They are thick as thieves and coming together for yet another heist: Gerard Butler, Tucker Tooley, Mark Canton, Alan Siegel, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and director Christian Gudegast with O’Shea Jackson, Jr. (who is in negotiations) have pacted to return for a sequel to the heist thriller Den of Thieves. The project, which will be distributed by STX worldwide and financed by Diamond Film Productions, is being written by Gudegast from an original idea.
Den of Thieves 2, which will also be directed again by Gudegast, will find Big Nick (Butler) on the hunt in the streets of Europe closing in on Donnie (Jackson Jr.) who is embroiled in the dangerous world of diamond thieves and the infamous Panther mafia, as they plot a massive heist of the world’s biggest diamond exchange.
Canton and Tooley will produce the sequel with Butler and Siegel’s production company G-BASE. Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson will produce through his production company G-Unit Film & Television, Inc.
The original Den of Thieves over-performed at the box office when it was released last month. The film, which took Tooley and Canton about 15 years to bring to the screen, has yet to finish out its international run (it has about 35 markets yet to go). Worldwide, the film has grossed $57M so far.
The original cost around $30M before P&A with an $25M+ P&A backstopped by Diamond Films which also provided gap financing. Roughly 60% of the budget was covered by pre-sales and a tax incentive brought it to roughly 70%.
There is plenty of audience growth which was made evident by the release of the first film and the exit polling which showed equal interest from all male audience quads.
For STX, the first film set a new milestone for STX in the U.K. market last weekend when it became the first of the company’s films to open bigger than £1M.
Gudegast is repped by WME, Management 360, and Patrick Knapp; Tooley is repped by WME and Patrick Knapp. Diamond Film Productions is repped by Glenn D. Feig of Reder & Feig LLP. Butler is repped by CAA and Alan Siegel Entertainment and Jackson Jr. is by WME. Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson & G-Unit Film & Television Inc. are repped by APA and attorneys Stephen J. Savva and Eric Feig.
Source: Deadline
On this day in comedy on February 12, 1988, School Daze was released by Columbia Pictures
This is Spike Lee’s second major motion picture following his debut, She’s Gotta Have It. In School Daze the issue is not sexual promiscuity and social morality, but racial identity and division. Its Dark-Skinned Blacks VS Light Skinned Blacks set in the backdrop of a fictional Historically Black College and its fraternity / sorority culture. It’s part comedy, part drama and part musical (but not the corny kind).
Written, directed and featuring Lee, the story is semi-autobiographical from his own college experiences. In the film all his character, “Half-Pint”, wants to do is pledge a fraternity and get some girls. Simple, but crossing the burning sands and being made a Gamma Phi Gamma man is not. He must not only go through the usual hazing, but he’s at a Black college and there’s discrimination; from one frat to the next based on skin pigment, eye color and hair texture. Then he’s got his older cousin who is a militant and fraternally a GDI (Go**amn Independent) played by Laurence Fishburne (back when he was Larry) giving him a hard time about going through that nonsense to be with a group of guys he doesn’t even like (led by Giancarlo Esposito, who Fishburne doesn’t like). There’s conflict and tensions between the local blue collar Black youth and the “spoiled college boys”, jealousy amongst the sisters on both sides of the color line and a faculty that’s more clueless than Stacy Dash. But there’s nothing to worry about – it’s a movie and all this dramedy comes to a head Homecoming weekend when the two rival frats clash and WAKE UP!
School Daze boasts an impressive cast. Tisha Campbell is Esposito’s girlfriend. Samuel L. Jackson plays a local homeboy, who doesn’t like the college homeboys. Joe Seneca is the President of the college, Ossie Davis the coach and Art Evans an administrator. The rest of the cast is rounded out with Bill Nunn, Jasmine Guy, Darryl M. Bell, Branford Marsalis, Kadeem Hardison, Phyllis Hyman and of course, Joie Lee.
The usually controversial Spike Lee was on his artistic and polarizing ascension during this period and School Daze helped fuel his reputation. Behind the scenes he’d housed the light skinned Blacks in better accommodations than the dark-skinned Blacks to add to the tension on the set. It did. The animosity was so great that an actual fight broke out between the two groups of ‘actors” and Lee told his crew to keep filming. That fight was in the movie. It vividly demonstrated the realistic relationship dynamics that were themed in School Daze and the purity translated, as well as stirred up opposing viewpoints. Whereas mainstream critics found the film frank, honest and revealing; exposing a slice of society they were unfamiliar. The Black colleges on the other hand took exception to Lee’s use of real life language used in those colleges to describe language used in those colleges. They resented his portrayal of racial separatism and during filming Morehouse, Spelman and Clark Atlanta University kicked him off their campuses. Filming had to be completed at nearby Morris Brown College.
School Daze was the inspiration for the NBC sitcom, A Different World. It also spawned a number one hit on Billboard’s R&B chart (Da Butt) and featured the Phyllis Hyman song, Be One. On a budget of $6.5 million School Daze grossed $14,545,844.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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On this day in comedy on February 12, 1956, Comedian, Talk Show Host, Arsenio Hall born in Cleveland, OH
Starting off in entertainment as a child magician, Hall developed the disciplines required to navigate the unchartered waters that would make him a household name. He was the first Black late-night talk show host; having grown up watching legends in the field such as Steve Allen, Jack Paar and Johnny Carson and knowing that’s what he wanted to do. However, having no idea that once he did it Hall would put such an indelible stamp on what it meant to be a Black late-night host that not only he could surpass it. Nobody could.
Hall’s journey began when he moved to Los Angeles to refine his standup comedy chops. He did the requisite club circuit and even popped up a few times on Soul Train. Then in 1984 he got a break as the on-camera sidekick of talk show host, Alan Thicke on Thicke of the Night. It was an instructive opportunity, but unfortunately, one that didn’t last long. Didn’t matter, another break for Hall came in the form of Fox networks failed The Late Show starring Joan Rivers. This project was developed specifically to challenge late night king, Johnny Carson and the venerable Tonight Show on NBC. The upstart entry couldn’t topple the institution and that along with bad blood between Rivers and the show’s producers gave an early exit to its title star. The show was renamed The Late Show and a series of interim hosts were tried. Nobody hit the right chord, but Hall’s brief tenure was the most resonate and he soon got the call to host his own show.
The Arsenio Hall Show was nothing short of a television revolution. Unlike previous late-night talk shows that were designed to lull its viewers to sleep with safe monologues, an orchestra playing standards, banal conversations and advertising targeting the older demographic, Hall threw a party. His band was a hard driving combo that he called his posse. His audience was hyped, not drowsy. Their barking and fist pumping got them labeled “The Dog Pound” and their signature gestures infiltrated pop culture in films (Pretty Woman, Passenger 57, The Hard Way, Aladdin, Robin Hood: Men in Tights) countless TV sitcoms and commercials. His guests were not the kind that graced the covers of magazines you’d find at your dentist. He introduced Bobby Brown to late night TV. That alone could’ve got him cancelled. Hall made a president when then Governor Bill Clinton slapped on some shades and played his saxophone. No amount of church visits could’ve bonded a white candidate better to a potential black constituency. That appearance branded Clinton as cool and won him a close election. Whereas, Hall himself was all swagger. His monologues were edgy; interviews probing and fearless. Who else would’ve booked Louis Farrakhan on their show? Hall was a powerful force; perhaps too powerful. Shaping public opinion is fine if the powers that be tell you how to shape it. You got the feeling Hall had cut the strings as soon as the puppeteers weren’t looking. Thus, The Arsenio Hall Show was cancelled after five years.
The void left by The Arsenio Hall Show was gaping. Popular figures were brought in to fill it. Keenen Ivory Wayans and Magic Johnson mounted shows. Both failed – quickly. Music titan, Quincy Jones, spun off from his successful magazine, Vibe and envisioned its essence as broadcast entertainment. It tanked with two hosts (Chris Spencer, Sinbad) and it became evident that it was not the amiable personalities presented as substitutes, but that the bar had been raised so high there was no substitution. It was Hall or back to the white guys; white guys who’d gotten increasingly younger and hipper over the years. Once the era of Jay Leno and David Letterman (the last vestiges of the Johnny Carson age) came to an end they were replaced by the grittier Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Colbert.
The late-night landscape changed thanks to Hall. It had altered itself so much that Hall felt it would be a natural fit. He’d resisted a much-requested return due to the fact his friend George Lopez had a late-night show. Could the public really keep track of two minorities on at once? Well, once Lopez got replaced on TBS by non-minority (unless you count the hair style), Conan O’Brien, Hall decided it was time to mount the horse he’d trained again. Unfortunately, that horse was ornery. The reincarnation of The Arsenio Hall Show debuting in 2013 had all the previous elements of its 1989 incarnation: band, hyped crowd, fringe guests and even Hall looking preserved; like he’d been frozen all those years, but it lacked the magic. The spark was gone. It was like returning to an old lover. It would never be the same and before the relationship could be reinvented the suits pulled the plug.
Conventional wisdom has always maintained that careers were marathons, not sprints and Arsenio Hall has always had a career that stayed in motion. He was an animated voice over actor when he did The Real Ghostbusters from 1986-87 and other projects. He released the album, Large and in Charge under his alter ego Chunky A. He proved to be an accomplished comedy film actor in the movies, Coming to America and Harlem Nights. Hall showed the world he was ahead of the curve over most other performers when it came to taking care of business when he won the reality-competition show, Celebrity Apprentice and he won it when Donald Trump was the host. Speaking of hosting Hall aptly took over for establishment favorite, Ed McMahon when Hall hosted Star Search and he also hosted the MTV Video Music Awards. Hall had his own sitcom (Arsenio) in 1997 and an action show with Sammo Hung called Martial Law in 1999. Hall guest starred on sitcoms and played himself in films, TV shows and commercials.
For his acting expertise, Arsenio Hall won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor for Coming to America and the 1989 American Comedy Award for the same role. In 1992 he received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Central State University, Wilberforce.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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On this day in comedy on February 11, 1979, Actress, Recording Artist, Brandy Rayana Norwood was born in McComb, Mississippi
The multi-talented Brandy made her comedy debut as a young teenager on the ground-breaking ABC sitcom, Thea starring comedienne, Thea Vidale. The show only lasted one season, but it was good experience. The next time out Brandy showcased her talents in her own sitcom; the UPN hit, Moesha with William Allen Young and Sheryl Lee Ralph. Originally ordered by CBS, the conservative network passed. That forced Moesha to drive up ratings elsewhere. On the show Brandy played a teenager dealing with growing up and doing it with a stepmother. Moesha lasted for 6 seasons, making it one of the longest running Black sitcoms in television history. It also has the distinction of putting a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Youth Actress on Brandy’s mantle. The show was so popular it spun-off The Parkers starring Mo’Nique, Yvette Wilson and Countess Vaughn.
Once Moesha went off the air Brandy stayed busy as an actress. She had a recurring role on One on One playing the TV sister to her real-life brother, Ray J. She guest starred on Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Reba, Raising Dad, Drop Dead Diva and The Soul Man. Brandy was a lead on BET’s long running, The Game and won a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series. In 2016 her sitcom, Zoe Ever After debuted on BET.
When not playing television leads and guest starring on sitcoms, Brandy has done animation voice-overs (Jungle Cubs, Osmosis Jones), film (The Perfect Match) and Broadway (Chicago). She’s been on over a half dozen reality TV shows playing herself and Mattel released three versions of a Brandy doll to overwhelming success (it was one of their top sellers ever). Brandy was a judge on America’s Got Talent, danced on Dancing with the Stars and was the first Black female to play Cinderella. She’s a philanthropist; co-founding The Norwood Kid’s Foundation (along with brother Ray J) helping disadvantaged children in Los Angeles and Mississippi and she’s an in demand commercial spokeswoman.
Brandy has also managed to fit in an enviable career as a one of the top singers of her generation. The contralto’s unique vocal style influenced the likes of Jordin Sparks, Tank, JoJo, Olivia, Jessie J, Bridget Kelly, Teyana Taylor, Elle Varner and Emeli Santé. Her album Full Moon is revered; the new template for the contemporary way of singing and gained her the nickname of “Vocal Bible”; the architect of 21st Century R&B vocals. With such respect from peers she’s produced/written for artists such as Toni Braxton, Kelly Rowland and Kiley Dean. Brandy has released 6 albums and sold over 40 million records worldwide. She’s won over 100 awards including a Grammy, 3 American Music Awards, 7 Billboard Music Awards, 4 Soul Train Awards, a Blockbuster Entertainment Award and a MTV Movie Award. All proving that most people with a sense of humor are talented in other areas as well.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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On this day in comedy on February 9, 1955, Comedienne, Actress, Marilyn Martinez was born in Denver, Colorado
Martinez got an early start in show business. The youth tap danced to much acclaim on a local TV show. She took acting lessons and began writing polarizing comedy routines; many of them decidedly offensive to some and uproariously hilarious to others.
Martinez was first noticed at the World-Famous Comedy Store in Hollywood. Her in-your-face, raw style was perfect for an era of comedy opposed to being politically correct. She shot from the hip on topics ranging from sex to men to sex with men. Her style was blunt, candid and original. She once said of herself that she was a triple minority: fat, a woman and Hispanic.
Her big break came in the mid-90s when Martinez became a member of the female Latina group, the Hot and Spicy Mamitas. She later joined the Hot Tamales, which featured Eva Longoria. This led to touring and recording the special the Original Latin Divas of Comedy.
When she wasn’t on stage, Martinez was making her mark and enhancing each project where she made an appearance. She was seen on the small screen: ABC’s My Wife and Kids (2001), Starz 1st Amendment and SiTV’s reality show, Urban Jungle (2004). She lit up the big screen in For da Love of Money (2002) and Pauly Shore is Dead (2003).
Marilyn Martinez left behind a grieving husband and a world of comedy fans in the same condition when she passed away on November 3, 2007 of complications of diabetes.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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On this day in comedy on February 8, 1974, Good Times premiered on CBS
Created by writer Eric Monte (Cooley High) and actor, Mike Evans (the 1st Lionel from The Jeffersons), Good Times was developed by Norman Lear as a spin-off of Maude (which was a spin-off of All in the Family). The instant hit told the story of the long-suffering Evans family: Florida (Esther Rolle), her husband James (John Amos) and their three children, artistic yet buffoonish JJ (Jimmie Walker), fine as hell Thelma (Bern Nadette Stanis) and mini militant Michael (Ralph Carter) and their life in the projects. They have a drop-in neighbor Willona (Ja’net Dubois) who has an adopted daughter, Penny (Janet Jackson) and they also have a fat building superintendent, Bookman (Johnny Brown). These characters became like the family we loved but didn’t want to live with.
Good Times was set in the 1970s and dealt with a lot of issues from that era. Racism, child abuse, drugs, gang violence, police violence and political corruption were all portrayed (sounds like it could be today) and milked for laughs and pathos. James never could keep a job and the family was always amid a crisis, but through it all they had good times. Why? Because they had each other. That dynamic was evident on camera, but behind the scenes there was conflict not scripted. Esther Rolle and John Amos objected to the stereotypical portrayal of the eldest son JJ and pressed their complaints for a more positive direction of the show. The producer’s answer to tampering with a hit was to fire them both. Rolle eventually returned, but Amos’ character was killed off and the show got new characters to keep the audience and sponsors happy; which they did for a while, but like all good things and times, Good Times came to an end.
The last episode aired on August 1, 1979.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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‘Swagger,’ produced by Imagine Television and from writer Reggie Rock Bythewood, is inspired by the NBA superstar’s time playing for the Amateur Athletic Union.
The tech giant has put in development Swagger, a basketball-themed scripted drama inspired by the NBA superstar’s early career. The series, produced by Imagine Television and being written by Reggie Rock Bythewood (Fox’s Shots Fired), is inspired by Durant’s youth basketball experience and explores the world of the Amateur Athletic Union basketball in the nation’s capital as well as its players, their families and coaches who walk the line between dreams and ambition as well as opportunism and corruption. (Durant played for the AAU in Maryland where he was teammates with several future NBA stars.)
Bythewood — who contributed footage for 2000 feature Love & Basketball, written and directed by his wife, Gina Prince-Bythewood — will pen the script and exec produce alongside Imagine Television’s Brian Grazer and Francie Calfo. Durant will executive produce via his Thirty Five Media company with Rich Kleiman also attached. Swagger serves as a reunion for Grazer, Calfo and Bythewood who all teamed for Fox’s Shots Fired limited series last season.
Swagger marks the latest scripted series to be put in development at Apple. The company’s scripted roster, under Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht, also includes Octavia Spencer starrer Are You Sleeping as well as straight-to-series orders such as Little America, Damien Chazelle’s untitled drama, Kristin Wiig’s untitled comedy, a morning show drama starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, a Ron Moore space drama, Steven Knight’s See and Steven Spielberg’s Amazing Stories anthology, the latter of which parted ways with showrunner Bryan Fuller and exec producer Hart Hanson.
Bythewood is repped by CAA and Del Shaw. Golden State Warrior Durant has won a championship, MVP award, is a multiple-time all-star and scoring champion.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Mary J. Blige continues to plant some roots at Netflix.
After starring in the streaming giant’s Mudbound (in an Oscar-nominated role), she’s now been tapped for a role in the upcoming Netflix TV series adaptation of The Umbrella Academy, according to multiple industry publications.
Blige will be a series regular in the adaptation of Gerard Way’s comics.
The live action series follows the estranged members of a dysfunctional family of superheroes (The Umbrella Academy) – Luther, Diego, Allison, Vanya, Klaus and Number Five – as they work together to solve their father Reginald Hardgraves’ mysterious death, while coming apart at the seams due to their divergent personalities and abilities. It takes place in an alternate universe where the assassination of JFK did not happen.
She joins previously announced cast members: Tom Hopper, Emmy Raver-Lampman, David Castaneda, Robert Sheehan, Aidan Gallagher and Ellen Page.
Blige’s role, set at a one-year deal for now, is described as the following: Cha-Cha is a ruthless and unorthodox hitwoman who travels through time to kill assigned targets. Even though she has a few gripes about the bureaucracy of her employers, this job is her life. She is sadistic, sociopathic, and her reputation precedes her. Her true love is torture, and she thinks of herself as a “pain artist.” She really doesn’t care for people—except for her partner Hazel.
This is Blige’s biggest TV role to-date.
The Umbrella Academy will be produced by Universal Cable Productions. Steve Blackman (Fargo, Altered Carbon) will serve as executive producer and showrunner, with additional executive producers Bluegrass Television and Mike Richardson and Keith Goldberg from Dark Horse Entertainment. Gerard Way will serve as co-executive producer. The pilot script was adapted from the comic book series by Jeremy Slater (The Exorcist).
Update (2/13): Melissa McCarthy has been tapped to co-star with Haddish. The third female lead is still left to be cast.
Previously reported:
Tiffany Haddish is BUSY.
The Girls Trip breakout is already starring in the comedy series The Last O.G. (set for TBS in January), she’s starring in Kevin Hart’s upcoming film Night School, as well as a female-driven comedy film, Limited Partners set at Paramount.
Now, multiple industry publications are reporting that she has two more films in the works, one at New Line Cinema and one at Paramount.
One is called The Kitchen, and the other is called The Temp.
The Kitchen is based on the Vertigo/DC Entertainment comic of the same name and centers on the wives of Irish mobsters who take over their husband’s businesses after they are arrested by the FBI. It is set in the 1970s, and the wives begin running the business in an even more intimidating manner than their husbands. The Kitchen is the feature directorial debut of Andrea Berloff (Straight Outta Compton).
From Dana Fox, The Temp, said to be a “female-driven” comedy like Limited Partners, is produced by Will Packer and James Lopez. Haddish will also be an executive producer on this. No plot details are available on this yet.
Source: Shadow & Act