Movies
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A Prince Documentary Is in the Works at Netflix—with Ava DuVernay at the Helm
“Black excellence” is a phrase oft-used at The Root, but we’re not sure it’s quite adequate to describe this news: In the midst of completing her highly anticipated drama for Netflix, The Central Park Five, Oscar and Golden Globe-nominated filmmaker Ava DuVernay is also in production on another documentary for the network, this time about…
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TV Crew Filming Police Brutality Scene in Eric Garner’s Neighborhood Kicked Out by Angry Residents
Sometimes you have to admit when you’re wrong. For instance, I was always puzzled why people felt the need to defend monuments to the dead, such as Confederate monuments, as if history could be confined to a slab of stone or a sliver of real estate. Aside from the obvious racial implications, I thought those…
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Get in the Spirit With These 13 Black Horror Films This Halloween
Looking to get in the spirit of Halloween by having a scary movie marathon, but tired of the same old stuff? We know the formula: mix one black character that dies in the opening scene with a handful of Chads slashed by a masked murderer, then add one frantic Becky being chased through the woods,…
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Watch: New Documentary Surviving R. Kelly Highlights the Difference Between the Musician and the ‘Monster’
Cable network Lifetime has unveiled a trailer for a new documentary series that promises to tell the “untold story” of the women who endured R. Kelly’s abuse. The documentary, Surviving R. Kelly, which will run in three parts and clock in at six hours total, may be the most comprehensive and detailed look at Kelly’s…
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Meeeooow: Idris Elba to Join Film Adaptation of Cats
What can we say? The man has range. Idris Elba is reportedly in final negotiations to join the star-studded film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical, Cats. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Elba would play Macavity, “a master criminal” of a cat (having owned a cat, I can tell you they’re all potentially master criminals,…
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'American Princess' Indeed: Issa Rae to Star In New Rom-Com
The rom-com—that much maligned and neglected genre—has been enjoying a bit of a revival lately. And who better to join its resurgence than CoverGirl spokeswoman and Insecure creator, Issa Rae? The dynamic and multitalented Rae recently landed the lead role in American Princess, a new feature film that will be produced by Paul Feig and…
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Film Based on Epic Twitter Saga 'Zola' Gets Its Star
It’s been called “The Greatest Stripper Saga Ever Tweeted”—so great, in fact, that the epic 2015 Twitter thread spun by Aziah “Zola” Wells is headed to the silver screen. Now, filmmakers have announced they’ve finally found a lead for the film—up-and-coming actress Taylour Paige. Paige has previously appeared on the HBO series Ballers, Grey’s Anatomy, and…
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Choose Wisely: Will Smith Teases Role As Genie in Live-Action Aladdin Remake
Now, this is a story all about how a genie’s lamp got flipped turned upside down and I’d like to take a minute just sit right there I’ll tell you how Will Smith became a star outside of Bel-Air. Yes, admittedly I know that line was the epitome of corny, but that does not change…
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The People's Eyeroll: Dwayne Johnson's Casting as John Henry Prompts Deserved Backlash
Dwayne Johnson has a lane, and he’s rocked the hell out of it. Truth be told, it’s a lucrative lane: the affable action star has made good money off of, well, being an affable action star. But on Tuesday, with the announcement of his latest project, an adaptation of the African-American folk hero John Henry,…