Movies
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You Gotta Wait ‘Just a Little Bit’: Jennifer Hudson’s Aretha Franklin Biopic Respect Pushed Back to August 2021
2020 is ending without any Respect. The Aretha Franklin biopic starring Jennifer Hudson was originally slated to premiere in August this year, then got pushed back to a limited release this Christmas, with a wider release come Jan. 15, 2021. That date has now been pushed back again, with the MGM-produced Respect not hitting theaters…
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Victoria Mahoney Is Directing an On-the-Run Action Flick Starring Sterling K. Brown and Kerry Washington
Move over Mr. and Mrs. Smith—and make way for the Shadow Force! According to Deadline, Victoria Mahoney is set to direct an action-drama starring Sterling K. Brown and Kerry Washington. More info on the film, via Deadline: Shadow Force, written by Leon Chills and Joe Carnahan, follows an estranged husband and wife with a bounty…
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GOAT-ish: Kenya Barris Will Direct, Write Long-Awaited Biopic of Legendary Comic Richard Pryor
If you’ve had enough of Kenya Barris, 2020 is really not your year. The Black-ish creator is slated to make his directorial debut with a much-anticipated Richard Pryor biopic, which MGM landed in a “heated film rights auction,” writes Deadline. Barris will write and direct the biopic of the iconic comedian, widely considered to be…
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Marvel Studios Is Seeking Black Writers for Blade, Starring Mahershala Ali
Last summer, Marvel Studios announced the lead of its upcoming Blade reboot and everyone collectively lost their shit with excitement because that person is Mahershala Ali. According to some insider sources, Blade is expected to premiere sometime in the fall of 2022, but with coronavirus-based delays, who knows if that’s solid. For now, though, the…
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Exclusive Clip: Spell Is Giving Me Misery With Melanin and Loretta Devine Has Me Shook
Have you ever wondered what a Black version of Misery (the 1990 classic starring James Caan and Kathy Bates) would be like? Well…enter Spell, directed by Mark Tonderai (House at the End of the Street). The film’s synopsis via the press release sent to The Root: While flying to his father’s funeral in rural Appalachia,…
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Michael B. Jordan Is Reportedly Considering Directing Creed 3
It looks like Michael B. Jordan may be following in the helming footsteps of his predecessor, Sylvester Stallone, for Creed 3. Stallone not only starred as the titular character of his 1976 film Rocky but ended up directing its sequels, Rocky II, Rocky III, and Rocky IV. According to Deadline, Jordan, who portrays Adonis Creed…
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Jussie Smollett Is Making His Feature Directorial Debut With B-Boy Blues; Casts Brandee Evans and Ledisi
Despite the legal rollercoaster he’s experienced over the past year, it looks like Jussie Smollett won’t be counted out just yet. According to Deadline, the 38-year-old actor is making his directorial debut with B-Boy Blues, based on the 1994 James Earl Hardy novel of the same name which chronicles “the Black LGBTQ+/Same Gender Loving community.”…
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Barney Is a Dinosaur From Daniel Kaluuya's Imagination and Now We Know Why the Hell He's Making This Movie
What would 2020 be without a bizarre introspective film about a big-ass purple dinosaur?! Back in October, Mattel Films announced Daniel Kaluuya would be producing a live-action film based on Barney the Dinosaur. The popular purple dinosaur made his TV debut in 1992 with the premiere of Barney & Friends. “Barney was a ubiquitous figure…
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Wendell Pierce Will Finally Star as Blues Legend BB King in Upcoming Biopic, The Thrill Is On
After years of twists and turns, acclaimed actor Wendell Pierce, star of The Wire and Treme announced that he will be playing legendary blues musician BB King in an upcoming feature film entitled, The Thrill Is On. Pierce made the announcement Monday via Twitter, sharing a picture of himself alongside the iconic musician. “We are…
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I Got a Sneak-Peek at Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and It Looks as Rich and Vibrant as Viola Davis' Greasepaint
“A-one, A-two, a-you know what to do…” On Monday, a select few of us were invited to a sneak peek preview of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom as well as a panel discussion with the film’s director, George C. Wolfe (Lackawanna Blues, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks) and titular star Viola Davis, moderated by author,…