News

Universal Pictures’ Snoop Dogg biopic movie is blazing a path toward bringing the rap legend’s life to the screen.

The feature project from director Craig Brewer has cast Outer Banks actor Jonathan Daviss in the lead role. Brewer (Coming 2 America, Hustle & Flow) is revising the script that was previously penned by Joe Robert Cole and tells the story of Calvin Broadus Jr.’s eventful journey along his path to fame as Snoop Dogg.

Producers include Snoop Dogg, Brian Grazer and Death Row Pictures president Sara Ramaker. This will be the first project through Death Row Pictures’ overall deal with NBCUniversal Entertainment & Studios. Universal senior vp of production development Ryan Jones oversees the feature for the studio.

Davis is known for his breakthrough role as Pope Heyward on the Netflix adventure series Outer Banks, which has been picked up for a fifth and final season. The 25-year-old actor...

Exclusive: ABC Entertainment Casting has selected its 10 featured performers for the 2025 Disney Television Discovers: Talent Showcase.

The 10, selected from a record-breaking 45,000 actor submissions, will be featured late this summer in Mirrorland, an original comedy written by Brittani Nichols (Abbott Elementary), directed by Dime Davis (A Black Lady Sketch Show) and executive produced by Richard J. Lee (Everything I Didn’t Say). The piece will be screened before an exclusive industry audience of agents, managers, casting professionals and producers.

“Our casting team brings a deep commitment and passion to discovering and championing untapped talent,” said Felicia Joseph, SVP of Talent & Casting, whose role originally focused on ABC Entertainment and recently expanded to include Hulu Originals and Onyx Collective. “We’re excited to introduce this year’s breakout cast and to collaborate with Brittani, Dime and Richard, whose vision and creativity will bring ‘Mirrorland’ to life. The showcase’s legacy as a...

Nate Bargatze has lined up a comedy powerhouse for his feature acting debut.

Will Forte, Colin Jost and Kumail Nanjiani have joined the cast of The Breadwinner, a comedy feature that Eric Appel is directing for TriStar Pictures.

Zach Cherry, Kate Berlant and Martin Herlihy have also boarded the feature, which begins production next week in Atlanta.

The story sees the life of Bargatze’s character turned upside down when his supermom wife lands a deal on Shark Tank. The lifelong breadwinner of the family becomes a stay-at-home dad, and quickly realizes he’s in way over his head.

Mandy Moore is already on board as Bargatze’s wife and Stella Grace Fitzgerald (Rebel Moon), Birdie Borria (The Fabelmans) and Charlotte Ann Tucker (Thunderbolts*) play the onscreen couple’s daughters in the project.

Bargatze, one of the world’s top touring comedians, co-wrote the script and is producing the film with Dan Lagna.

A “Barbershop” TV series has been greenlit at Amazon Prime Video, Variety has learned.

The show will connect to the universe of the “Barbershop” film franchise, with Jermaine Fowler attached to star. Marshall Todd, who co-wrote the original film, is writing the series and executive producing. The announcement was made during Amazon’s upfronts presentation to advertisers in New York on Monday night.

The official description states the show “revolves around Travis ‘Trav’ Porter (Fowler), who endeavors

to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, a legendary barber at the iconic ‘Calvin’s’ barbershop in

Chicago. And while the barbers are new, the shop remains just as lively, the customers just as argumentative, and the fades are still the dopest in the city — because at Calvin’s, the community comes together for way more than just a haircut.”

Along with Todd, Max Searle serves as executive producer and co-showrunner. Kevin Hart,...

Universal Pictures is fast-tracking an untitled original comedy about a country western star in free fall from Judd Apatow and Glen Powell, the studio announced on Thursday. Apatow will direct the film with Powell set to star.

Apatow and Powell are set to write the script together.

Apatow will produce through his longstanding Apatow Productions overall deal with the Studio. Apatow’s relationship with the Studio dates back to his 2005 directorial debut, “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” and he has since directed “Knocked Up,” “Funny People,” “This is 40,” “Trainwreck” and “The King of Staten Island” for the Studio.

Powell and Dan Cohen will produce through Barnstorm’s newly minted first look deal with the Studio. This new collaboration with Apatow is the second project to be produced with Universal since Barnstorm announced their first look deal in February.

Powell’s relationship with the Studio originates with his starring role in “Twisters,...

Universal Pictures is fast-tracking an untitled original comedy about a country western star in free fall from Judd Apatow and Glen Powell. Apatow will direct the film with Powell set to star. The two will write the script together.

Apatow will produce through his longstanding Apatow Productions overall deal. Apatow’s relationship with Universal dates back to his 2005 directorial debut, “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” and he has since directed “Knocked Up,” “Funny People,” “This is 40,” “Trainwreck” and “The King of Staten Island” for the studio.

Powell and Dan Cohen will produce through their production company Barnstorm’s newly minted first look deal with Universal. This new collaboration with Apatow is the second project to be produced with Universal since Barnstorm announced their first-look deal in February. Powell’s relationship with the studio originates with his starring role in “Twisters,” which grossed over $267.8 million overall in the domestic box office. Barnstorm...

Jermaine Fowler is the latest star to join the cast of Only Murders in the Building!

On Wednesday (April 9), it was announced that the 37-year-old actor and stand-up comedian has been cast in the upcoming fifth season of the Emmy-nominated Hulu comedy series, according to Variety.

Keep reading to find out more…As of right now, plot details for Jermaine‘s character are being kept under wraps.

Jermaine joins previously announced new cast members Logan Lerman, Renee Zellweger, and Christoph Waltz.

If you didn’t know, Jermaine is best known for his roles in Coming 2 America, Superior Donuts, Guy Code, and A Murder at the End of the World.

Hulu has not yet revealed the release date for the new season. Stay tuned as we learn more! In the meantime, find out who else will be starring in season five.

The recurring cast of Only Murders in the Building Season 5 continues to grow. The latest high-profile addition to the ensemble is Jermaine Fowler, who fans may recognize from the short-lived CBS sitcom Superior Donuts.

Deadline was the first to report the casting. Fowler has been tapped for a recurring role in Only Murders Season 5, although exact character details are being kept under wraps. He's the latest actor with sitcom experience to join the hit Hulu comedy series this season after Keegan-Michael Key, who counts Parks and Recreation, Modern Family, SuperMansion, Reboot, and Abbott Elementary, as well as the sketch comedy series Key & Peele, among his credits. As for Fowler, moviegoers may recognize him as Akeem's long-lost son, Lavelle, from Coming 2 America or from Ricky Stanicky, where he was part of the friend group that created the titular fake persona.

Who Else Will Appear in Only Murders Season...

Jermaine Fowler has booked a recurring guest star role in “Only Murders in the Building” Season 5, Variety has confirmed.

Fowler joins previously announced additions to “Only Murders” including Renée Zellweger, Christoph Waltz, Logan Lerman, Téa Leoni and Keegan-Michael Key. As is typically the case with the Hulu series, character and plot details for the new season are being kept under wraps. Season 5 is currently in production.

An accomplished stand up comedian, Fowler broke out onscreen with his starring role in the CBS multi-cam “Superior Donuts.” His other TV credits include the FX limited series “A Murder at the End of the World” and the truTV sketch comedy series “Friends of the People.” He will next be seen in the Tracy Morgan comedy series “Crutch” at Paramount+. Fowler has starred in films like “Coming 2 America,” “Sorry to Bother You,” “Judas and the Black Messiah,” and “Ricky Stanicky.”

He is repped by UTA,...

Tina Fey’s 30 Rock was one of the finest comedies that aired on TV. While it did not enjoy the ratings success of other similar workplace sitcoms like The Office or Parks and Recreation, it was nominated for a total of 103 Emmys. Fey used her signature surreal humor to bring to life the world of television that she knew and prospered in.

The show parodied her experiences as the head writer of Saturday Night Live with a fun-filled take on the corporate structure of NBC. Fey played Liz Lemon, the head writer of the series Tgs with Tracy Jordan. She has to work alongside network executive Jack Donaghy, played by Alec Baldwin.

A still of the cast members of 30 Rock | Credits: NBC

The series also starred Tracy Morgan as the star of Tgs Tracy Jordan, Jane Krakowski as Tgs co-star Jenna Maroney, and Jack McBrayer as NBC page Kenneth Parcell.

After dropping a short teaser last week, Warner Bros has launched the full-length official trailer for Paul Thomas Anderson's black comedy thriller One Battle After Another, which stars Academy Award-winner Leonardo DiCaprio (Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood; The Revenant; The Wolf of Wall Street) in the lead role and marks his first collaboration with Anderson.

While the studio had been tight-lipped on plot details, the trailer now reveals the film will follow a man named a revolutionary named Bob Ferguson (DiCaprio), who's doing his best to save his daughter.

In addition to DiCaprio, the supporting cast features 2x Academy Award-winner Sean Penn (Mystic River; Milk; The Thin Red Line), Academy Award-winner Benicio del Toro (Traffic; Sicario; The Usual Suspects), Regina Hall (Girls Trip; Scary Movie; The Best Man), Teyana Taylor (A Thousand and One; Coming 2 America; Honey: Rise Up and Dance), Chase Infiniti (Bruiser; All American; Bel-Air...

Garcelle Beauvais is exiting The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

The star made the announcement herself in an Instagram video on Tuesday, the morning before the finale airs for the 14th season of the Bravo series. In her video, she cited her family and acting and producing projects outside of the show as the reason for her exit, while also leaving the door open to return in some capacity down the line.

Bravo has confirmed the news to The Hollywood Reporter; a source confirmed to THR that she is leaving on her own accord.

“So I have some news. I’ve decided to leave Beverly Hills,” said Beauvais in her video. “It’s been a wild ride. I mean, some amazing things have happened and some hard things have also happened, but it’s been a ride nevertheless. One of the reasons why I’m leaving is my family, my boys.

Exclusive: Aaron Holliday (Cocaine Bear), Jermaine Fowler (Sorry to Bother You), Michael Abbott Jr. (Fallout) and Sean Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy) have wrapped on Appofeniacs, an indie horror film from writer-director Chris Marrs Piliero.

Appofeniacs is a riff on the term “apophenia” which is the tendency to find connections or patterns in things that are unrelated or random — common examples being confirmation bias and paranoia. This marks the feature debut for Piliero, who is known for his music video work with Ariana Grande, Britney Spears, Avril Lavigne, Kesha, and The Black Keys (for which he won an MTV VMA).

Piliero independently financed and produced the film, which also stars Will Brandt, Paige Searcy, Simran Jehani, Harley Bronwyn, and Sean Wing. Gunn exec produced the pic, with Salvatore Schiavone and Jonathan Voluck handling casting.

Previously seen in Universal’s horror comedy Cocaine Bear, Holliday has also been seen on HBO’s Euphoria and Sharp Objects.

“I’m basically a storyteller, just with the skin on a character’s face,” explained Mike Marino, the prosthetics maestro whose reputation is fast becoming as lauded as movie makeup legends Rick Baker and Stan Winston.

At this year’s Golden Globes, Marino was acknowledged not once, but twice by winning actors on stage: First by Colin Farrell, who is unrecognizable in HBO’s “The Penguin”; and then by Sebastian Stan, who won for his role in the dark indie comedy about disfigurement and self-acceptance, “A Different Man.”

“That was a huge compliment,” Marino told TheWrap of the shoutouts. “People were texting me that night — producers and actors and heroes of mine like Rick Baker — joking, ‘These are the Marino Globes.’ I’ve been doing this for my whole life and I’m just super thankful and fortunate to do what I do. Prosthetics work isn’t the crazy, booming business it once was,...

Teyana Taylor is "nervous" about her upcoming Dionne Warwick biopic as she reveals she has been given "a lot of creative control".The 'Walk On By' hitmaker, 85, personally chose lookalike actress Teyana to portray her in the upcoming flick, and in an update on the progress of the production, the 34-year-old 'Coming 2 America' star confessed it's a "big job" and they are taking their time so it's "perfect".She told People: "We have everything kind of set in stone and everything together. It was a little slowdown, of course, with the unfortunate things that have taken place. But everything is so up and running."It's still going and Ms. Dionne has so much career. So even trying to consolidate... I just want it to be perfect."She added: "I want this to be perfect and I want to sell her story and I just want everything to be perfect.

It’s been a couple of years since Oscar-winners Ben Affleck and Matt Damon shared the screen together in 2023's Air, but all that is about to change this year when the duo reunite once more for the Netflix thriller Rip, which is helmed by director Joe Carnahan. Based on actual events, the true-crime flick promises to be an action-packed affair that "takes a look at the things people will do for money."

Affleck was on hand today at the 2025 Next on Netflix Special Presentation held in Los Angeles (via People) to give viewers a sneak peek at Rip, which also stars Teyana Taylor (Coming 2 America) and Sasha Calle (The Flash). "It's the seventh movie that Matt Damon and my company, Artists Equity, has made, and it really is in a lot of ways the most important for us," he told a crowd of onlookers, adding:

We've found some...

Netflix announced on Thursday morning that Eddie, a new documentary on actor and comedian Eddie Murphy, is set to premiere on the service in 2025. The announcement was one of many made today as part of the service’s promotional event, Next on Netflix. They also unveiled a first-look photo from the doc, which you can view above.

In Eddie, Murphy looks back on his extraordinary journey and looks ahead at what’s still to come, for the first time. The film chronicles his meteoric rise from teen comic phenom to Saturday Night Live breakout and stand-up supernova to box office titan. It illuminates the evolution of Eddie Murphy — the trails he blazed and records he broke on his way from Brooklyn upstart to Hollywood icon.

In the film, the Oscar-nominated actor opens up his home and dives deep into his eclectic, nearly 50-year career. In his own words, he talks...

Comedy and Hollywood icon Eddie Murphy is all set to return to the world of action comedy, but not as Beverly Hills Cop’s Axel Foley. No, this time, Murphy will lead the original action outing Blue Falcon, which finds the Shrek star channeling James Bond as a retired superspy who finds himself in danger while attending his son’s wedding.

According to Deadline, Blue Falcon will be “a two-hander action comedy,” with Sony Pictures having now picked up the rights to the project. If the idea of Eddie Murphy as a retired superspy is not quite enough to have you excited for the action movie shenanigans to come, Blue Falcon has been written by Chad St. John, whose previous writing credits include the action thriller Peppermint starring Jennifer Garner, the Gerard Butler-led action sequel London Has Fallen, and the upcoming Motor City starring Reacher’s Alan Ritchson.

Blue...

Eddie Murphy is set to star in the action comedy 'Blue Falcon'.The 63-year-old actor has landed a role in the two-hander film that has a script by 'London Has Fallen' writer Chad St. John.In 'Blue Falcon', Murphy will portray a retired superspy who heads for the destination wedding of his estranged son – only to find himself in proximity with his archrival.The 'Coming to America' star is producing the picture for his Eddie Murphy Productions company with Charisse Hewitt-Webster as well as John Davis for Davis Films and Cliff Roberts through Syndicate Entertainment.Murphy will once again lend his voice to Donkey in the upcoming film 'Shrek 5', which is set for release in 2026, and revealed that he would like to make a movie that combines every role he has played previously.He told Australia's Who magazine last year: "Sure. We're just doing another Shrek,...

Comedy star Tracy Morgan has shared his experience of feeling like an outsider during his early years on “Saturday Night Live,” revealing how he eventually found his voice on the iconic show.

In a new Peacock documentary “SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night,” Morgan discusses the challenges he faced as a cast member from 1996 to 2003. The Bronx native admits he struggled to bridge the cultural gap between his background and the show’s environment.

“I wanted to show them my world, how funny it was,” Morgan says in the documentary. “But the first three years, I felt like I was being culturally isolated sometimes. I’m an inner-city kid. To be on the whitest show in America, I felt by myself.”

A breakthrough came after a straightforward conversation with SNL creator Lorne Michaels. “Tracy, I hired you because you’re funny, not because you’re Black. So just do your thing,” Michaels told him.

Tracy Morgan is getting candid about feeling “culturally isolated” during his early days at Saturday Night Live.

The comedian and actor, who was a castmember on the long-running NBC sketch comedy series from 1996 to 2003, shared on the Peacock docuseries SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night that while he was excited to join the show, it took some time to feel at home.

“I wanted to show them my world, how funny it was. But the first three years, I felt like I was being culturally isolated sometimes,” Morgan said before adding, “I’m coming from a world of Blacks. I’m an inner-city kid. To be on the whitest show in America, I felt by myself. I felt like they weren’t getting it.”

The 30 Rock alum said things got better after he opened up to SNL creator Lorne Michaels about how he was feeling.

“Lorne Michaels had that talk with me,...

30 Rock remains one of TV’s most beloved comedy series. It was awarded 16 Emmys in its 7-year stint at NBC. What really set the show apart was both the fast humor and the characters that fans still remember. Developed by Tina Fey and mostly inspired by her own work for Saturday Night Live as a head writer, the show depicted fictional sketches of the working environment of an NBC sketch comedy show.

Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin in 30 Rock | Credit: NBC

Most memorable performances from the show were delivered by characters like manipulative executive Jack Donaghey played by Alec Baldwin, and Liz Lemon portrayed by Tina Fey among many others. As we enter 2025, the actors who made viewers laugh for seven seasons have followed different careers.

Jack McBrayer Jack McBrayer in 30 Rock | Credit: NBC

As the suspicious, immortal, optimistic NBC page, Kenneth Parcell, Jack McBrayer introduced one...

Red One has broken a streaming record that may prove that Dwayne Johnson's career is undergoing a major shift. Johnson is a star who is very familiar with shifts in his career, as he originally became famous as a WWE wrestler under the moniker "The Rock." After taking on a role as the antagonist in the 2001 adventure sequel The Mummy Returns, he began to transition toward acting, and he has become a major movie star with many blockbuster movies and franchises under his belt, including the new Jumanji movies, the Fast Saga, the Moana franchise, Rampage, and more.

However, his new Christmas action-comedy underperformed both critically and commercially. On Rotten Tomatoes, it earned a dismal 30% score from critics, which ties it with 2005's Be Cool as the eighth worst-rated Dwayne Johnson movie ever. Although its audience score on the platform is a Verified Hot 90%, this has not translated to success in theaters.

The Oscar shortlists were released on December 17, the results of which are analyzed in Anne Thompson’s overview. Here, we’re covering the crafts of makeup and hairstyling, original score, sound, and visual effects.

“Wicked” was the big winner — appearing on all four lists. This was followed by three-listers “Emilia Pérez”, “Dune: Part Two”, “Gladiator II”, and “Alien: Romulus”.

Scoring two noms were “Nosferatu”, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”, “Blitz”, “Deadpool & Wolverine”, and “The Wild Robot”.

The rest of the nominees were broken down by the following:

Muahs: “The Apprentice,” “A Different Man,” “Maria,” “The Substance,” and “Waltzing with Brando.”

Score: “Babygirl,” “Blink Twice,” “The Brutalist,” “Challengers,” “Conclave,” “The Fire Inside,” “Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1,” “Inside Out 2,” “The Room Next Door,” “Sing Sing,” “The Six Triple Eight,” and “Young Woman and the Sea.”

Sound: “A Complete Unknown” and “Joker: Folie à Deux.”

Visual Effects: “Better Man,” “Civil War,” “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,...

Garcelle Beauvais came to the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in Season 10 as the first Black cast member to join the franchise. And the gorgeous Haitian-born actress and model had an impressive Hollywood resum behind her. Garcelle was booked and busy, shooting a scripted series in Nashville and Coming 2 America in Atlanta, while raising her young boys and filming Rhobh.

Oscar-winning actor and filmmaker Kevin Costner will receive the Motion Picture Sound Editors’ (Mpse) Filmmaker Award, while supervising sound editor Greg Hedgepath will receive the Career Achievement Award from the organization.

Both awards will be presented at Mpse’s 72nd Annual Golden Reel Awards Gala on Feb. 23 at the Ebell Theater in Los Angeles.

The Mpse Filmmaker Award is awarded annually to filmmakers of distinction. According to the organization, “It is bestowed upon an individual whose career has demonstrated a great appreciation and understanding of the impact of sound editing. The Mpse Career Achievement Award is presented to a person whose career has made a significant impact on the sound community through exemplary work, service, or leadership.”

Says Mpse President David Barber: “Kevin Costner has captivated audiences with his powerful storytelling throughout his illustrious career. From epic Westerns to poignant dramas, his use of sound as an integral component...

Sometime in the 2000s, comedian Eddie Murphy began experiencing a career slump that, quite sadly, would remain with him for years. Ron Underwood's 2002 sci-fi comedy "The Adventures of Pluto Nash" was a notorious bomb, making only $7.1 million on a $100 million budget. Murphy's cinematic update of "I Spy" from the same year also lost money, and Murphy turned to making mediocre but popular kiddie flicks like "The Haunted Mansion" and "Daddy Day Care" to make ends meet.

In 2006, Murphy received an Academy Award nomination for his performance in "Dreamgirls," but he immediately chased it with the universally hated "Norbit" only months later. "Norbit" made money, but no one seemed to like it. Some have even said that the presence of "Norbit" in theaters harmed Murphy's chance of winning an Oscar that year. He lost to Alan Arkin in "Little Miss Sunshine."

Murphy's next few films were all panned by critics,...

Eddie Murphy is about to tear the roof off the sucker.

The actor is set to play Parliament-Funkadelic leader George Clinton in an untitled biopic from director Bill Condon for Amazon MGM Studios. The script is currently being written by Virgil Williams, from an original draft by Max Werner. The project was initiated by Catherine Davis, a lifelong George Clinton fan, who brought the idea to Murphy.

Condon previously directed Murphy in the 2006 film “Dreamgirls,” which earned the actor an Oscar nomination and Golden Globe win for best supporting actor.

The film will be produced by Murphy via Eddie Murphy Productions, John Davis via Davis Entertainment, Davis and Greg Yolen. Eddie Murphy Productions’ Charisse Hewitt-Webster, as well as Clinton, Archie Ivy and Jeff Jampol are executive producing.

Based on Clinton’s memoir, “Brothas Be, Yo Like George, Ain’t That Funkin’ Kinda Hard On You?,” the film is the untold...

Wesley Snipes, the actor perhaps most widely known for starring as vampire hunter Blade, is ready to unsheath a new chapter in his Hollywood career, signing with Independent Artist Group for representation.

The actor and martial artist, who reprised his Blade role to the delight of fans in this summer’s $1.3 billion-grossing Deadpool & Wolverine, has an acting career that spans over three decades and reaches across genres. The actor gained notices for his 1990s work in dramas such as Jungle Fever, his influential crime movie New Jack City, comedic fare such as To Wong Fu, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, and action flicks Demolition Man and Passenger 57.

Blade seemed like an innocuous action thriller when it was released in 1998 but the movie, exuding tough attitude and replete with one-liners, launched a trilogy that has gained in stature and influence since the final installment came out in 2004. When Snipes...

Bruce Willis is one of the all-time great movie stars, a guy who could fill theater seats with a sarcastic one-liner and a charming but grumpy grin. Over the years he starred in all kinds of films, from zany dark comedies like "The Whole Nine Yards" to the Christmas action classic "Die Hard," but towards the end of his career, it seemed as if he was just putting out as much as he could without paying much attention to quality. It was a move that initially came under fire from fans before Willis's family announced his retirement in March of 2022 due to a diagnosis of aphasia, a condition that causes progressive cognitive decline. Though there were some questions as to whether Willis wanted to do these films to save up for retirement and help his family or whether he was being taken advantage of, otherwise the movies from this...

Dionne Warwick says she "personally chose" lookalike Teyana Taylor to play her in a new biopic.The 83-year-old music legend - who was among the music royalty inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio on Saturday (19.10.24) - and the 'Walk On By' hitmaker says there is no one else that could portray her than "triple threat" Teyana, 33. Speaking to The Sun newspaper's Bizarre column at the US bash, Dionne - who was supported by the 'Coming 2 America' star at the ceremony - gushed: “She is a triple threat, she sings, she dances and she is an actress.“I have seen her films, I got to know her and as I got to know her I found that she was doing all of the research that she could find on me.“She knows more about me than I know about myself.”She added:...

Chief Keef, a pioneer in the inception and rise of drill music, is getting his own documentary, Variety can exclusively report. Kenya Barris’ Khalabo Ink Society is partnering with Lyrical Lemonade and Cole Bennett to chronicle the Chicago native’s trajectory.

The film, directed by Bennett and produced by Barris and Khalabo’s Jeremy Allen, will capture Keef’s rise, hiatus and recent return to the city. It will examine Chicago’s influence on Keef’s life and career, as well as his impact on the city’s music scene and beyond.

Other notable players in the untitled documentary include Lyrical Lemonade’s Jake Millan and Krista Worby, who will executive produce the project alongside Khalabo Ink Society’s Emilie Geneve and Idris Dykes. Keef previously had a documentary titled “The Story of Sosa: The Movie” in the works at Apple Music in 2017, though the film never materialized.

Throughout his career,...

Hugh Jackman may be the “Greatest Showman,” but now he has a show-woman counterpart: Kate Hudson.

The Tony winner and Broadway staple star will co-lead upcoming movie musical “Song Sung Blue” with Hudson, who recently unveiled her debut album “Glorious.”

The film is based on a true story and follows two down-on-their-luck musicians, played by Jackman and Hudson, who form a joyous Neil Diamond tribute band and “prove it’s never too late to find love and follow your dreams,” per the official logline.

“Hustle and Flow” and “Coming 2 America” director Craig Brewer will write and direct the Focus Features film.

“Song Sung Blue” is based on the 2008 documentary by director Greg Kohs, here an executive producer of the fictional adaptation.

Michael Imperioli, Fisher Stevens, and Jim Belushi co-star alongside Ella Anderson, King Princess, Mustafa Shakir, and Hudson Hilbert Hensley.

John Davis and John Fox are producing the film...

Production has wrapped on writer/director Taylor Cohen’s Strobe, a thriller that The Hollywood Reporter describes as being “Edm-focused.” Suzanna Son (Red Rocket), Chace Crawford (The Boys), Laura Harrier (Spider-Man: Homecoming), Mena Suvari (American Beauty), Grace Van Dien (Stranger Things), Rohan Campbell (Halloween Ends), Suraj Sharma (Life of Pi), Steve Howey (True Lies), Bella Murphy (Coming 2 America), Anthony C Garcia (A Holiday Chance), and musician Matt Champion star in the film, which is coming our way from Happy Place and Super Frog.

Strobe sees Son taking on the role of a high school senior who embarks on an obsessive quest to track down a mysterious Edm artist.

Tara Razavi, Nate Matteson, and Hiro Murai are producing the film. Happy Place provided the financing, alongside executive producer Clayton Moore. Happy Place founder Razavi provided the following statement: “We’re incredibly excited to bring Strobe to life as Taylor Cohen’s first feature film.

John Amos died of congestive heart failure at a hospital in Inglewood, California, according to a death certificate obtained by People.

No autopsy was performed and the certificate stated that the actor’s remains were cremated on Aug. 30, nine days after he died. Amos’ son Kelly Christopher reported his death to Los Angeles County, per the outlet.

On Tuesday, Christopher announced Amos’ death at the age of 84 and said that he had died on Aug. 21 of natural causes. “He was a man with the kindest heart and a heart of gold…...

Edm is set to get another movie moment with the forthcoming feature Strobe.

Suzanna Son (Red Rocket), Chace Crawford (The Boys), Mena Suvari (Rzr), Grace Van Dien (Stranger Things) and Laura Harrier (Spider-Man: Homecoming) star in writer-director Taylor Cohen’s film, which has recently wrapped production. Hailing from production companies Happy Place and Super Frog, Strobe is a thriller centering on a high school senior (Son) embarking on an obsessive quest to track down a mysterious Edm artist.

Rohan Campbell (The Monkey), Suraj Sharma (Life of Pi), Steve Howey (True Lies), Bella Murphy (Coming 2 America) and Matt Champion round out the cast. Tara Razavi (Apple Music’s Up Next), Nate Matteson (The Bear) and Hiro Murai (Mr. and Mrs. Smith) serve as producers, with Happy Place financing the project alongside executive producer Clayton Moore.

Strobe, which does not yet have an announced release, marks the first feature for Happy Place.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office has confirmed Good Times and Roots star John Amos died of congestive heart failure, according to the actor’s death certificate obtained by TMZ.

Amos died August 21 at the age of 84, but his death was just announced yesterday October 1 by his son Kelly Christopher Amos.

His daughter Shannon Amos shared in an Instagram post Tuesday night that she was “without words” after learning of her father’s death through the media.

“I am without words…Our family has received the heartbreaking news that my Dad, John Allen Amos, Jr., transitioned on August 21st,” she wrote. “We are devastated and left with many questions about how this happened 45 days ago, learning about it through the media like so many of you.”

Amos was known for playing Florida Evans’ (Esther Rolle) husband James in Good Times, which spun off of Maude, and for playing...

Actor John Amos, the star of movies such as ‘Coming to America,’ ‘Roots’ and many more has passed away at the age of 84.

The actor’s son, Kelly Christopher Amos announced the sad news in a statement:

“It is with heartfelt sadness that I share with you that my father has transitioned,” said his son Kelly Christopher Amos in a statement. “He was a man with the kindest heart and a heart of gold… and he was loved the world over. Many fans consider him their TV father. He lived a good life. His legacy will live on in his outstanding works in television and film as an actor. My father loved working as an actor throughout his entire life…. most recently in ‘Suits LA’ playing himself and our documentary about his life journey as an actor, ‘America’s Dad.’ He was my dad, my best friend, and my hero.

Beloved actor and funnyman John Amos recently passed away at the age of 84. After it was announced that the Good Times star had died, new details were shared about his final acting role.

Per Deadline, Amos will posthumously appear in Suits: L.A., the upcoming Suits spinoff series starring Stephen Amell (Arrow). The actor had filmed his guest role for the series prior to his death, and as the show has been officially ordered to series at NBC, Amos will be seen on the big screen when Suits: L.A. airs later this fall. Amos reportedly played himself for the guest role, depicted as being a longtime friend of Amell's lawyer character. The actor was written into the series with the idea of potentially having him return as a recurring character, but he will now only be seen in the pilot episode.

Related 'This Is Pilot Season': Stephen Amell Breaks Down Auditioning for NCIS: Origins & Suits: L.

John Amos, star of Good Times, Roots, and many more, died Oct. 1 at the age of 84.

Amos was known for playing Florida Evans’ (Esther Rolle) husband James in Good Times, which spun off of Maude, and for playing Gordy Howard the weatherman on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, which helped him break into entertainment in 1970. Other appearances for Amos included several episodes of The Tim Conway Comedy Hour, Future Cop, Hunter, 704 Hauser, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, In the House, The District, three episodes of Two and a Half Men, a few episodes in The Ranch and two episodes of Ballers.

He went on to appear in Die Hard 2 (1990), The West Wing, All About the Andersons alongside Anthony Anderson, Men in Trees. He reprised his role as Cleo McDowell in the sequel to 1989’s Coming To America — Coming 2 America (2021). Other film roles include Vanishing Point (1971), Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song...

John Amos, the actor who played the father from Good Times, has died. He was 84. Amos’ son Kelly Christopher confirmed Tuesday that the actor had died on Aug. 21 of natural causes in Los Angeles.

“It is with heartfelt sadness that I share with you that my father has transitioned,” K.C. Amos said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “He was a man with the kindest heart and a heart of gold… and he was loved the world over. Many fans consider him their TV father. He lived a good life.

John Amos, the beloved Emmy-nominated actor who rose to fame by playing the family patriarch on Good Times, has passed away. He was 84 years old.

Per TMZ, Amos died of natural causes in Los Angeles on Aug. 21, but his passing has just been announced by his son, Kelly Christopher Amos. No additional details were shared related to the nature of Amos' passing, though the actor's son shared a statement to confirm the news while expressing how he knows his father's legacy "will live on" in his absence.

It is with heartfelt sadness that I share with you that my father has transitioned, the statement reads in part. He was a man with the kindest heart and a heart of gold and he was loved the world over. Many fans consider him their TV father. He lived a good life. His legacy will live on in his outstanding works in television and film as an actor.

John Amos, the star of “Good Times,” “Roots” and more, died on Aug. 21 in Los Angeles of natural causes, his representative confirmed to Variety on Tuesday. He was 84.

“It is with heartfelt sadness that I share with you that my father has transitioned,” said his son Kelly Christopher Amos in a statement. “He was a man with the kindest heart and a heart of gold… and he was loved the world over. Many fans consider him their TV father. He lived a good life. His legacy will live on in his outstanding works in television and film as an actor. My father loved working as an actor throughout his entire life…. most recently in ‘Suits LA’ playing himself and our documentary about his life journey as an actor, ‘America’s Dad.’ He was my dad, my best friend, and my hero. Thank you for your prayers and support at this time.

John Amos, the actor whose characters in Good Times, Roots and The Mary Tyler Moore Show lent the 1970s a solid share of its too-few portrayals of strong Black male role models, has died in Los Angeles of natural causes. He was 84.

His August 21 death, announced by son Kelly Christopher Amos, had not been disclosed until today.

“It is with heartfelt sadness that I share with you that my father has transitioned,” Kelly Christopher Amos said in a statement. “He was a man with the kindest heart and a heart of gold… and he was loved the world over. Many fans consider him their TV father. He lived a good life. His legacy will live on in his outstanding works in television and film as an actor. My father loved working as an actor throughout his entire life…. most recently in Suits LA playing himself and our documentary about his life journey as an actor,...

Dikembe Mutombo, the shot-blocking specialist whose Hall of Fame career included being named NBA Defensive Player of the Year four times over 18 seasons and who was an ambassador for the sport after his retirement, has died. He was 58.

The NBA said today that he died of brain cancer in Atlanta but did not give any other details. He had been diagnosed in 2022.

“Dikembe Mutombo was simply larger than life,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “On the court, he was one of the greatest shot blockers and defensive players in the history of the NBA. Off the floor, he poured his heart and soul into helping others. … “There was nobody more qualified than Dikembe to serve as the NBA’s first Global Ambassador.”

The 7-foot-2 “Mount Mutombo” played 18 seasons starting with the Denver Nuggets, who picked him fourth overall in the 1991 NBA Draft out of Georgetown University, where...

Kevin Costner has been the face of "Yellowstone" since it debuted in 2018. As the head of the Dutton Yellowstone ranch, John Dutton, Costner is undoubtedly part of the reason Paramount's neo-Western series has become so popular. But it's not just Costner that has portrayed the Dutton patriarch. Josh Lucas plays a younger version of the character on the series, and was actually approached about the role before "Yellowstone" even shot its pilot episode. This was just one of the elements that show creator Taylor Sheridan had mapped out ahead of time, too.

In a 2022 Deadline interview, Lucas recalled being told how, once the location for the Dutton Ranch was confirmed, Sheridan "walked around and pointed at certain points, and said, 'This will happen here in season 1,' and 'This will happen here in season 2. And here's where the graveyard goes.'" The "A Beautiful Mind" and "Sweet Home Alabama...

Chicago – On September 9th 2024, the world lost an icon of acting, voice work and pop culture stardom. The great James Earl Jones passed away at age 93, after a career of prominent statute, memorable characters and a voice to a generation through Darth Vader in “Star Wars” and Mufasa in “The Lion King” (both versions). Photographer Joe Arce of HollywoodChicago.com took an Exclusive Portrait of Jones in 1993 during a Chicago book tour.

Jones was born in Mississippi, and was raised in Michigan by his maternal grandparents. His estranged father became an film actor, and they reconciled in the 1950s. Jones graduated from the University of Michigan as a drama major, and after a stint in the military made his major Broadway debut in 1958 as Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt’s butler in “Sunrise at Campobello.”

James Earl Jones in Chicago, 1993

Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

He shifted to Shakespearian roles thereafter,...

James Earl Jones in ‘Coming 2 America’ (Photo Courtesy of Amazon Studios)

On September 9, 2024, we lost one of the great ones: James Earl Jones. Jones is one of the few people to achieve the Egot, but more important than awards was the passion, commitment, craft, and just sheer scale he brought to every role whether it was as the leading man, a supporting character, or just a voice. And he brought all that to the table whether he was doing Shakespeare or Sesame Street. He was truly a rare talent.

James Earl Jones made his Broadway debut in 1957 but gained acclaim for his work with the New York Shakespeare Festival taking on the Bard’s tragic heroes of Othello, Hamlet, Coriolanus, and King Lear. He would win a Tony Award for Best Actor for The Great White Hope (1968), a role that he reprised for the 1970 film adaptation, earning him his...

How long is too long to wait to make a sequel? As long as the filmmakers' have a workable idea that justifies getting the gang back together, there is no such thing as "too long." Eddie Murphy recently delivered a clinic in this notion by following up the rotten "Coming 2 America" (made 33 years after the beloved original) with the thoroughly entertaining "Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F" (which arrived 40 years after the first film). Fans will always be happy with what they've already got, but if you can give them a second go-round that doesn't travesty everything they loved about the original, they'll gladly fork over their cash.

Adam Sandler has made his own share of sequels, but he's yet to revisit one of his movies that didn't outright suck. So he's in uncharted territory with "Happy Gilmore 2," which will bring back the power-hitting pro golfer whose success on...

With a voice as commanding as his presence on screen, James Earl Jones earned his place as a legend in the realm of cinema and stage. His talent and range allowed him to connivingly play an array of vastly different characters. From villains to heroes, Jones could portray them all. The passing of a legend is never easy to accept, but the actor lived a long life of 93 years. To celebrate his legacy, we’re taking a look at his five most iconic roles.

5. Terence Mann – Field of Dreams Related“I didn’t really know what to say”: Creating the MCU Empire Couldn’t Give Jon Favreau the Courage to ‘Direct’ James Earl Jones in The Lion King

James Earl Jones and baseball just fit like a ball in a glove. Nothing proves that point better than his iconic baseball speech in the Academy Award Best Picture nominated Field of Dreams...