Wanda Sykes To Launch New Comedy Event Premiere, ‘What Happened…Ms. Sykes?’ On EPIX!
Premium TV network EPIX announced today that it will spotlight the “straightforward and no-nonsense” comedy of comedian, writer and actress Wanda Sykes, in the one-hour Original Comedy Event “What Happened…Ms. Sykes?” – her first stand-up performance for the network, which will make its World Premiere on EPIX on Friday, October 21 at 10pm ET/PT, 9pm C.
“What Happened…Ms. Sykes?” will be filmed on May 21, 2016, at The Theatre at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles. The special will focus on Wanda’s life, family, race and politics as she questions, “How Did I Get Here?”
Join the conversation about “What Happened…Ms. Sykes?” on Twitter with #WhatHappened.
Wanda Sykes said: “I’m excited to be partnering with EPIX for this show. It’s been too long since my last special, but just like a new Sade album, it takes time to deliver pure genius. You can thank me later.”
Mark S. Greenberg, President & CEO of EPIX, said: “Wanda delivers first-rate stand-up comedy that touches on culturally-relevant and sometimes controversial topics with her own brand of humor that has captivated audiences for nearly two decades. We look forward to celebrating that legacy as well as her funny, honest takes on parenting and family life in her first special for EPIX.”
“What Happened…Ms. Sykes?” is an EPIX Original Comedy Event produced by Push It Productions’ Page Hurwitz and Wanda Sykes, directed by Liz Patrick. Ross Bernard is the executive producer for EPIX, Valerie Bishop is the producer for EPIX and Rachèle “Rocky” Benloulou-Dubin is the consulting producer for EPIX.
Whoopi Goldberg To Launch New Medical Marijuana Company For Women!
Whoopi Goldberg is lending her name and financial backing to a new line of medical marijuana products designed specifically for women.
Goldberg, who has been public about her own marijuana use, is one of a handful of Hollywood celebrities jumping into the marijuana marketplace.Bob Marley’s family has partnered with a cannabis company to produce Marley Natural products, and Snoop Dogg backs Leafs by Snoop. Goldberg said her “Whoopi & Maya” company received financial backing from three friends and family members, and she will serve as chairwoman.
“I want to go nice and slow with this. I don’t want this to be a joke to people. It’s not a joke to women,” Goldberg told USA TODAY.
The company she’s co-founded offers four products: a balm, a tincture, sipping chocolate, and a bath soak. All are infused with marijuana and aim to reduce the pain and cramps from periods. Pricing has not yet been set.
The products sold under the “Whoopi & Maya brand” will be available only in California to people with their medical marijuana cards, and they’ll be on shelves in the next several weeks in at least five marijuana dispensaries around the state.
Because marijuana remains illegal at the federal level, the product today is unavailable elsewhere.
The marijuana industry is one of the country’s fastest growing industries, increasing annually by 31%, with a national market worth $5.7 billion, say the two research firms.
By launching in California, Goldberg and partner Maya Elisabeth are entering one of the world’s largest marijuana marketplaces, with California producing $2.7 billion in sales last year, according to the cannabis-focused data firms New Frontier and ArcView Market Research.
California voters this fall are widely expected to pass a ballot measure legalizing recreational marijuana. In many cases, medical and recreational products are identical; the only difference is whether a user needs a doctor’s recommendation.
California lawmakers this summer approved series of measures formalizing the state’s medical marijuana system. Those measures lay the groundwork for a legal recreational system, and could potentially give anyone offering medical marijuana products a leg up in selling recreational products if they’re legalized this fall.
“Success at the ballot box would massively increase California’s total legal market share,” Troy Dayton, CEO of The ArcView Group, said in a statement.
Elisabeth said she and Goldberg believe their niche — if you can call 50% of the population a niche, she laughs — is ripe for success. She said women have for generations been herbal healers, and she believes the company’s marijuana products are no different.
There’s very little scientific research available about the benefits of medical marijuana use, largely because the federal government has sharply restricted it. Researchers only now are starting to conduct sophisticated trials about its potential benefits for PTSD and seizure sufferers. England’s Queen Victoria is widely believed to have used a similar tincture to relieve her own cramps, Elisabeth said.
“I’m excited for people to feel comfortable using cannabis,” said Elisabeth, a founder of the all-female Northern California edible marijuana products cooperative Om Edibles.
Goldberg said smoking pot or drinking marijuana-infused tea has helped control her own cramps and pain, and she currently uses a “vape” pen filled with marijuana oil to combat glaucoma headaches. She said she’s not interested in creating a recreational cannabis company to sell joints to people who just want to get high. Goldberg came up with the idea for the company with a friend, and found Elisabeth to partner with.
Goldberg said that at her age, 60, she’s willing to take the risk of violating federal law because she believes so strongly in the company’s mission.
Another interest of the two women is in breaking what some are calling the “grass-ceiling” in the semi-legal cannabis industry, which has seen limited participation of minorities and women in leadership roles.
When it comes to starting marijuana-focused businesses, state regulators have written rules that tend to favor established small-business owners with access to capital and clean criminal records. And because marijuana remains illegal at the federal level, some would-be entrepreneurs feel unwilling to stick their heads above the water, Elisabeth said, especially those who’ve seen how police and prosecutors disproportionally punish minorities when it comes to drug use.
“A lot of white men don’t have to think about this,” said Elisabeth, who is white.
Goldberg, an actress and comedian known for films like “Ghost” and TV shows like “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” has been open about using marijuana, penning a column for The Cannabist and arguing for legalization on “The View”. This venture into the public spotlight is different: It’s her first investment in a small business like this.
“This is a nice quiet way that I can be part of this,” Goldberg said of the new company. “It had to help people if I were going to be involved.”
Source: USA Today
Katt Williams Released On Bond Following Fight With Teen!
Katt Williams has posted bond after getting into a fight with a teenager.
The comedian, who was arrested on disorderly conduct charges in Georgia on Wednesday, appeared in court in handcuffs and a yellow jumpsuit on Thursday where a judge granted him a $500 bond. He was expected to be released later in the day, according to the Associated Press.
However, the judge wasn’t too happy about it, given the comic’s slew of run-ins with the law. Williams was already out on a conditional bond when he got into a scuffle with 17-year-old Luke Wash after a pick-up soccer game last week. Wash was charged as an adult with disorderly conduct in the case.
“This was not a popular decision to have you released on bond,” the judge said in court video footage posted online, imploring Williams and his attorney not to give her any more reason to put the actor back in jail.
Williams’ attorney, Drew Findling, told USA Today that he doesn’t expect the comedian’s latest arrest to affect any of his other open cases. The “Scary Movie 5” actor has been arrested four times in recent weeks for a variety of incidents, including allegations that he threatened to kill his bodyguard and that he held five women at gunpoint.
“You look at all of [these cases] and there’s a warning sign that he’s a target,” Findling said. “All of these allegations are just so clouded and when you’re talking about a high-visibility person like Katt Williams, you just have to be curious as to what is the motivation of the accusers.”
The comic is currently traveling the U.S. on his “Conspiracy Theory 2016” tour, but his upcoming shows in New Orleans and Bossier City, La., have been postponed, his publicist Yvette Shearer told the AP.
Source; Associated Press, LA Times
Kevin Hart To Partner With Lionsgate For New Comedy Website And Gaming Ventures!
SANTA MONICA: Lionsgate and actor/comedian Kevin Hart have entered into a partnership that will see the launch of a new OTT platform, Laugh Out Loud, and social adventure mobile game initiatives.
The studio has formed a partnership with Hart and his company, Hartbeat Digital, to launch a new video-on-demand service, Laugh Out Loud. The OTT service will serve as the exclusive home for all content created by Hart outside his theatrical and live touring activities and will include original series starring Hart. One of the first shows being developed is a hidden-camera premium original series in which Hart stars as an undercover Lyft driver.
The two will also work together to create a new social adventure mobile tablet game. Lionsgate will join with Hart and game developer Fifth Journey to create a social adventure mobile game starring and written in collaboration with Hart. Players become comedic rock stars with Hart as their mentor, embarking on adventures that include touring the country, starring in movies, hosting award shows and more.
Codeblack CEO Jeff Clanagan, who has served as Hart’s business partner for the past ten years, has been named president of the new service as well as president of Hartbeat Digital.
“Lionsgate has always been a great partner of mine, and I’m more than excited to take our business and creative relationship to new levels,” said Hart. “I understand the direction in which the television business is headed, and I see this big new space toward which audiences are starting to gravitate. I believe that launching this venture together now puts us ahead of the pack.”
“Kevin is one of the biggest stars in the world, and we’re proud to kick off our partnership with a new OTT platform as well as a mobile game, extending a collaboration that began with the film Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain,” said Lionsgate’s CEO, Jon Feltheimer. “He is an incredibly versatile talent who will bring his unique comedic voice to Laugh Out Loud’s entire spectrum of original content, and his ever-expanding global fan base gives both initiatives tremendous growth potential. Nobody understands how to continue extending Kevin’s brand better than Jeff Clanagan, and we’re pleased that he will lead the new platform’s growth.”
“During his rise to global superstardom, Kevin has not only emerged as a singular and visionary talent but as an incredibly successful entrepreneur with tremendous business instincts that match his prodigious creative skills,” added Clanagan. “The Kevin Hart brand speaks for itself, and his combination of creative brilliance and financial acumen position Laugh Out Loud and his social game to continue expanding his global fan base while introducing his comedic genius to a whole new online audience.”
Showtime Set To Premiere W. Kamau Bell’s New Special Titled ‘W. Kamau Bell: Semi-Prominent Negro’!
LOS ANGELES, CA – March 30, 2016 – Critically-acclaimed socio-political comedian W. Kamau Bell stars in his first solo stand-up special W. KAMAU BELL: SEMI-PROMINENT NEGRO premiering Friday, April 29th at 10 p.m. on SHOWTIME on-air, online, on demand and over the internet. Directed by Morgan Spurlock (the Oscar-nominated director of Super Size Me and Freakonomics) and filmed before a live audience at the Roulette Theater in Brooklyn, the film features his uniquely insightful and hilarious views on a host of social and political issues such as gentrification, marriage equality, “mixed-race” children and doing Black children’s hair just to name a few. In SEMI-PROMINENT NEGRO, Bell confirms his stature as one of the leading cultural critics of our time.
“I have been a huge fan of Kamau for years, and when he approached me about directing his first big time comedy special, I jumped at the chance,” said Spurlock. “As a lifelong fan of standup comedy and specials, I thought this opportunity was too good to miss.”
Bell added, “I’m extremely excited to finally release a one-hour comedy special on SHOWTIME. And the fact that it is directed by one of my favorite filmmakers ever, Morgan Spurlock, is too much to have hoped for. We live in critical times and comedy can help make those times a little bit easier to deal with. I hope that SEMI-PROMINENT NEGRO can help people laugh and deal with these times. Also I hope it helps me afford better health insurance. Specifically dental and vision.”
Bell can also be seen hosting CNN’s upcoming series “United Shades of America,” public radio talk show, “Kamau Right Now!” on KALW in San Francisco and the popular podcast “Denzel Washington is The Greatest Actor of All Time Period,” which was listed as one of Essence Magazine’s “Top 10 Podcasts Every Black Woman Should Hear.” The New York Times called Kamau “…the most promising new talent in political comedy in many years.”
SEMI-PROMINENT NEGRO is executive produced by Bell, Spurlock, Michele Armour and Jeremy Chilnick. For more information about W. KAMAU BELL: SEMI-PROMINENT NEGRO, visit SHO.com.
See the trailer below:
Tracy Morgan Reviews ‘Batman V Superman’ On Late Night With Seth Meyers!
Tracy Morgan is back, y’all. After a difficult year in which the comedian recovered from a brain injury that many feared spelled the end of his career, Morgan is clearly back in fine form and funnier than ever. During an appearance at Late Night with Seth Meyers on Tuesday night, he provided his own hilarious take on the much-maligned Batman v Superman film.
First, he took issue with some stylistic choices. “Batman ain’t got no wings, all he got is a belt,” he said. Good point, Tracy.
Then there was the problem with Batman’s motivation for justice. “The first Batman, he was angry because criminals had killed his dad,”
he said. “But Ben Affleck plays Batman in this one, and he was mad because he messed up with Jennifer Garner.”
He also extended some typically Tracy Morgan advice for Seth Meyers’ newborn son: “Baby Meyers, don’t get anyone pregnant until the age of thirty.”
And he gave him a gift that will help ensure just that.
Tracy Morgan is back, y’all. After a difficult year in which the comedian recovered from a brain injury that many feared spelled the end of his career, Morgan is clearly back in fine form and funnier than ever. During an appearance at Late Night with Seth Meyers on Tuesday night, he provided his own hilarious take on the much-maligned Batman v Superman film.
First, he took issue with some stylistic choices. “Batman ain’t got no wings, all he got is a belt,” he said. Good point, Tracy.
Then there was the problem with Batman’s motivation for justice. “The first Batman, he was angry because criminals had killed his dad,”
he said. “But Ben Affleck plays Batman in this one, and he was mad because he messed up with Jennifer Garner.”
He also extended some typically Tracy Morgan advice for Seth Meyers’ newborn son: “Baby Meyers, don’t get anyone pregnant until the age of thirty.”
And he gave him a gift that will help ensure just that.
Check Out The Set Visit For ‘Barbershop 3: The Next Cut’; Conversation With Cedric The Entertainer!
Once the story of BARBERSHOP: THE NEXT CUT was established, I had a chance to see one of the latter scenes of the film being shot. Mild spoilers, I guess? This particular scene takes place in the backroom of the shop, where Rashad (Common) and Terry (Eve) are working out some personal issues. During the timeframe of BARBERSHOP 3, the two have been married for 7 years. Terry has now worked herself up to celebrity stylist, leaving Rashad to feel somewhat emasculated by her success. The situation is exacerbated when Draya (Nikki Minaj), tries to put the moves on Rashad and is caught in the act by Terry. ‘Shop drama!!! The following is a make-up scene taking place towards the end of the film.
It starts with Rashad packing some things from his locker when Eve walks in. She apologizes for a previous fight they had before going on to praise what a good man and father he is. He asks why she didn’t say that before and she responds by saying that it was implied. Rashad states that men need to hear that kind of thing, too (word, brother!). She offers to make it up to him. Now, if you have a dirty mind (like I do), then you may enjoy this next bit! Rashad proceeds to bend Terry over a nearby table. Enjoying the burst of masculinity, Terry quips, “Maybe I should call you a bitch more often!” This doesn’t bode well with Rashad, as he slams the breaks, pulls her up and says, “Don’t you ever call me a bitch.” He pushes her back down on the table and comments on them having to be quiet. Unfortunately for us, the scene ends there. The director stated that their scenes together were a commentary on marriage and the difficulties of working in close proximity to each other. My biggest takeaway? Don’t call Common a “bitch.”
Next up was interviewing some of the huge ensemble cast of BARBERSHOP: THE NEXT CUT. Say what you will about the movies, but they haven’t failed in amassing some talent in front of the camera. On this particular day I got to speak with Regina Hall (VACATION, SCARY MOVIE), Cedric the Entertainer (TOP FIVE), Common (NOW YOU SEE ME) and Eve (WHIP IT) about their characters and why they chose to sign up for BARBERSHOP 3!
Common on why he signed on for BARBERSHOP: THE NEXT CUT:
What’s going on with the violence in Chicago and knowing that some of this story is surrounding that topic, and in the same token, I was dealing with fatherhood. For me as an actor, and as a person, I wanted to do something fun. I always think about being a diverse actor. Nobody probably expected me to just step in the Barbershop, but it’s a franchise that has cultural relevance. I like the direction that they were going with from the director to the writers and then some of the added cast.
Regina Hall on her character and her relationship with Calvin:
Calvin’s shop is now a co-ed shop so it’s kinda like Calvin & Angie’s . . . well, it’s just an ‘A’. He wouldn’t let me get a whole name yet. But we actually don’t butt heads. There’s moments obviously where there’s some tension, but we don’t butt heads. Angie’s gossipy, so maybe Angie drives him a little crazy, but they don’t have a confrontational relationship. I like Angie just because she’s fun; she’s light-hearted. It’s great to be a part of such a warm ensemble.
Common:
I knew [Rashad] was a person necessary in the story. He was a caring man who is loving, that men can respect. You see him taking care of his family and caring for them – taking his daughter to school. You don’t actually see it, but you know that’s what he does. I think it was good for me to be able to play this role because it also allowed me to [say] some of the political views that Rashad express [that] are similar mine.
Cedric the Entertainer on doing improv:
I use the script as a great outline to know what the story is and basically what the writer’s trying to convey. I have the freedom with this character, as a comedian, I could improv it. I kind of internalize this character, Eddie. I always say I Rainman him – I have no idea what I’m going to say. It’s never too often pre-meditated unless it’s something I forgot to say the first [take], and then I’ll go back and say it. It allows me to be really free as a character, to say those kinda things. He’s a bit of a firestrarter. He kinda likes to throw things out there. That’s great as an actor, to be able to be free to just say stuff off the dome. And to have a director like Malcolm be able to get it and say, “Alright, cool. Do that!” As long as it leads us to the next beat of the story, it’s fine.
Eve on why she returned to BARBERSHOP:
You know what? I remember how much fun we had. I remember how we got so close and I remember what it was like being on set and making the movie happen. Once I read the script, I was like, “I can’t wait to do it.” Never say never. I’m so happy that I’m a part of it.
Cedric the Entertainer:
I’m one to believe that you can’t just do sequels just because they’re doing them. You don’t know the motivation of the studios or whatever, but the movie had to be right. It had to be about something. The key for me was to see where is this story or these people 10 years later. My biggest thing was that Eddy’s already old. As long as he don’t die in the movie! Don’t make me die! If I die, then I ain’t comin’! I think that was the key thing for me, and of course having the strong cast come back. Once we knew everybody was back in and engaged with it. Even though I was not a producer on this movie, I was really involved early. I was able to get my notes in – they respected that. We all having a great time. It’s wonderful. People are going to enjoy it.
BARBERSHOP: THE NEXT CUT hits theaters April 15, 2016.
Source: MGM, JoBlo
Katt Williams Taken Into Custody; Held Without Bond!
Gainesville, GA (AP/CBS46) –Katt Williams has been taken into custody for his involvement in a fight with a teen that went viral. He was arrested at his home by Hall County Sheriff’s Deputies.
Williams can be seen in the video punching 17-year-old Luke Washington in the face. The teen fights back, pulling Williams to the ground and placing him in a choke hold.
Warrants have been booked on an arrest order for violating his conditional bond in addition to disorderly conduct.
Williams is being held without bond, and will see a judge for his first appearance Thursday.
Kevin Hart And Bryan Cranston To Star In Remake Of French Hit ‘Intouchables’!
Harvey Weinstein has been trying to get a remake of the French hit “Intouchables” off the ground for at least a half decade. Over that time Paul Feig and Tom Shadyac were attached to direct at various points, with Colin Firth set for one of the lead roles, with Chris Rock, Jamie Foxx and Idris Elba rumored along the way to co-star. A couple years ago, the project was shaping up to be a Firth and Kevin Hart jam, and now, yet another change has been made.
Deadline reports that Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart are in talks to lead the movie. The original film, co-directed by Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache, tells the based-on-a-true-story tale of the relationship of a wealthy quadriplegic and his immigrant caregiver. The picture has a big office hit globally, racked up nine César nominations (with a win for Omar Sy), and earned $426 million worldwide (with $10 million of that coming from stateside coin). And while there’s no director at the moment, Feig is still set to write the script.
“…that movie is so good, so I’m trying not to stray too much, structurally, but it’s actually kind of fun to write, because I’m Americanizing it, and putting my voice in it, but trying not to mess it up,” Feig told us in 2012 about his approach (yeah, that’s how long this has been knocking around). “I’m really excited about this one. The French version is one of the most loveable films. It’s a crowd-pleaser.”
Giving how long this has been developing, let’s just see if it actually, finally gets moving. Or you could just go track down the original.
Over seven months after the Universal distributed movie came out and nearly five months after ex-N.W.A manager Gerald Heller initially went after everyone with a $110 million complaint, the Straight Outta Compton lawsuit is still alive today.
On Monday morning in downtown L.A. a federal judge disageed with Universal, plus director F. Gary Grey, Legendary Pictures Funding, Dr Dre, Ice Cube and the other defendants that Heller’s defamation, misappropriation of likeness and copyright infringement suit shouldn’t go forward. Judge Michael Fitzgerald gave Heller’s lawyers until April 25 to file a second amended complaint in the matter. ” Heller’s lead attorney Michael Richard Shapiro thanked the court for its “dilgence” in the increasingly complicated case.
“There is this movie, this vessel, that contains these things,” Judge Fitzgerald said of Heller’s wide-ranging defamation claims. He added that people involved with the flick “were aware that these statements were false.” Heller’s lawyers now have just under a month to identify specifically who in the production of the film were responsible for the statements and depictions that Heller is at issue with. “We don’t know,” Shapiro told the judge and assembled lawyers. “Every name that was listed’ in the initial lawsuit “was listed in the movie.”
Among the claims in his original complaint of October 30 last year, Heller said that he did not like the way he was depicted as a “sleazy manager” in the box office biopic of the legendary West Coast hip hop group. Too bad or rather not true, said the defendants in a duo of filings on February 10 to either dismiss the suit, which was moved to federal court in December last year, or have it shut down by anti-SLAPP measures.
“The Film is a docudrama chronicling a decade-long story from 1986 to 1996 of the pioneering rap record company, Ruthless Records, the rise and demise of Ruthless Records’ extremely successful musical group, N.W.A, and the careers and personal relationships of members of N.W.A,” said the anti-SLAPP motion. “Plaintiff’s theory that he has been defamed, or his image has been misappropriated, by the depiction of the “Jerry Heller” character in the Film,” it adds of the Paul Giamatti portrayed role. “Because these claims fall directly within the scope of protection afforded by the anti-SLAPP statute, the burden is shifted to Plaintiff Gerald E. Heller (‘Plaintiff’ or ‘Heller’) to demonstrate a ‘probability’ of prevailing on his claims. Plaintiff cannot meet this burden.”
The defendants’ Greenberg Traurig lawyers also called Heller’s first amended complaint of January this year, “a hodgepodge of conclusory allegations and subjective interpretations of the Film.” They noted, and suggested Heller should have noticed that, Straight Outta Compton came with a disclaimer that it is a dramatization.
“The Film is a docudrama chronicling a decade-long story from 1986 to 1996 of the pioneering rap record company, Ruthless Records, the rise and demise of Ruthless Records’ extremely successful musical group, N.W.A, and the careers and personal relationships of members of N.W.A,” said the anti-SLAPP motion. “Plaintiff’s theory that he has been defamed, or his image has been misappropriated, by the depiction of the “Jerry Heller” character in the Film,” it adds of the Paul Giamatti portrayed role. “Because these claims fall directly within the scope of protection afforded by the anti-SLAPP statute, the burden is shifted to Plaintiff Gerald E. Heller (‘Plaintiff’ or ‘Heller’) to demonstrate a ‘probability’ of prevailing on his claims. Plaintiff cannot meet this burden.”