John Legend has signed on to co-produce an Off Broadway production of “Turn Me Loose,” a new play about comedian and civil rights activist Dick Gregory, in a staging that will star Joe Morton (“Scandal”). Legend will also pen an original song for the production.
Morton (“The Brother From Another Planet,” “Eureka”) will portray Gregory in Gretchen Law’s play, which centers on the comic whose 1960s stand-up about the absurdity of racism led to activist work with Martin Luther King, Jr. and Medgar Evers, among others. (In real life, Gregory is now 83 years old.)
John Gould Rubin, a former head of Off Broadway’s Labyrinth Theater Company, will direct the show, which begins previews May 3 ahead of a May 19 opening at Off Broadway’s Westside Theater. Actor John Carlin will also appear in the production.
Legend co-produces with Mike Jackson in association with Get Lifted Film Company (“Underground”), the production company in which the two are partners.
A famous name as an above-the-title producer can certainly help attract attention to a stage property — giving a much-needed publicity boost on an Off Broadway landscape that is often overshadowed by Broadways shows with larger marketing budgets. But celebrity producers don’t always yield big box office: Oprah Winfrey gave the original Broadway production of “The Color Purple” a leg up on its way to its eventual recoupment, but the combined might of Jay Z, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith couldn’t light enough of a fire at the “Fela!” box office for that show to turn a profit.
Source: Variety
Here’s the first teaser trailer from Lionsgate for Deepwater Horizon, coming in September. Based on the events of April 20, 2010, Deepwater Horizon recounts the world’s largest man-made disaster occurred on the Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico. Directed by Peter Berg (Lone Survivor), this story “honors the brave men and women whose heroism would save many on board,
and change everyone’s lives forever,” per the studio. Credits: Summit Entertainment and Participant Media present a di Bonaventura Pictures production, a Closest to the Hole / Leverage Entertainment production. Screenplay by Matthew Michael Carnahan and Matthew Sand and from a screen story by Matthew Sand. The film stars Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, John Malkovich, Gina Rodriguez, Dylan O’Brien and Kate Hudson.
Source: Deadline
For today’s stand-up spotlight we wanted to feature veteran comedian Eddie Griffin, who is an actor and writer as well. With that being said, Griffin is currently on tour with the Comedy Get Down cast mates DL Hughley, George Lopez, Cedric The Entertainer and more.
If you are familiar with Griffin then you know he’s been in many films such as The Meteor Man, Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, Double Take, Undercover Brother, John Q, Scary Movie 3, Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo and Norbit. He also starred in Urban Justice, a thriller set in New Mexico and the UPN television series Malcolm & Eddie.
Check out a clip of his classic performance below;
When you woke up on Wednesday morning (March 23) you didn’t expect to learn that 42-year-old Katt Williams not only got into a physical altercation with a seventh grader, but then got his behind handed to him in the process. Well, that was indeed the case, and once footage surfaced online of the “after school brawl” Power 105.1’s Charlamagne The God had no choice but to make the troubled comedian his ‘Donkey of The Day.”
“I didn’t think anyone could receive Donkey of The Day as much as Donald Trump, but Katt Williams is on his heels now,” Charlamagne said.
In a five minute read, Charlamagne and the rest of Power’s talking heads play the audio from the fight and ask very logical questions as to why Williams, who is already neck-deep in legal woes, risking his freedom and finances once again.
“Why in the hell are you posted up at a grade school for? You just randomly at recess,” Charlamagne questioned, only to then segue way his diatribe against Williams into the more pressing portion of the whole ordeal.
“I’m just mad that a 42 year old man can’t knock out a child,” he said. “Katt Williams had a close range, sucker punch, hit him flush on the jaw and that little boy wasn’t even tickled…Kat Williams was manhandled by a kid. He got little boy handled.”
Many who have witnessed Williams downward spiral are wondering if this is a giant ruse on the Internet, even co-host Angela Yee questioned if we’re all being Punk’d.
As Charlamagne’s lengthy tongue lashing of Williams–who has repeatedly been given the ‘honor’ of Donkey of The Day’ came to a close, the Uncommon Sense host spoke on Williams’ hilarious pleas he coped only after throwing the first punch and being thrown about on the ground.
“First off, finances don’t mean nothing when it comes to fist-fighting. You think because I’m broke I won’t put the beats on you?,” Charlamagne said in reference to Williams questioning how the community could stand by and let a little “broke n—a do that to a celebrity.”
“And how you financially flexing on a seventh grader? That little boy isn’t Saint West or Blue Ivy. Why would he be ballin’ in the seventh grade? For you to even try and justify that ass whooping with money shows how much of a sucker you are, Kat.”
Oh Katt. Whatever will we do with you? Listen to Charlamagne’s ‘Donkey of The Day’ below.
Source: VIBE
LOS ANGELES,CA – March 23, 2016 – This week, TV One‘s Unsung Hollywood features the iconic police drama New York Undercover on Wednesday, March 23 at 8 p.m. ET. This groundbreaking series lifts the curtain of Hollywood and reveals the lives behind the legends and icons of film and television.
NEW YORK UNDERCOVER
Premiere: Wednesday, March 23 at 8 p.m. ET Long before HBO’s The Wire, Fox’s New York Undercover was the police drama that broke the mold. Dubbed Miami Vice for the Hip Hop Generation, the show became the first dramatic network crime series to feature a primarily minority cast. The series tackled issues of race head on, exploring plots centered around hate crimes, the War on Drugs, racial profiling and AIDS from the perspective of the underrepresented which had never before been depicted in primetime. Episodes also featured the music of Tupac Shakur, Mary J. Blige, Erykah Badu and Pharcyde, while artists like Ice-T and Biggie Smalls made guest appearances. New York Undercover was one of the highest rated programs in black households during its four season run. Interviews include Malik Yoba, Michael DeLorenzo, Patti D’Arbanville-Quinn, Lauren Velez and Michael Michele.
Katt Williams needs to stop hitting people. Or at least take some boxing lessons.
Williams got into a physical altercation with a boy who is reportedly a seventh grader — and the whole incident was caught on video.
The 42-year-old comedian was talking with the boy when he suddenly struck him in the face. Another person standing nearby caught the rest of the exchange, which saw the young man take the comedian to the ground and sink in a choke hold. Onlookers eventually pulled the boy off of Williams.
“Back up off me, little boy,” Willams says on the video. To be fair, the two are about the same size.
Representatives for Williams did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
The fight is the latest in a string of bad press for Williams. Last week, he was slapped with a lawsuit by a woman who claims she received a severe beatdown while visiting his home.
In the suit filed March 17 in the Los Angeles Superior Court, Jamila Majesty says she was invited to Williams’ Malibu, California, home, only to be “imprisoned” and “tortured” in his bathroom.
Majesty claims that a group of Williams’ “female companions/housemates” who were also at the home descended on her and punched her during a beating that went on for three hours, after Williams became angry that she used his bathroom.
At one point, the suit claims, Williams himself burned Majesty in the face with a lit cigarette. The lawsuit also claims Williams “slapped Plaintiff several times and punched her in the ribs in addition to beating her with the group of women.”
Earlier this month, Williams jumped onstage at a rap show in Philadelphia, only to take a swing at somebody and then getting beaten down himself.
Everything started, however, with Williams getting arrested for allegedly assaulting an employee at a pool store in Gainesville, Georgia in late February.
Sgt. Kevin Holbrook said an employee told officers that Williams began arguing with another store worker, who threw a pair of goggles at the comedian. Williams then allegedly made his way behind the counter and punched the employee.
Source: The Wrap
Kevin Hart, actor and comedian, soon will be an author with a stirring story to tell.
Hart will publish a memoir around Father’s Day in 2017, the Atria Publishing Group announced Wednesday.
Dawn Davis, vice president and publisher, describedFrom the Hart in a press release as “an anecdote-filled, inspirational memoir” that will be published under the 37 Ink imprint.
The book will examine how Hart has used the obstacles and setbacks he’s experienced in his life — ranging from growing up with an addicted father to failing miserably at his first gigs — to fuel his drive to succeed.
Hart had a more succinct and funny description.
“My kids know I’m a big deal. They’re very aware. I let them know every day, I say, ‘Look, daddy’s a big deal.’ Now I’ll have a book out to prove it,” he said in a statement.
Davis said she’s been watching Hart’s star rise ever since he stole the show in Think Like a Man. Hart’s current What Now comedy show has been a resounding success, grossing over $100 million worldwide.
“He not only has a comedic sensibility that is perfectly-pitched for our time, he has a bounty of stories from his life that are wise, funny, and entertaining,” Davis said.
Hart has been everywhere recently, including presenting at the Oscars. His recent movie projects include Ride Along 2; The Wedding Ringer, with Josh Gad; and Get Hard, with Will Ferrell, and he will appear in the action comedy Central Intelligence, with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, opens on June 17.
Hart also is the executive-producers of BET reality show Real Husbands of Hollywood,which premiered its third season in September.
Source: USA Today
Michael Ealy has booked a starring role in a remake of “Jacob’s Ladder,” the 1990 psychological thriller directed by Adrian Lyne, which starred Tim Robbins, Elizabeth Peña and Danny Aiello.
In the original film, the protagonist, Jacob, is a Vietnam veteran whose experiences prior to and during the war result in fragmented flashbacks and bizarre hallucinations that continue to haunt him, as he desperately tries to get to the bottom of it all.
Budgeted at a reported $25 million, it wasn’t much of a box office success, grossing just over $26 million domestically, according to Box Office Mojo. It received mostly positive reviews, scoring a 69% rating on movie aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. The film however would go on to become something of an influential cult classic.
David M. Rosenthal, who directed Ealy in last year’s “The Perfect Guy,” will do the same here, from a script penned by Jeff Buhler and Sarah Thorp, which Deadline says will be more of an “action thriller” and will center on two brothers. No other details are provided, but I assume Ealy will play one of the brothers (or maybe both).
LD Entertainment is producing the remake with Gaeta/Rosenzweig Films.
Will Packer will also produce via his Will Packer Productions shingle.
Principal photography is set to begin in May.
It’s been many, many years since I watched the original film, so I’ll need to revisit, as I can’t recall what I felt about it. Although Ealy’s version may be markedly different.
Watch a trailer for the original below:
Source: Shadow & Act
Warner Bros. announced this morning 4 new additions to its 2017 release slate. One of them is an Ice Cube comedy titled “Fist Fight,” which TV director Richie Keen (“Shameless,” “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia”) is to direct, from a script penned by Van Robichaux and Evan Susser.
Joining Cube in “Fist Fight” is Charlie Day in the New Line/Village Roadshow comedy feature which centers on a pair of high school teachers who challenge each other to a fight after one suspects the other of trying to get him fired.
Cube and Day will play the teachers.
Tracy Morgan, Christina Hendricks and Jillian Bell round out the starring cast for the film, which Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen are producing with Billy Rosenberg and Max Greenfield.
Warner Bros. has scheduled the movie for a February 17, 2017 Presidents’ Day weekend release.
Cube’s certainly been busy lining up acting projects for himself. He just co-starred with Kevin in “Ride Along 2” for Universal, and has “Barbershop 3” due out later this year. The rapper-actor-producer most recently teamed up with director Tim Story for a remake of “A Christmas Carol.”
Source: Shadow & Act
Veteran actor Carl Weathers (Rocky) will co-star opposite Philip Winchester, Nazneen Contractor and Joelle Carter in Chicago Justice (fka Chicago Law), the next installment of Dick Wolf’s Chicago franchise for NBC. Wolf just made the announcement at the PaleyFest panel featuring the uber producer and stars from his NBC drama series.
The planted spinoff will be introduced in Episode 21 of Chicago PD this season, titledJustice, which will be directed by Jean de Segonzac. Weathers will play State’s Attorney Mark Jefferies, a respected, grounded, intellectual with admirable gravitas.
Spearheaded by Wolf, Chicago Justice is produced by Universal TV and Wolf Entertainment. It will be the fourth installment in the Chicago franchise and Wolf’s fifth drama on NBC.
Weathers is probably best known for his role as Apollo Creed in the Rocky movies. On TV, he most recently recurred on the USA series Colony. Weathers is repped by ESA and Luber-Roklin.
Source: Deadline