Nickelodeon has given a 20-episode order to live-action series Cousins for Life, from Austin & Ally creators Kevin Kopelow and Heath Seifert.
The buddy comedy centers on 12-year-old cousins Stuart (Dallas Young) and Ivy (Scarlet Spencer), best friends who come from very different backgrounds, and learn to navigate life under one roof with their families. After Stuart’s mom is deployed overseas, his fun-loving dad Clark (Ishmel Sahid) decides to move the family to Portland to live with his uptight brother Lewis (Ron G.) and his family, which includes Stuart’s confident, socially active cousin Ivy and her younger, overly-curious brother Leaf (Micah Abbey). Now living in a brand new city, Stuart embarks on a variety of endeavors with Ivy that lead to hilarious adventures. Although the cousins do not always see eye-to-eye, Ivy and Stuart learn they are better together, and when they team up, they are unstoppable.
Cousins For Life begins production in Los Angeles this summer. The series is scheduled to air later this year.
Seifert and Kopelow are repped by APA. Judge is repped by APA and Dialed in Entertainment.
Source: Deadline
The life of Dapper Dan — the godfather of hip-hop fashion, who dressed everyone from LL Cool J to Jay-Z — is coming to the big screen.
Sony is developing a biopic based on Dapper Dan’s upcoming memoir (due out in 2019 via Random House), which will be adapted by Jerrod Carmichael. Set in Harlem, the feature is described as a “high-stakes coming-of-age story.”
Carmichael, who is best known as the creator and star of the NBC critical darling The Carmichael Show, will also produce alongside Josh Bratman of Immersive Pictures. Dapper Dan and Jelani Day, his son and brand manager, are set to executive produce.
Ange Giannetti and Maia Eyre are overseeing the project for the studio, which had no comment on the project.
Daniel “Dapper Dan” Day is a streetwear pioneer that outfitted some of the biggest New York City-based stars of the ’80s and ’90s out of his iconic store on 125th Street in Harlem. His clientele included Eric B. & Rakim, Salt-N-Pepa, P. Diddy, Mike Tyson, Aaliyah and Floyd Mayweather.
His style of remixing high-end logos from the likes of Gucci and Louis Vuitton into his designs led to litigation that eventually prompted the closure of his store. Over two decades later, in September of last year, Dapper Dan struck a partnership with Gucci to relaunch his exclusive Harlem atelier that includes a Dapper Dan x Gucci capsule that will be available along with the fall 2018 collection.
UTA reps Dapper Dan and Day on behalf of the MacKenzie Wolf agency. Carmichael — whose acting credits include Neighbors, Transformers 5 and Jonah Hill’s upcoming directorial debut Mid 90s — is repped by UTA and Ziffren Brittenham.
Bratman is repped by CAA and Bloom Hergott.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
The Season 2 of Atlanta, also known as Atlanta Robbin’ Season, has debuted to very strong ratings.
According to the network the Donald Glover comedy had 1.8 million total viewers in Live+3 numbers and had 1.3 million viewers in the adults 18-49 demographic.
This puts it 7 percent above the Season 1 premiere and nearly 10 percent more the series’ Season 1 average.
According to the network, this marks the best basic cable primetime scripted comedy telecast in more than a year.
In Atlanta Robbin’ Season, two cousins work through the Atlanta music scene in order to better their lives and the lives of their families. Earn Marks (Donald Glover) is a young manager trying to get his cousin’s career off the ground. Alfred Miles aka Paper Boy (Brian Tyree Henry) is a new hot rapper trying to understand the line between real life and street life. Darius (Lakeith Lee Stanfield) is Alfred’s right-hand man and visionary. Van (Zazie Beetz) is Earn’s best friend and the mother of Earn’s daughter. Donald Glover serves as Executive Producer, along with Paul Simms, Dianne McGunigle and Stephen Glover. Atlanta is produced by FX Productions.
The first season of Atlanta won two Emmy Awards as well as two Golden Globe Awards and AFI, Peabody, PGA, WGA, TCA, NAACP and Critics’ Choice Awards.
Source: Shadow & Act
Magnolia Pictures has acquired the North American rights to the film Support The Girls ahead of its premiere at SXSW.
From producers Sam Slater and Houston King and writer/director Andrew Bujalski, it stars Regina Hall, Haley Lu Richardson, James Le Gros, AJ Michalka, Dylan Gelula, Shayna McHayle, Lea DeLaria, Jana Kramer and Brooklyn Decker.
The story: Lisa Conroy (Regina Hall) may not love managing the restaurant Double Whammies, but she loves her employees more than anything, not only Danyelle (McHayle), and Maci (Richardson) her closest friends, but also her extended family that includes co-workers Krista (Michalka), Jennelle (Gelula), and regular Bobo (DeLaria). Unfortunately, the cheap, curmudgeonly owner Ben Cubby (Le Gros) doesn’t care nearly as much, and confronts Lisa when he learns that she’s using the restaurant to raise money for Shaina (Kramer), an employee in legal trouble related to an abusive boyfriend. To get even, the girls decide to sabotage the restaurant on the night of a major mixed martial arts fight.
The film premieres Friday at SXSW.
Source: Shadow & Act
On this day in comedy on March 7, 1964, Comedienne, Actress, Writer, Voice-Over Artist, Producer, Wanda Sykes was born in Portsmouth, Virginia
Raised in the Washington, DC area, Sykes was a NSA (National Security Agency) contracting specialist before getting into comedy. After five years of that day job she tried her hand at being funny in 1987 at the Coors Light Super Talent Showcase. She honed her skills for five more years (while still working for the NSA) until in 1992 she moved to New York. Sykes got a gig there working for Hall Leonard publishing as a book editor. At night she’d step out and do comedy. One evening she got a break which led to Sykes opening for Chris Rock at the famed Caroline’s Comedy Club. In 1997 she joined Rock’s writing staff on The Chris Rock Show for HBO, where she also appeared on camera. In 1999 she won an Emmy as part of that writing team.
Further success followed Sykes. She’s done theater (Annie), films (Pootie Tang, Monster-in-Law, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, Evan Almighty, License to Wed, Down to Earth, Nutty Professor II: The Klumps) and plenty of television (Curb Your Enthusiasm, The New Adventures of Old Christine (as friend, Barb Baran), The Drew Carey Show, Chappelle’s Show, MADtv, Will & Grace, Alpha House, Real Husbands of Hollywood and Black-ish). Sykes has also done voice-overs for animated features (Over the Hedge, Barnyard, Brother Bear 2, Rio, Ice Age: Continental Drift, Ice Age: Collision Course), television (Bubble Guppies, Futurama, The Simpsons) and did a voice for the televised puppet show, Crank Yankers.
Wanda Sykes had her own sitcom, Wanda at Large on Fox in 2003 and one on Comedy Central, (Wanda Does It). She also debuted her hour-long standup special, Tongue Tied on Comedy Central in 2003. In 2006 she did her first HBO special, Wanda Sykes: Sick & Tired. It was nominated for an Emmy Award. She did her second for HBO in 2009, Wanda Sykes: I’ma Be Me. Also, in 2009 she hosted her own late-night talk show, The Wanda Sykes Show on Fox. Sykes has hosted Premium Blend on Comedy Central and was a sports correspondent on HBO’s Inside the NFL. In 2004 she published the best-selling book, Yeah, I Said It.
In 2014 Wanda Sykes co-produced the languishing NBC standup comedy competition show, Last Comic Standing and brought it back to its previous prominence. She has written for The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show, the 74th Annual Academy Awards, The Downer Channel and of course every show she was ever on or hosted.
Wanda Sykes was active in the anti-gay bashing campaign, “Think Before You Speak” and has been an outspoken advocate for LGBT rights. She performed as part of Cyndi Lauper’s Tour for that cause. In 2009 she was the first openly LGBT person as well as the first African-American female to be a featured entertainer at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner.
Sykes was named by Out magazine as number 35 on their Annual Power 50 List. She was one of the 25 Funniest People in America by Entertainment Weekly in 2004 and ranked by Comedy Central as #70 on their list of the 100 Greatest All-Time Standups. In 2001 Sykes won the American Comedy Award for Outstanding Female Stand Up Comic, the 2003 Comedy Central Commie Award for “Funniest TV Actress”, the 2010 GLAAD Stephen F. Kolzak Award and the Activism in the Arts at the Triumph Awards in 2015.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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On this day in comedy on March 6, 1963, Comedian, Actor, Darryl Lynn “D. L.” Hughley was born in Los Angeles, CA
Hughley’s life arc goes from gangbanger to Los Angeles Times employee to top standup comedian. The comedy part got its start in clubs in L. A. including the Comedy Act Theater and Miss Wiz, where Hughley was house host. He got early recognition and landed a late-night talk show on local based K-CAL, but it was short lived due to his hot competition – Arsenio Hall premiered that same season. The setback was short-lived. Hughley was next pegged to be the first host of BET’s standup showcase, Comic View. He remained there for two seasons (1992-1993) then moved on to tour.
In 1998 D. L. Hughley made his next foray into television on his own self-titled sitcom, The Hughleys, originally airing on ABC, where it was broadcast for two seasons. The show then moved to UPN as Hughley was gaining fame for his contribution in the Original Kings of Comedy in 2000. He replaced Guy Torry, who’d moved on to star on a TV action drama. The tour featuring Hughley, Cedric the Entertainer, Steve Harvey and Bernie Mac was a cultural phenomenon, packing arenas across the country, being made into a hit concert documentary directed by Spike Lee and spawning a cottage industry of copycats all being packaged as royalty and touring under that brand.
Once The Hughleys ended its run in 2002, D. L. Hughley got traction as a political commentator. He had a Comedy Central program, Weekends at the D.L. and hosted D. L. Hughley Break the News on CNN. Hughley was also a correspondent for NBC’s The Jay Leno Show. He competed on Dancing with the Stars and held down his own radio shows. He released a comedy album (D. L. Hughley: Notes from the GED Section) has had recurring roles (Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Scrubs), guest-starred (Fresh Prince of Bel Air, The Parkers), hosted award shows (BET Awards), done voice-overs (Inspector Gadget) films (The Brothers, Soul Plane, Scary Movie 3, Spy School) and wrote a book (I Want You to Shut the Fuck Up: How the Audacity of Dopes Is Ruining America).
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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Luke Cage season 2 is almost here!
Netflix dropped a teaser trailer for the second season and revealed its premiere date, which is June 22, 2018.
This comes after nearly two years of waiting, as the first season came out in June 2016.
Here’s the logline: After clearing his name, Luke Cage (Mike Colter) has become a celebrity on the streets of Harlem, with a reputation as bulletproof as his skin. But being so visible has only increased his need to protect the community and find the limits of who he can and can’t save. With the rise of a formidable new foe, Luke is forced to confront the fine line that separates a hero from a villain.
The series is executive produced by Cheo Hodari Coker (Ray Donovan, Southland) and Aïda Croal (The Returned, True Blood) as co-executive producer, along with Jeph Loeb (Marvel’s Punisher, Marvel’s Inhumans), and Jim Chory (Marvel’s Punisher, Marvel’s Inhumans).
It stars Mike Colter as Luke Cage, Simone Missick as Misty Knight, Rosario Dawson as Claire Temple, Alfre Woodard as Mariah Dillard, Theo Rossi as Shades, Gabrielle Dennis as Tilda Johnson and Mustafa Shakir as John McIver.
Watch the teaser below as well as some new images:
Marvel’s Luke Cage
Marvel’s Luke Cage
Source: Shadow & Act
The third time’s a charm!
According to several industry publications, Madeleine Mantock has landed the role of the third and eldest sibling in The CW’s Charmed reboot.
She joins Melonie Diaz and Sarah Jeffery as the other sisters, as well as Ser’Darius Blain and Rupert Evans, who are series regulars.
On the planned series, The CW says “this fierce, funny, feminist reboot of the original series centers on three sisters: Macy, Mel and Madison, in a college town who discover they are witches. Between vanquishing supernatural demons, tearing down the patriarchy, and maintaining familial bonds, a witch’s work is never done.”
Mantock will play Macy. Her character description: A “practical, driven, and brilliant geneticist who has her world blown open when she discovers that the supernatural world is all too real.”
Although not officially confirmed yet, it seems that Macy may be a half-sister to Mel and Madison (or at least considering Mantock’s ethnicity, we truly hope the elephant in the room is addressed, at least).
The network has stated this will be a “feminist” version of the show, and what description has received backlash from its original stars, questioning how the long-running cult classic was not feminist.
The new Charmed is based on a story by Jennie Urman, creator of The CW’s Jane the Virgin.
Mantock is most known for her series regular role on the first two seasons of AMC’s Into the Badlands.
Source: Shadow & Act
On this day in comedy on March 5, 1954, Comedienne, Actress, Marsha Francine Warfield was born in Chicago, Illinois
A night at comedian Tom Dreesen’s place changed phone company employee Marsha Warfield forever. Prompted by her friend, Evelyn, Warfield went up on the open mic and got laughs and got hooked. A career in comedy seemed a foreign idea, though. There were no relatable role models. She was from a different mold than Moms or Lawanda Page. How do you become a working stand-up? When she met Elayne Boosler it became clear. Warfield said the way was paved for her and others thanks to trailblazers such as Elayne along with Judy Tenuta, Sandra Bernhard, Diane Nichols, Shirley Hemphill and Shelly Pryor. Outside of Phyllis Diller these women knew of no other stage comediennes and it wasn’t like they were having tea with Phyllis daily so they made their own rules. In the case of Marsha Warfield those rules worked.
Warfield got her break when comedian and Richard Pryor collaborator, Paul Mooney picked her when he assembled a cast of virtual unknowns for The Richard Pryor Show in 1977. She was blunt, sexy and uncompromising. The powerhouse comedienne had made her mark on the stand-up comedy circuit and Mooney knew she’d be equal to the task of writing and performing with the red-hot Pryor. At that time Pryor was the comedy god. Or as she once said, “God takes second billing as far as Richard was concerned.” So, there were high expectations. She didn’t disappoint as Warfield and the rest of the cast made an indelible impression in the four short episodes they had on network television. However, the failure of the show left her depressed with thoughts of quitting comedy. That was until she won the prestigious San Francisco National Stand-Up Comedy Competition in ‘79.
By the time she gained fame on the NBC hit sitcom, Night Court Warfield was seasoned and had a reputation of reliability. Though short on acting experience, her deadpan, straight delivery to bailiff counterpart, Richard Moll was as good as team comedy gets and nobody in television gave a better cynical look. The Chicago native embodied Roz to critical and fan approval and had viewers in stitches from 1986-1992.
Warfield pulled double duty in 1990. She was so popular NBC slotted her with a self-titled day time talk show where she and guests discussed hot topics of the day and got a load of laughs along the way. Her show was easy going and lasted for two seasons. Of course, it didn’t stop there. Following her run on Night Court Warfield kept up her AFTRA status on the sitcom, Empty Nest playing Dr. Maxine Douglas from ’93-’95. She did major films (D. C. Cab, Mask, Caddyshack 2), television guests spots (Family Ties, Riptide, Cheers) and of course stand-up.
Then in 1995 tragedy struck. After her house was totaled in the Northridge earthquake, Marsha’s mother and her sister died within three months of each other. Not long after her “lifestyle” caught up with her so she took time to regroup. By the time she returned to the scene a lot of time had passed in show biz terms and newer faces had stepped in to fill the void. She eventually moved to Las Vegas. From there she kept her presence known via social commentary on sites and remained a living inspiration to a whole generation of comediennes who followed in her footsteps.
Marsha Warfield returned to the standup comedy stage in 2015.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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On this day in comedy on March 3, 2005, Dave Chappelle’s Block Party premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival
Columbia Records wouldn’t release Lauryn Hill’s songs, so she reunited the Fugees for the event. Chappelle’s version of “Round Midnight”, the Thelonious Monk classic would not make the final cut. All types of legal entanglements swirled regarding music licensing and releases, yet Chappelle went around issuing “golden tickets” to all invitees by hand. Nothing would deter this party from going down.
Chappelle was at the peak of his Comedy Central celebrity thanks to his iconic, Chappelle’s Show and this documentary was meant to be an extremely colorful feather in the cap of Chappelle’s career. Turns out it was the only outside production Chappelle managed to get off before vacating Comedy Central due to a misunderstanding about the show’s direction. Too bad, a follow up would have been eagerly anticipated.
Thrown on the corner of Clinton Street and Downing Street in Brooklyn, Dave Chappelle’s Block Party lived up to the hype. The show was born of imagination and the need to give back to a community that usually gets overlooked. This would be different. Not only would this party be loaded with great music it would have the famed comedian doing material and sketches in between his chosen acts and what acts they were. Chappelle enlisted some of the brightest stars in the hip hop firmament to entertain his massive guest list.
Directed by Michel Gondry the film features the talents of Kanye West, Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Jill Scott, The Roots, Talib Kweli, Common, John Legend, Big Daddy Kane, Dead Prez, A Trak, Bilal, Cody ChestnuTT, Kool G Rap and the Central State University Marching Band. It spawned a bestselling soundtrack and has established itself as a cult classic. Both film and soundtrack were dedicated to the memory of music producer, J Dilla. He died of lupus one month before the film’s release.
Dave Chappelle’s Block Party came in at #6 in its opening weekend, grossing $6 million in 1,200 theaters. On a budget of $3 million it grossed $11,718,595 domestically and $333,329 internationally for a worldwide total of $12,051,924. And since we’re talking about the king of comedy DVD sales, Dave Chappelle’s Block Party sold 1,240,405 copies and counting for a total take of $18,776,445.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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