Movies
-
Nothing but Respect for My Queen: Queen Latifah to Star in End of the Road on Netflix
The “Princess of the Posse,” aka Dana Owens, aka Queen Latifah has been tapped to both star and executive produce in a new thriller for Netflix, End of the Road. According to Deadline, Millicent Shelton is also set to direct, making this her feature film debut. Shelton’s previous directing credits include music videos for Mary…
-
Pixar's Soul Exclusive Clip: Joe Stans for Dorothea, but She Seems Meh About Him
The official countdown to the debut of Pixar’s first film with a Black lead has officially begun! The synopsis for Soul, via a press release provided to The Root: What is it that makes you…YOU? Pixar Animation Studios’ all-new feature film Soul introduces Joe Gardner (voice of Jamie Foxx) – a middle-school band teacher who…
-
Did Y'all Know Vanessa Williams Improvised That Iconic 'F-ck the Family' Line in Soul Food?
Thanksgiving has come and gone, but we have yet another upcoming reason to sit down and eat a smorgasbord of ‘itis-inducing food. That’s right, we have Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah and more this month! In the spirit of this deliciously heavy food, we need to take a trip down memory lane to the 1997 classic, Soul…
-
Jada Pinkett Smith Will Be Bringing Herself to the Redd Zone for Netflix
Actress and Red Table Talk host Jada Pinkett Smith is set to star in a new upcoming drama, Redd Zone. According to Variety, the film will also be produced through Pinkett Smith’s Westbrook Studios alongside Emmy-nominee Howard Burkons. More details on the plot here: The film is based on the true story of Tia Magee,…
-
Long Live Our King: Disney+ Honors Chadwick Boseman With Special Tribute in Black Panther Opening Credits
Over Thanksgiving weekend, Disney Chairman Bob Iger announced in a tweet that the company’s streaming platform, Disney+, would pay tribute to its beloved Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman. “To all fans of #BlackPanther: watch the film on #DisneyPlus late tonight, for a special tribute to someone that was and will always be near and dear…
-
Steve McQueen's Lovers Rock Authentically Captures the Joyful Resilience of the Black Diaspora
When I went to London for the first time, I thought it was Jamaica. As a nine-year-old born and raised on the Caribbean island, I thought of the UK in terms of what I’d seen on TV and read in the literature books set in Britain that were part of my primary school curriculum—as a…
-
Cheo Hodari Coker to Write Forty Acres Film Adaptation for Netflix; James Lassiter and Jay-Z Producing
Luke Cage creator Cheo Hodari Coker is set to write the film adaptation script for Forty Acres, based on the novel of the same name by Dwayne Alexander Smith. The film is in early development at Netflix and will be produced by James Lassiter, Jay-Z, Aaron Kaplan (Kapital Entertainment), Niles Kirchner and Bill Strauss. Dana…
-
Tiger, Tiger Woods Y'all: Documentary America's Son Set for ESPN Premiere
If there’s one thing that I love, it’s a good-ass documentary—especially if it involves sports. And while 2020 has been a resounding clusterfuck otherwise, it’s been a spectacular year on the film front, as sports docs like Netflix’s Uppity, Quibi’s The Scheme, and Blackballed have not only raised the bar but have explored how racial dynamics…
-
The Forty-Year-Old Version Writer, Director and Actor Radha Blank to Be Honored With 2020 Sundance Vanguard Award
The incredibly talented force known as Radha Blank is 2020’s Sundance Vanguard Award recipient. Blank’s feature film directorial debut, The Forty-Year-Old Version made its world premiere at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and was later acquired by Netflix. The multi-hyphenate not only directed the Sundance darling but wrote and starred in it, too. The award,…
-
Giving Voice Trailer First-Look: August Wilson Lives On Through the Students Who Recite His Monologues
I recently attended the advanced virtual screening for Netflix’s film adaptation of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (whew, still processing the amazing performances in that one, but I’ll share more on that later), and following the film, Samuel L. Jackson moderated a Q&A with the cast and crew. At multiple points in the panel, Jackson alluded…