WATCH: Behind-The-Scenes Of The Infamous Grapefruit Scene From ‘Girls Trip’
With its DVD, Blu-Ray on On Demand release this week, a behind-the-scenes clip from Girls Trip has been released.
The film centers on when four lifelong friends, known as the Flossy Posse, get together nothing can stop them but themselves. As the four independent friends reunite from across the country and travel to New Orleans for the annual Essence Festival, sisterhoods are rekindled, wild sides are rediscovered, and there’s enough dancing, drinking, brawling and romancing to make the Big Easy blush.
Directed by Malcolm D. Lee and produced by Will Packer, it stars Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, Regina Hall and Tiffany Haddish.
Watch this behind-the-scenes clip of the film’s infamous ‘grapefruit’ scene below:
Source: Shadow & Act
Freeform Sets Premiere Date For Yara Shahidi’s ‘black-ish’ Spinoff ‘grown-ish’
Freeform has officially set the premiere date for Yara Shahidi’s black-ish spinoff, grown-ish. It will kick things off January 3 at 9 p.m.
The show will anchor a Wednesday comedy night for the network with new comedy, Alone Together.
grown-ish follows Zoey (Shahidi), Dre (Anthony Anderson) and Rainbow’s (Tracee Ellis Ross) popular, entitled, stylish and socially active 17-year-old daughter from black-ish, as she heads into her freshman year of college.
Shahidi is joined on-screen by series regulars Trevor Jackson (who has guest-starred twice in black-ish, including the backdoor pilot) as Aaron Jackson, Jordan Buhat as Vivek Shah, Emily Arlook as Nomi Segal (in a recasting and character retooling from the backdoor pilot), Francia Raisa as Ana Torres, Chris Parnell as Dean Parker black-ish star Deon Cole as Charlie Telphy. Chloe Bailey, Halle Bailey, Abraham D. Juste and Luka Sabbat also recur in the series.
Kenya Barris, Anthony Anderson, Laurence Fishburne, Helen Sugland and E. Brian Dobbins are executive producers of the series. grown-ish is produced by ABC Signature Studios.
Source: Shadow & Act
WATCH: Jamie Foxx As ‘Cleveland A. Smith’ Vs ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith
Stephen A. clashes with ‘Cleveland A.’ Stephen A. Smith does some pre-show preparation with his doppelganger, Jamie Foxx a.k.a. “Cleveland A. Smith.”
‘Get Out’ Leads 2017 Gotham Awards Nominations
CREDIT: COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL PICTURES
“Get Out,” writer-director Jordan Peele’s surprise smash of a scary movie, led the pack of nominations for the 2017 Gotham Awards, Independent Filmmaker Project’s annual ceremony honoring indie film.
“Get Out” scored a nod for best feature, along with nominations for breakthrough director, best screenplay and best actor (Daniel Kaluuya). Other nominees for the top feature award were Luca Guadagnino’s “Call Me By Your Name,” Sean Baker’s “The Florida Project,” Josh and Benny Safdie’s “Good Time” and Craig Gillespie’s “I, Tonya.”
Nominated titles to score three nods apiece included Greta Gerwig’s “Lady Bird” (breakthrough director and best screenplay for Gerwig, plus an acting nom for Saoirse Ronan);”Call Me By Your Name” (feature, screenplay and breakthrough actor for Timothee Chalomet; Kagonada’s “Columbus” (director, screenplay and actress Haley Lu Richardson) and “The Florida Project” (feature, actor for Willem Dafoe and breakthrough actor for Brooklynn Prince).
Dee Rees’ “Mudbound” earned a breakthrough actor nominations for Mary J. Blige, and was also voted to received a special Gotham Jury Award for ensemble performance from a cast that included Blige, Carey Mulligan, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Clarke, Jason Mitchell, Rob Morgan and Jonathan Banks.
The nominations arrive as the entertainment industry grapples with issues of sexual harassment and abuse following revelations about Harvey Weinstein, one of the major players who made independent film what it is today. How those issues will be addressed or acknowledged during the 2017 ceremony, to be hosted by John Cameron Mitchell in a Nov. 27 event, remains to be seen.
IFP’s 27th annual Gotham Awards will also present tributes to Nicole Kidman, Dustin Hoffman, Sofia Coppola, Jason Blum, cinematographer Ed Lachman and Al Gore.
The complete list of competitive nominations follows.
Best Feature Call Me by Your Name (Sony Pictures Classics) The Florida Project (A24) Get Out (Universal Pictures) Good Time (A24) I, Tonya (NEON)
Best Documentary Ex Libris – The New York Public Library (Zipporah Films) Rat Film (MEMORY and Cinema Guild) Strong Island (Netflix) Whose Streets? (Magnolia Pictures) The Work (The Orchard and First Look Media)
Bingham Ray Breakthrough Director Award Maggie Betts for Novitiate (Sony Pictures Classics)
Greta Gerwig for Lady Bird (A24)
Kogonada for Columbus (Superlative Films/Depth of Field)
Jordan Peele for Get Out (Universal Pictures)
Joshua Z Weinstein for Menashe (A24)
Best Screenplay The Big Sick, Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani (Amazon Studios) Brad’s Status, Mike White (Amazon Studios) Call Me by Your Name, James Ivory (Sony Pictures Classics) Columbus, Kogonada (Superlative Films/Depth of Field) Get Out, Jordan Peele (Universal Pictures) Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig (A24)
Best Actor* Willem Dafoe in The Florida Project (A24)
James Franco in The Disaster Artist (A24)
Daniel Kaluuya in Get Out (Universal Pictures)
Robert Pattinson in Good Time (A24)
Adam Sandler in The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) (Netflix)
Harry Dean Stanton in Lucky (Magnolia Pictures)
Best Actress* Melanie Lynskey in I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore (Netflix)
Haley Lu Richardson in Columbus (Superlative Films/Depth of Field)
Margot Robbie in I, Tonya (NEON)
Saoirse Ronan in Lady Bird (A24)
Lois Smith in Marjorie Prime (FilmRise)
Breakthrough Actor Mary J. Blige in Mudbound (Netflix)
Timothée Chalamet in Call Me by Your Name (Sony Pictures Classics)
Harris Dickinson in Beach Rats (NEON)
Kelvin Harrison, Jr. in It Comes at Night (A24)
Brooklynn Prince in The Florida Project (A24)
* The 2017 Best Actor/Best Actress nominating committee also voted to award a special Gotham Jury Award for ensemble performance to Mudbound, The award will go to actors Carey Mulligan, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Clarke, Jason Mitchell, Mary J. Blige, Rob Morgan, and Jonathan Banks.
Breakthrough Series – Long Form Atlanta (FX Networks) Better Things (FX Networks) Dear White People (Netflix) Fleabag (Amazon) Search Party (TBS)
Breakthrough Series – Short Form 555 (Vimeo) Inconceivable (YouTube) Junior (Blackpills and VICE) Let Me Die a Nun, (Vimeo) The Strange Eyes of Dr. Myes (YouTube)
Source: Variety
TV One’s ‘Unsung: Hollywood’ To Feature Tupac On Sunday Oct. 29th!
SILVER SPRING, MD. – October 19, 2017– TV One presents two special editions of Unsung: Hollywood featuring the legendary television show The Jeffersons, premiering Sunday, October 22 at 10 p.m. ET; and rapper and actor Tupac, premiering Sunday, October 29 at 10 p.m. ET.
“With the success of Unsung focused on music, it’s a natural extension for TV One to create the Unsung Hollywood spin-off featuring legends outside of the music industry because there are so many of our stories that need to be told,” says TV One Interim General Manager Michelle Rice. “The Jeffersons was a successful television show in the Black community at its inception and TV One is honored to air it in syndication so that its humor can bring joy to new generations. Similarly, Tupac Shakur was a phenomenal rapper and activist who was building an exemplary acting career. We know our viewers will be pleasantly surprised by insights they learn through Unsung Hollywood.”
One of the most acclaimed and successful sitcoms of all time, The Jeffersons made history as the first series to showcase an upwardly mobile black family in primetime, and in so doing changed perceptions about African American life on and off screen. For 11 ground-breaking seasons, The Jeffersons kept America laughing while pushing hot button issues like racism, classism, interracial marriage, gender identity and women’s rights. Along the way, the series garnered 13 Emmy nominations, and made iconic stars out of Sherman Hemsley, Isabel Sanford and Marla Gibbs. When Sanford won in 1981, she was just the second African American actress to win an Emmy Award.
“Most viewers do not know the stories behind the series. You can’t give enough credit to Norman Lear who was brave enough to create and spearhead the show as a spin off from All in the Family,” says Jubba Seyyid, Senior Director of Programming & Production. “The audience will be surprised to hear some of the tales of their favorite characters on television. This is one of those episodes of Unsung Hollywood where you’ll laugh, cry and learn.”
In addition to commentary from Marla Gibbs, insights for Unsung Hollywood: The Jeffersons are provided by family and friends, including Norman Lear, Berlinda Tolbert, Don B. Welch and Ernest L. Thomas.
On Sunday, October 29, Unsung Hollywood explores the fascinating B side of Tupac’s career in entertainment – his remarkable body of work in film and TV.
“Tupac is iconic and he transcends music and television. We’ve heard his story told before, but as a musician. We don’t think he got credit for his acting prowess,” says Seyyid. “He was as talented an actor as he was a musician. Actually, he was a triple threat: Music, acting and activism. Possibly if he hadn’t left us, he would be participating in Oscar-worthy performances by now because that’s just the type of talent he was.”
The legendary rapper Tupac actually had a passion for acting before he got into hip-hop. At the age of 12 Tupac was cast in A Raisin in the Sun at the Apollo Theater, and the desire to perform on stage stayed with him for the rest of his life. As a teen, Tupac attended the Baltimore School for the Arts, where he fell in love with Shakespeare and Broadway, and where he formed a close and lifelong friendship with Jada Pinkett Smith.
As his rap career took off, Tupac never took his eye off his other dream. In 1991, with “2Pacalypse” going gold, he landed a starring role in “Juice,” which was a critical and commercial success. That led to other acclaimed roles, including standout turns in “Poetic Justice” and “Above the Rim.” Pac was poised to become a major Hollywood star, but criminal charges, prison time, rap feuds and other beefs got in the way. He was fired from “Menace II Society” after getting into a conflict with director Allen Hughes, whom he later assaulted. A week before he was gunned down in Las Vegas in 1996, Pac met with John Singleton, who wanted him to star in the classic coming of age film, “Baby Boy”. In the year after he died, he appeared in three more films, “Bullet” with Mickey Rourke, “Gridlock’d,” opposite Thandie Newton and “Gang Related.”
Insights from family and friends are provided by Ice T, Ice Cube, John Singleton, Andre Harrell, Leon, Duane Martin, Guy Torry, Joe Torry, Money B, Shaun Baker, Robi Reed, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Mopreme Shakur, YoYo, Lance Gross and Malik Yoba.
Comedian Wil Sylvince Launches Kickstarter Campaign For His New Film ‘I Am Maurice’!
An inspirational tale about a Haitian immigrant who comes to America after the earthquake of 2010 to fulfill his dream of being a boxer.
I am Maurice is co-written by comedic powerhouse Wil Slyvince along with his writing/producing partner, Bryan Kennedy. The pair joined forces to bring this unique tale to light. Armed with the conviction to create a film that tells their story, they created a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to bring this script to the silver screen.
To see more details about the campaign, see the short video and to make a donation please visit this link:
http://bit.ly/iammaurice
http://kck.st/2hXH5bG
Wil Sylvince as “Maurice”
THE CREATIVE TEAM
Brwilliant Minds Productions
Bryan Kennedy and Wil Sylvince are the creative force behind this production company where they serve as writers, actors, and producers.
“Br”(Bryan) + “Wil”(Wil) = Brwilliant
(It also happens to be the way Wil pronounces “Brilliant”)
They teamed up together while working in comedy clubs in the early 2000’s and started writing sketches together. They brought their skills as actors and writers to the web series, The Patrice O’Neal Show Coming Soon! and have continued to write together ever since. They punched up movie and television scripts for others and then decided to start writing their own shows and feature films. They have written 9 feature scripts so far and have chosen I am Maurice as their first to produce.
Wil Sylvince (Writer/Actor/Producer)
Wil Sylvince is one of the most explosive comedians performing around the world today. His comedic performances on COMEDY CENTRAL, HBO’S DEF COMEDY JAM and SHOWTIME, all garnered standing ovations, a feat rarely seen accomplished by many performers. His unique perspective on political and social issues, with a twist of his West Indian Haitian culture, makes Sylvince a comedian in high demand.
He has been hand-picked by comedian heavyweights Dave Chappelle, Damon Wayans, D.L. Hughley, Wayans Brothers, Katt Williams and Gabriel Iglesias to tour the country.
Wil on stage at Radio City Music Hall
Bryan Kennedy (Writer/Producer/Actor)
Bryan is a writer, producer, actor and comedian from New York. As a voice-over artist, he has narrated over 100 books. His voice has also been heard on Saturday Night Live’s TV Funhouse, Word Girl, Poppy Cat and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood on PBS. He has booked and produced countless comedy shows for Carolines on Broadway, Governor’s Comedy Clubs and The New York Comedy Festival.
Bryan is a proud member of the Friars Club where he roasted Omarosa. Bryan has appeared in several television commercials and has been featured on Sirius/XM Radio as well as in Time Out NY, The NY Daily News, and The NY Times.
Bryan in studio, narrating an audiobook
Jerry Lamothe (Director)
Jerry is a writer, director, and producer born and raised in East Flatbush, Brooklyn. His debut award-winning film, Amour Infinity, is regarded by many as an underground cult classic. He has since gone on to build a distinctive body of work, which includes Blackout, Nora’s Hair Salon, and The Tombs.
LaMothe has won numerous film festivals for Amour Infinity including the Atlanta Independent Film Festival, the Jamerican Film Festival, and the Hollywood Black Film Festival. Blackoutpremiered and was an official selection at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival, and the film also appeared at the Chicago International film festival, the Zurich International Film Festival and Urbanworld, where Lamothe received the “Director’s Spotlight” award. His short film, The Tombs, enjoyed a successful film festival circuit run in the states and abroad, showing at the Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival, Raindance Film Festival in London, the Act Now/New Voices at BAM, the Atlanta Film Festival, the Langston Hughes African American Film Festival, the Pan African Film Festival, and several others.
The Tombs was also nominated for a 2012 Black Reel Award for Best Independent short film. LaMothe has directed many talented actors including Michael B. Jordan, Jeffrey Wright, Jamie Hector, Zoe Saldana, Saul Rubinek, Latanya Richardson-Jackson, Turron Kofi Alleyne, Melvin Van Peebles, Jenifer Lewis, Tatyana Ali, Tamala Jones, Lil’ Kim, and Whitney Houston.
Director, Jerry Lamothe
Wil, Jerry and Bryan at the 10th Anniversary screening of “Blackout”
MUSIC – Great Elk
We are so proud to have Brooklyn rock band, Great Elk to be first music group to sign on to the “I am Maurice” team! They were the first band we thought of to be part of the soundtrack of our film and we are thrilled to have them on board.
Founded in 2009, Great Elk band members Paul Basile, Patrick Hay, Bryan Trenis, Tommy Harron and Bryan Bisordi have collaborated on several acclaimed albums including: Great Elk, Autogeography, February, and Star Stuff.
The New Yorker says – “The Brooklyn rockers Great Elk display the control and restraint of a band with deep chemistry, as they sway gracefully between gentle ballads and mid-tempo indie-rock tunes.”
CBS Developing Asian-American Basketball Comedy From ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’ Team
CBS is developing a single-camera comedy series from Aline Brosh McKenna and Rene Gube of “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,”.
Titled “Big Men,” the series would follow an Asian-American rookie professional basketball player who dreams of a baller lifestyle. But standing in his way are his 13-year-old twin sisters whom he co-parents with his overbearing immigrant father.
Brosh McKenna and Gube will serve as writers and executive producers on the project. CBS Television Studios, where Brosh McKenna is currently under an overall deal, will produce.
Brosh McKenna is the creator and showrunner of “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.” Her other writing credits include “The Devil Wears Prada,” “27 Dresses,” and “We Bought a Zoo.” Gube has appeared on “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” multiple times as Father Brah and has also served as a writer, co-producer and executive story editor on the series, recently being upped to producer for the show’s third season . He has also written for and appeared on “The UCB Show” and “Ground Floor,” among other credits.
Source: Variety
Jerrod Carmichael Re-Teams With Lil Rel Howery For New FOX Comedy
Jerrod Carmichael will serve as an executive producer on a Fox comedy with a put pilot order co-created by his former “Carmichael Show” co-star Lil Rel Howery, Variety has learned.
The currently untitled multi-camera series would star Howery as a fictionalized version of himself, a prideful, self-made success who lives by the code to “always believe in yourself and great things will come.” But he finds that attitude put to the test when he learns his wife is having an affair with his own barber. He tries to rebuild his life post-divorce as a long-distance single father on the West Side of Chicago on a quest for love, respect, and a new barber.
Howery will serve as a writer and executive producer on the project along with fellow “Carmichael Show” alums Josh Rabinowitz and Kevin Barnett, the other co-creators of the project. Carmichael will executive produce along with Mike Scully, who will also serve as showrunner. 20th Century Fox Television will produce.
This project is Carmichael’s first under his recently-signed overall deal with 20th TV. The studio produced “The Carmichael Show,” the multi-camera comedy that the comic created and starred on, and which aired on NBC for three seasons, ending earlier this year.
In addition to starring on “The Carmichael Show,” Howery has recently appeared in Season 2 of the HBO series “Insecure,” as well as in Jordan Peele’s blockbuster film “Get Out.” He also starred in, wrote for, and executive produced the truTV series “Friends of the People.”
Rabinowitz was previously a consulting producer and writer for “The Carmichael Show” and also served as head writer, executive producer, and performer on “Friends of the People.” Barnett wrote for and served as a consulting producer on “The Carmichael Show,” with his other writing credits including films “The Do-Over,” “Hall Pass,” and “The Heartbreak Kid.”
Carmichael is repped by UTA and APA for touring. Howery is repped by UTA, 3Arts Entertainment, APA for touring, The Aziza Work Group, and Cohen Gardner LLP. Rabinowitz is repped by UTA and 3Arts. Barnett is repped by APA and 3 Arts Entertainment.
Source: Variety
‘White Dave’ Comedy From David Talbert, LeBron James & Gabrielle Union Set At ABC
ABC has put in development White Dave, a single-camera comedy from filmmaker David E. Talbert (First Sunday, Almost Christmas), LeBron James and Maverick Carter of SpringHill Entertainment (Starz’s Survivor’s Remorse, NBC’s The Wall) and actress Gabrielle Union (BET’s Being Mary Jane).
Written by Talbert based on his real-life experiences, White Dave is about a young African-American teenager, who has grown up in an all-white suburb, suddenly moves to an all-black neighborhood when his mom remarries.
ABC
Talbert, James, Carter and Union executive produce for Warner Bros. TV via SpringHill’s content creation deal with Warner Bros.
In addition to White Dave, SpringHill Entertainment also is developing a drama series on Madam C.J. Walker starring Octavia Spencer for Netflix.
Talbert’s fourth feature, Netflix’s upcoming El Camino Christmas, is written and produced by Hidden Figures helmer Ted Melfi and starring Luke Grimes, Tim Allen, Vincent D’Onofrio, Dax Shepard, and Jessica Alba. He is repped by UTA, Brillstein Entertainment and Ziffren Brittenham.
SOurce: Deadline
BET Announces Official Nominees For The 2017 SOUL TRAIN AWARDS
NEW YORK (October 17, 2017)– BET today announced the nominees for the BET Presents: 2017 Soul Train Awards across 12 different categories. The annual celebration will recognize the best in Soul, R&B and Hip-Hop from legends to the next generation. Filmed on November 5th at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, BET Presents: 2017 Soul Train Awards will air on BET and BET HER on November 26th, 2017 at 8PM ET.
Solange leads the bunch with seven total nominations including Best R&B/Soul Female Artist, and the highly coveted Video of the Year and Song of the Year for hit single “Cranes in the Sky.” Bruno Mars follows with six total nominations including two nominations for Song of the Year for his hit single “That’s What I Like,” and Album/Mixtape of the Year for “24K Magic.” DJ Khaled, Rihanna and Bryson Tiller also received multiple nominations this year including Video of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Collaboration. The next generation of soul is also being recognized, including Khalid and SZA, who are multi-nominees across categories including Best New Artist, Best R&B/Soul Male Artist, Best R&B/Soul Female Artist, Best Collaboration and the Ashford & Simpson Songwriter’s Award.
Multi-platinum and seven-time Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter, artist, actress and producer Toni Braxton is set to receive the coveted Don Cornelius Legend Award. Braxton became an immediate R&B superstar after the release of her self-titled debut album in 1993. Her debut album received multiple awards, including three Grammy Awards (for Best New Artist and two consecutive awards for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 1994 and 1995). Her second album, “Secrets” was certified 8x platinum and included her greatest hit titled, “Un-Break My Heart,” the Diane Warren-penned ballad which spent 11-weeks at number one. Over the span of her career, Braxton has sold over 67 million records, including 41 million albums, worldwide. Toni’s current single, “Deadwood,” was released by Def Jam Recordings in September and her new album, “Sex & Cigarettes,” her first in seven years, will be out in early 2018.
The third annual Lady of Soul Award will be presented to Grammy Award-Nominated, multi-platinum, female R&B trio SWV. SWV became one of the most successful R&B groups of the 1990s. They had a series of hits, including “Weak,” “Right Here/Human Nature,” “I’m So into You,” and “You’re the One.” They have sold more than 25 million records, making them one of the best-selling girl groups of all time. Last year’s Lady of Soul Award went to R&B icon Brandy. Both Toni and SWV are being recognized for their longstanding presence in the music industry and influence on the world of soul and R&B music past and present.
BET Presents: 2017 Soul Train Awards will feature an exciting lineup of unforgettable performances and viewers can expect special appearances by some of the brightest stars in entertainment. The event annually showcases Soul Train’s impact on the history of music and dance from the 70s to today.
Want to cover the BET Presents: 2017 Soul Train Awards red carpet? Head towww.betpressroom.com now and complete the application!
BET Presents: 2017 Soul Train Awards is produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment. Executive Producers of the network telecast are as follows: Debra Lee and Connie Orlando from BET, and Jesse Collins from Jesse Collins Entertainment.
