The trailer for the new film titled A Snowy Day In Oakland debuted, and has a stellar cast!
The film is a magical urban tale about a beautiful psychologist from San Francisco who decides to end a stalled romance with her longtime, high-profile, psychiatrist, boyfriend/business partner. She moves on with her life by opening her own private practice in a vacant, street-front office space in the middle of a small, commercial block located across the bay in Oakland, turning the predominately African-American and psychologically ignored neighborhood on its emotional ear.
The film features a star-studded cast including Nicole Ari Parker, Deon Cole, Kimberly Elise, Loretta Devine, Michael Jai White, Keith David, and Evan Ross, and explores meaningful themes such as the importance of mental health within the Black community, entrepreneurship, and navigating relationships and family.
Watch the new trailer below;
A new image for Kevin Hart’s heist film Lift has been released by Netflix. Hart was previously best known for his stand-up comedy, but now he’s fully made the transition from comedian to actor. He had a busy 2022 with acting projects such as The Man from Toronto, DC League of Super-Pets and Me Time. At the same time, Hart also served as executive producer on a slew of television series. In 2021, Hart signed a long-term deal with Netflix, planning to produce and star in four films for the streaming juggernaut. This deal included a first-look agreement for any film produced by his company HartBeat Productions.
On Twitter, Netflix has released the first image for Hart’s upcoming heist film, Lift, which not only showcases Hart, but also shows him alongside his co-stars.
The Lift image showcases the film’s ensemble cast, assembling the crew in a warehouse of sorts, where they seem to be planning their heist. At the center of it all is Hart himself. Check it out above.
First announced in 2021, Lift is the third film to emerge from Hart’s deal with Netflix. Its synopsis reads that Hart plays a master thief who is wooed by his ex-girlfriend and the FBI to pull off an impossible heist. He’ll do the heist with his international crew on a 777 flying from London to Zurich. Lift sports a star-studded cast that includes Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Vincent D’Onofrio, Úrsula Corberó, Billy Magnussen, Jacob Batalon, Jean Reno, Burn Gorman, and Sam Worthington.
Broadening his palette with a variety of distinguishable films, Lift sees American director F. Gary Gray returning to the heist genre. He previously directed the 2003 remake of the classic 1969 movie The Italian Job, which opened to generally positive reviews and made $176 million at the box office. Gray is also known for directing Men in Black: International, The Fate of the Furious, and the Academy Award-nominated Straight Outta Compton. The script is co-written by Daniel Kunka (12 Rounds), Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman), and X-Men: Days of Future Past scribe Simon Kinberg.
With its on and off-screen talent, Lift is shaping up to be a fun, enthralling heist film. Gray’s experience with the genre paired with the writing talent, on top of the ensemble cast led by Hart, promises that. It’ll also be refreshing to see Hart in another role that isn’t entirely comical, unless his character is solely tasked with the role of comical relief. Lift releases on Netflix on August 25, meaning more looks at the film should debut this summer.
Source: ScreenRant
Tatyana Ali, who played Ashley Banks in “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” from 1990 to 1996, has joined the cast of the Peacock reboot “Bel-Air.”
In the series’ upcoming second season, Ali will recur as Mrs. Hughes, the middle school English teacher who sees something special in Ashley (played by Akira Akbar in this version), often giving her books from her personal collection. See a first look at Ali as Mrs. Hughes in a new trailer for “Bel-Air” Season 2 below.
“Bel-Air” is a dramatic reimagining of the original comedy series that follows Will’s (Jabari Banks) complicated journey from the streets of West Philadelphia to the gated mansions of Bel-Air. As these two worlds collide, Will reckons with the power of second chances while navigating the conflicts, emotions and biases of a world far different from the only one he’s ever known.
Season 2 picks up with Will at a crossroads as a new figure comes into his life who challenges what he’s learned in Bel-Air and competes for control of his influence. He juggles this while navigating his home life with the Banks family and trying to rebuild the trust that was broken at the end of last season. Will and Carlton’s (Olly Sholotan) brotherhood starts to evolve as they grow closer, but still challenge each other about their differences. Hilary (Coco Jones) evolves as she rises in her influencer world, and that spills over into her relationship with Jazz (Jordan L. Jones). Viv (Cassandra Freeman) and Phil (Adrian Holmes) balance marriage and family while trying to forge their own career paths and reconnect to the things that are important to them.
Based on a viral trailer created by Morgan Cooper, “Bel-Air” is executive produced by Cooper, Anthony Sparks, Malcolm Spellman, Will Smith, Terence Carter, James Lassiter, Miguel Melendez, Benny Medina, Quincy Jones, Andy & Susan Borowitz and Carla Banks Waddles, as well as TJ Brady and Rasheed Newson, who served as showrunners on Season 1. Waddles showruns Season 2. The series hails from Universal Television.
Source: Variety
They are taking big swings and, sometimes, missing even bigger… good thing they have each other, right? The Upshaws are finally back! Part 3 streaming February 16, only on Netflix.
Bennie Upshaw (Mike Epps), the head of a Black working-class family in Indianapolis, is a charming, well-intentioned mechanic and lifelong mess just trying his best to step up and care for his family – wife Regina (Kim Fields), their two young daughters (Khali Spraggins, Journey Christine) and firstborn son (Jermelle Simon), the teenage son (Diamond Lyons) he fathered with another woman (Gabrielle Dennis) — and tolerate his sardonic sister-in-law (Wanda Sykes), all without a blueprint for success. But the Upshaws are determined to make it work, and make it to the next level, together. The Upshaws continue to ride life’s ups and downs, including new jobs, bigger dreams, health struggles, and some major life surprises but still hang on with the love that comes with family.
Release Date: February 16, 2023
Episodes: 8 episodes x 30 minutes
Created by: Regina Y. Hicks and Wanda Sykes
Executive Producers: Mike Epps, Wanda Sykes, Regina Y. Hicks, Page Hurwitz, Niles Kirchner
Starring: Mike Epps (Bennie Upshaw), Kim Fields (Regina Upshaw), Wanda Sykes (Lucretia Turner), Page Kennedy (Duck), Diamond Lyons (Kelvin Upshaw), Khali Daniya-Renee Spraggins (Aaliyah Upshaw), Jermelle Simon (Bernard Upshaw), Gabrielle Dennis (Tasha Lewis), Journey Christine (Maya Upshaw)
About THE UPSHAWS Part 3:
Bennie Upshaw (Mike Epps), the head of a Black working class family in Indianapolis, is a charming, well-intentioned mechanic and lifelong mess just trying his best to step up and care for his family – wife Regina (Kim Fields), their two young daughters (Khali Spraggins, Journey Christine) and firstborn son (Jermelle Simon), the teenage son (Diamond Lyons) he fathered with another woman (Gabrielle Dennis) — and tolerate his sardonic sister-in-law (Wanda Sykes), all without a blueprint for success. But the Upshaws are determined to make it work, and make it to the next level, together. In this upcoming part, the Upshaws continue to ride life’s ups and downs, including new jobs, bigger dreams, health struggles and some major life surprises but still hanging on with the love that comes with family.
Monique plays Emma Leeden, an author who recently lost her husband and two children during a home invasion. A year after the incident, Emma is still deeply scarred by the events and keeps away from the public in a fortified home. When she decides to detail the horrific experience in her new book, Invasion, her manager arranges a staged reading to generate press and hires a medium, Sky Brown (Chasity Sereal), to lead.
Although Emma doesn’t buy into Sky’s connection with the spirits, she’s quickly proven wrong when the medium is possessed by a dark spirit presenting itself as one of Emma’s daughters. Trapped in the author’s home, the group faces off against a terrifying force that they can’t get away from.
Denisha Hardeman, Ian Haywood, Charlene Brown, Lisa Alavi and Sara Alavi also star in the BET+ thriller written and directed by Courtney Glaudé.
“The Reading is a rollercoaster of a project that I am thrilled to see come to life,” Glaudé shared in a statement. “I am a fan of the surgical performance by Mo’Nique, and the love and commitment from the entire cast during the pandemic. I appreciate the dedication to bringing this, as I was told, ‘sick’ vision of mine to the screen; and of course Lee Daniels for being crazy enough to executive produce the project and believing in me. I can’t wait for the audience to think they know, but have no idea what’s going to happen. I promise you…it’s crazy.”
The film is the first project Mo’Nique and Daniels have worked on together in over a decade. The pair have been at odds since the release of their Academy Award-winning film, Precious, in 2009.
After winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 2010 for her critically acclaimed performance as the titular character’s abusive mother, Mary, the 55-year-old comedian made headlines in 2015 when she claimed she was “blackballed” from Hollywood, naming Daniels as one of the culprits.
Mo’Nique told ET that Daniels was the one to inform her of her “blackballing,” explaining some were upset that she didn’t “campaign” for her Oscar.
“Because the calls didn’t stop coming once I won the award, the scripts didn’t stop coming. But what did happen was the calls and the scripts that were coming and the offers that were being made was as if I had just gotten to Hollywood off the Greyhound bus. And I was like, ‘I can’t accept that,'” she explained.
For his part, Daniels told ET that he simply gave the actress a straight answer.
“Maybe she could construe it that way,” Daniels said. “What I told her was, she asked me, ‘Why haven’t I worked?’ And I said, ‘You pissed a lot of people off. You know, you were making demands.'”
“But I’m her friend and I love her and I want to work her, you know what I mean?” he added. “I want to work with her again. I keep it real all the time. She asked a question, I answered the question. Maybe something will come along. Hopefully something will come along — I mean, she was fabulous in [Precious], wasn’t she?”
Almost 10 years later, the duo patched things up in April 2022, with the actress bringing the director onstage during her Mo’Nique and Friends: April Fools Day With the Queen of Comedy show on Staten Island, New York.
“I am so sorry for hurting you in any way that I did. She was my best friend, my best friend. Y’all think that Precious was just— that was God working, through both of us. And we’re going to f**king do it again!” Daniels told Mo’Nique, according to People.
The two then exchanged “I love yous” as the audience cheered.
The Reading will premiere on BET+ Feb. 2.
Source: Entertainment Tonight, People
LOS ANGELES, CALIF.) – January 17, 2023 – Humor Mill, the leading digital entertainment company for comedy news, announces the launch of its inaugural awards show dedicated to recognizing comics of the past, present, and future on Tuesday, February 21 at The Directors Guild of America (DGA). The Humor Mill Comedy Awards is set to roll out a star-studded line-up of comedic co-hosts including BET’s Real Husbands of Hollywood Executive Producer Chris Spencer and Detroit Comedian Tony T. Roberts. The unforgettable night will feature thrilling behind-the-scenes footage from social media correspondent Juhahn Jones, special tributes, surprise moments, and non-stop laughter for a celebratory night of acknowledging comedians across television, film, and digital platforms.
The Humor Mill Comedy Awards was curated to recognize the vibrant world of comedy, including seasoned comedians and the rise of social media stars who have achieved widespread fame on platforms like Vine, TikTok, and Instagram with the rise of online comedy. The live-to-tape production will honor a blend of veteran comics who have paved the way and emerging social influencers who are carving a new lane. The migration from traditional stand-up comedy to social media stardom has shifted the comedic landscape leading to an explosion of creativity, content, and exposure for comedic artists.
“Comedy has undergone a significant evolution and has become more mainstream and widely consumed,” says Humor Mill Founder Frank Holder. “Despite the tireless efforts of comedians, the recognition they receive is not always commensurate with their hard work, resulting in only a select few becoming well-known names. The Humor Mill Comedy Awards aims to bring urban comedy to the forefront and give proper recognition by introducing new voices to the world and honoring those who have made lasting contributions.”
The Humor Mill network includes a rolodex of outlets including its website, digital magazine, internet radio and cable broadcast channels with a boasting reach of over 4 million households serving as a launchpad for iconic comedians in the early stages of their careers who are now dominating box office numbers and breaking records in TV and film. The urban platform has cultivated a landing spot to introduce audiences to Black Hollywood household names as well as newcomers providing laughter, healing and comfort.
Scheduled to take place during the third week of Black History Month, the show aims to amplify the voices of the African-American diaspora, taking audiences through relatable, personal and funny comedy, particularly at a time when Black culture and their stories are being told.
Ticket availability and additional details for the live-taping event will be later announced. For media credential requests click here and for additional press inquiries contact humormillmedia@gmail.com. More information about Humor Mill can be found at www.humormilltv.com.
“Grown-ish” has been renewed for Season 6 at Freeform. In addition, Craig Doyle will take over as showrunner on the new season.
Doyle steps in as showrunner on the “Black-ish” spinoff for the team of Zakiyyah Alexander and Courtney Lilly, who became the co-showrunners on the series going into its fifth and current season. Doyle has been with the show since it began, first as a co-executive producer before being elevated to executive producer in Season 2. His other credits include “Black-ish,” “The Great Indoors,” “Undateable,” and “Family Tools.” He is repped by CAA, Lit Entertainment Group, and Yorn Levine Barnes.
“Grown-ish” returns for the second half of its fifth season on Jan. 18 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT and will stream the next day on Hulu. Originally focused on Yara Shahidi’s character Zoey Johnson, fellow “Black-ish” alum Marcus Scribner joined the show in Season 5, reprising the role of Andre Johnson Jr., with the show now following him during his first year at Cal U. Along with Shahidi and Scribner, the series also stars Trevor Jackson, Diggy Simmons, and Daniella Perkins.
“Black-ish” creator Kenya Barris created the series with Larry Wilmore. Barris serves as an executive producer along with Alexander, Lilly, Doyle, Shahidi, Anthony Anderson, Laurence Fishburne, Helen Sugland, E. Brian Dobbins, and Michael Petok. ABC Signature is the studio.
News of the renewal comes after “Black-ish” aired its series finale on ABC in April 2022. ABC also aired the prequel series “Mixed-ish” for two seasons, while it was previously reported that there were plans for another spinoff titled “Old-ish” that would focus on Fishburne and Jenifer Lewis’ characters. At this time, however, the latter project is considered inactive.
Source: Variety
“Abbott Elementary” is on a roll. After picking up three trophies at the Golden Globes on Tuesday — including best TV comedy — the series has officially been renewed for its third season at ABC. The news was announced by Craig Erwich, president of ABC Entertainment, Hulu, and Disney Branded Television Streaming Originals, at the Television Critics Association’s Winter 2023 press tour on Wednesday.
Created by and starring Quinta Brunson, “Abbott Elementary” takes place in a Philadelphia public school and focuses on a group of educators — with different levels of experience and optimism, but all with the determination to help their students. Brunson plays eager but naive second-grade teacher Janine Teagues, and the cast also includes Sheryl Lee Ralph as Barbara Howard, Tyler James Williams as Gregory Eddie, Lisa Ann Walter as Melissa Schemmenti, Janelle James as Ava Coleman, Chris Perfetti as Jacob Hill and William Stanford Davis as Mr. Johnson.
Executive producers include Brunson, Justin Halpern, and Patrick Schumacker of Delicious Non-Sequitur Productions, and Randall Einhorn. The series hails from Warner Bros. Television and 20th Television.
Along with best TV comedy, the Golden Globes awarded to “Abbott Elementary” on Tuesday were best TV comedy actress (Brunson) and best TV supporting actor (Williams). At the Emmys in September 2021, the series was nominated for seven awards and picked up three for comedy casting, comedy writing, and supporting comedy actress (Ralph). Additionally, hours before the Season 3 renewal was announced, the Screen Actors Guild nominated “Abbott Elementary” for best comedy ensemble and best comedy actress (Brunson).
“This renewal is a richly deserved feather in the cap of Quinta Brunson, Justin Halpern, Patrick Schumacker and Randall Einhorn, as well as the rest of the cast and crew of ‘Abbott Elementary,’” said Channing Dungey, chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Television Group. “Each week, this talented group of artists celebrates true unsung heroes — public school teachers. And for some extra icing on the renewal cake, our favorite group of teachers was honored this morning with two Screen Actors Guild Award nominations and last night with three Golden Globe Awards. ‘Abbott Elementary’ is the gift that keeps on giving, and I look forward to many more magnificent episodes of this brilliant, authentic, and just plain funny series.”
In an exclusive interview after the Golden Globes, Erwich said, “The show is in its second year, and I think it just continues to grow creatively. In Season 2, which is what we’re watching, each of the characters are getting more dynamic and the situations are getting funnier. So there’s years for this show to go. As for the future of ‘Abbott,’ I’m just constantly delighted and surprised by what Quinta and her team do.”
Source: Variety
During his acceptance speech for the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes on Tuesday night, Eddie Murphy offered some key advice for up-and-comers in the industry: Don’t mess with Will Smith.
“I want to let you know that there is a definitive blueprint that you can follow to achieve success, prosperity, longevity and peace of mind,” Murphy said at the end of his speech. “It’s a blueprint and I’ve followed it my whole career. It’s very simple, just do these three things: pay your taxes, mind your business and keep Will Smith’s wife’s name out of your fucking mouth!”
The joke — which, of course, references the infamous moment at last year’s Oscars when Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock for making a jab at Jada Pinkett Smith’s alopecia — resulted in rapturous, shocked laughter from the audience.
The Cecil B. DeMille award, which has been given to standout filmmakers and performers in the entertainment industry since 1952, was presented to Murphy by Tracy Morgan and Jamie Lee Curtis. Murphy starred with Morgan in the original “Coming to America” and its 2021 sequel; he worked with Curtis on “Trading Places” in 1983.
Murphy has previously been nominated for six Golden Globes, winning in 2007 for his performance in “Dreamgirls,” for which he was also Oscar-nominated. He’s also a five-time Emmy nominee, winning in 2020 for his stint hosting “Saturday Night Live,” and a three-time Grammy nominee, taking home the award for best comedy recording in 1984.
Some of Murphy’s most notable comedies include “Norbit,” “The Nutty Professor,” “Daddy Day Care” and “Trading Places,” as well as popular film series like “Coming to America,” “Beverly Hills Cop” and “Doctor Dolittle.”
Murphy is set to appear in a slew of new films in the coming years following a three-picture, first-look deal with Amazon Studios. The star will perform alongside co-stars Jonah Hill, Lauren London, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Sam Jay, and Nia Long in director Kenya Barris’ rom-com, “You People,” which Barris and Jonah Hill co-wrote.
Source: Variety