past 25 years. Although he doesn’t agree with his son’s strong rejection of his faith, he wants him back in his life.

It’s not hard to envision Morton in the role following his stint on Scandal as Rowan Pope where he is known for the memorable delivery of his signature monologues. Morton is the first actor from Scandal, which returns for its seventh and final season, to book a new series.

Lilien and Wynbrandt executive produce God Friended Me alongside Siega and Berlanti Prods.’ Berlanti and Sarah Schechter.

Morton’s film credits include The Brother From Another Planet, Terminator 2: Judgement Day and Speed 2, among others. Morton is repped by TalentWorks and Vanguard Management Group.

Source: Deadline

Tiffany Haddish To Star In New Netflix Animated Series Titled ‘Tuca and Bertie’

Tiffany Haddish Girls Trip
CREDIT: STEWART COOK/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK
Netflix has ordered the animated series “Tuca and Bertie,” with Tiffany Haddish set to voice one of the main characters.The series, which has received a 10-episode order, is a comedy about the friendship between two 30-year-old bird women who live in the same apartment building: Tuca, a cocky, care-free toucan, and Bertie, an anxious, daydreaming songbird. Haddish will play Tuca in addition to executive producing.Lisa Hanawalt created the series and will serve as executive producer. Hanawalt is the production designer and producer on Netflix’s critically-acclaimed animated series “BoJack Horseman.” Raphael Bob-Waksberg, the creator of “BoJack” will executive produce along with “BoJack” executive producers Noel Bright and Steven A. Cohen. Michael Eisner’s The Tornante Company, which produces “BoJack,” will produce. Animation is being done at Shadowmachine.This project marks the latest in a series of high-profile gigs for Haddish, who broke out in the comedy blockbuster film “Girls Trip.” She also recently released a Showtime stand up special titled “Tiffany Haddish: She’s Ready,” released her book, “The Last Black Unicorn,” in December, and signed a first-look deal with HBO. She can next be seen in the Tracy Morgan-led TBS comedy series “The Last O.G.” and in the Kevin Hart comedy film “Night School.”

She is repped by APA, Principato Young, and Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein & Lezcano. Hanawalt is repped by by UTA and Defiore & Company.

“BoJack Horseman” was renewed for Season 5 at Netflix back in September. The series has received widespread critical acclaim, with the four available seasons averaging an 89 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Season 4 launched globally on Netflix on Sept. 8 and saw BoJack coming to grips with his identity after disappearing at the end of Season 3, while his friend Mr. Peanutbutter makes a bid for governor. Todd, meanwhile, explores his life without BoJack, and comes to terms with the fact that he is asexual.

Source: Variety

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