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Exclusive: Precious Way (Heist 88) and Jalyn Hall (Till) have joined the cast of Tracy Morgan’s untitled NBC comedy pilot from Tina Fey, Robert Carlock and writer Sam Means.

Written by Carlock and Means, the comedy stars Morgan as Reggie, a disgraced former football player on a mission to rehabilitate his image.

The pair joins previously announced cast members Erika Alexander as Monica, Reggie’s childhood sweetheart from Brooklyn who co-parents with him and still is his agent and business manager, even though they divorced years ago; Daniel Radcliffe as Arthur Tobin, an award-winning filmmaker who moves into Reggie’s mansion to film an immersive documentary about the former star running back; and Bobby Moynihan as Gator, Reggie’s loyal former teammate who has always stuck with him even when things went sideways.

Also in series-regular roles, Way will portray Brina, Reggie’s loving and supportive fiancée who sees...

The Heist 88 true story is almost as wild as the actions displayed in the Mehnaz Huda-directed Showtime movie. Heist 88 is a 2023 crime drama starring Courtney B. Vance (Ada Ron Carver on Law & Order: Criminal Intent) as a criminal mastermind named Jeremy Horne. He can convince anyone around him to do whatever he asks of them, and he decides he wants to pull off one last job before going to prison. This last job is a robbery to steal almost $80 million from the U.S. banking system.

The entire scheme seems almost hard to believe in a society now protected by top-of-the-line cybersecurity, but this occurred before all those measures were implemented. It was also based on a true story of a Chicago robbery in 1988. While the actions in Heist 88 seem hard to believe, even for a movie, they are all based on facts, and it was...

Exclusive: 20th Television has closed a first-look deal with Angela Bassett, Courtney B. Vance and their Bassett Vance Productions to develop and executive produce comedy, drama, limited series and TV movies for linear networks and streamers, with an emphasis on platforms across Disney Entertainment Television.

The first project under the multi-year pact is Monkey Boy, inspired by bestselling author Francisco Goldman’s Pulitzer Prize fiction finalist novel, which has been set up for development at Onyx Collective. The drama is created by Joshua Allen Griffith (Mrs. America), who will write the pilot script, with Ben Smith supervising. If Monkey Boy goes to series, the duo, who met on 20th TV’s Hulu series Only Murders In The Building where they co-wrote multiple episodes, will write it, with Smith serving as showrunner. Griffith and Smith also executive produce with Bassett Vance Productions.

Goldman’s novel follows an investigative journalist who discovers...

Exclusive: NBC and Universal TV are developing Keats (w/t), a new drama series from Bassett Vance Productions, Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance’s production banner.

The duo executive produce the project alongside Bassett Vance Productions President, Lynnette Ramirez and writer Pilar Golden.

Keats follows Alex Keats, a fourth-generation police officer who walked away from the badge and her family, who returns to Philadelphia to bury her mother. Mom is a decorated officer who supposedly died by suicide. The closer Alex gets to discovering the truth about her mother’s death, the closer she gets to joining her family back on the force … where she belongs.

Bassett Vance Productions most recently produced the Showtime film Heist 88 written by Dwayne Johnson-Cochran, Bassett and Vance’s producing partner. Ramirez joined the company in 2021 with a focus on developing and uplifting Bipoc projects and storytellers.

Exclusive: Universal Pictures has rounded out the cast of its coming-of-age musical teaming director Michel Gondry and producer Pharrell Williams with four additions: Tim Meadows (Dream Scenario), Jaboukie Young-White (C’mon C’mon), Jamilah Rosemond (Rustin) and Jayson Lee (61st Street).

Details as to the roles of the newcomers are under wraps, as all roles so far have been. Set in Virginia Beach in the summer of 1977, the untitled film is inspired by the neighborhood where Williams grew up, and its Atlantis Apartments, in particular.

Kelvin Harrison Jr. leads an ensemble that also includes Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Halle Bailey, Brian Tyree Henry, Missy Elliott, and Janelle Monáe.

Written by Martin Hynes and Steven Levenson, the musical will be produced by Williams and Mimi Valdés for i am Other, as well as Gil Netter for Gil Netter Productions. Universal’s Senior Vice President of Production Development Ryan Jones and Director of...

In the film, ‘Heist 88’, Dit Henrikas Genutis utilized the entire Pomfort camera department ecosystem as a communication tool to stay in constant contact with two post houses, the on-set crew, and the Dp. We got the chance to sit down with Henrikas and learn more about his experience on set, and the challenges and triumphs of doing virtual production. But first, we asked Henrikas to give us some background on himself and how he became a Dit.

Becoming a Dit

Henrikas Genutis is a Lithuanian Dit who grew up mostly in the United States with two very distinct dreams— one of becoming an actor, and the other, to become a pilot.

Unless he were to play the role of a pilot, these two dreams didn’t necessarily have much intersection— or so he thought. Nevertheless, his parents supported his acting dream early on and took him to auditions where...

It’s been a big start to 2024 for Colman Domingo and Ayo Edebiri who — after earning their first Oscar nomination and Emmy win, respectively — lead the pack of film and TV nominees for the 55th NAACP Image Awards.

Domingo is nominated for three awards: outstanding actor in a motion picture for “Rustin,” outstanding supporting actor for “The Color Purple” and entertainer of the year, the ceremony’s top prize.

Edebiri is nominated for outstanding supporting actress for “The Bear” and guest actress for “Abbott Elementary.” Victoria Monét received the most nominations in the music recording categories, earning six nods including outstanding new artist. The “Jaguar II” hitmaker is followed closely by Usher, who earned five nominations including entertainer of the year.

Fantasia Barrino, Halle Bailey and Keke Palmer — three multihyphenate talents who happened to share the screen with Domingo and Usher this year — round out the nominees for that award.

Hi, Barbie! Great news: Greta Gerwig’s film based on the iconic Mattel doll leads the 14th annual Guild of Music Supervisors Awards nominations with three nods – including best song for both Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” and Ryan Gosling’s “I’m Just Ken.”

“Barbie’s” third nomination was in best music supervision for a film budgeted over $25 million. The category recognized the work of music supervisor George Drakoulias, songwriters Eilish and Finneas and Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt who penned “I’m Just Ken.”

Other film contenders are the music supervisors from “Maestro,” “Saltburn,” “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” “Past Lives,” “Wonka,” “Air” among others.

Top TV contenders include the music supervisors from “Daisy Jones & The Six,” “The White Lotus,” “Welcome to Chippendales” and “Yellowjackets.”

The Guild of Music Supervisors is a non-profit organization that was founded in 2010 with the “goal of preserving and promoting the...

Barbie is the most nominated film for the 2024 Guild of Music Supervisors Awards, landing three nominations, including two in the best song for film category for “What Was I Made For?” and “I’m Just Ken.”

Barbie is nominated for best music supervision for film budgeted over $25 million and scored two nods for best song written and/or recorded for a film for Billie Eilish and Finneas’ “What Was I Made For?” and Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt’s “I’m Just Ken,” performed by Ryan Gosling.

The music supervisors with the most individual nominations are Mike Ladman and Mara Techam, each with five nominations, whose work in advertising includes collaborations with brands like Levis, The New York Times, Hennessy and others.

The 14th annual Guild of Music Supervisors Awards are set to take place in-person and virtually at Los Angeles’ Wiltern Theatre on Sunday, March 3.

A full list of nominees follows.

As promised in January, Paramount Global is taking steps to sunset the standalone Showtime streamer before the end of 2023.

The integration of Showtime into the larger Paramount+ streaming world is one step closer to being complete as Paramount Global has seemingly eliminated the ability for new customers to sign up for the standalone subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) version of the premium cable channel. Not only is the Showtime streamer no longer available via the channel’s website, but it has also disappeared from Prime Video Channels as well.

In June, the ad-free tier of Paramount+ was rebranded Paramount+ with Showtime. At the time, Paramount said that it would be sunsetting the standalone Showtime streamer later in the year. While existing customers will still have access for the time being, the only way to sign up for the service is now via Paramount+. Save $20 Now $5.99+ / month paramountplus.com

For a Limited Time,...

When Lynnette Ramirez, president of Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance’s eponymous production company, logs onto Zoom to discuss the release of “Heist 88,” the company’s first feature, with Variety, her virtual background catches the eye. It’s a black-and-white photo of two children — a little boy and a little girl — alongside the Bassett Vance Productions logo.

It doesn’t take long to recognize that the striking shot is a family photo — and the two kids are the Hollywood power couple’s now-teenage twins Bronwyn and Slater Vance.

“This company is about legacy,” Ramirez says. “And not just their family’s legacy — but it certainly feels like that’s where the heart is.”

Indeed, Bassett Vance Productions is a family business, but it’s more than that. Formally founded in 2020 as one of the partnering companies with MTV Entertainment Group’s development program for Bipoc and women filmmakers,...

Directed by Mehnaz Huda, the Showtime original Heist 88 is a fictional recreation of the 1988 bank robbery in Chicago, which gained notoriety in the history of bank robberies. Played by Courtney B. Vance, Jeremy Horne is a fictional representation of Armand Devon Moore, who was a criminal mastermind behind the 1988 bank robbery. The filmmaker took some creative liberties to add some dramatic elements to the story and the actual event was very different from what was depicted in the film.

Spoilers Ahead

What Happens In The Film?

Heist 88 follows Jeremy Horne, a convicted felon serving his probationary period. He arrived in the city of Chicago with a plan for a bigger crime. With a tracking monitor attached to his ankle, he was not entirely free from the authorities’ surveillance, but even though he was constantly reminded by the police to surrender himself within 21 days, he wasn’t the least bit bothered about it.

Based on a real-life bank robbery in 1988 in Chicago, Showtime has brought out a feature film called Heist 88, starring Courtney B. Vance in the lead. The narrative follows the desperate efforts of a criminal mastermind, Jeremy Horne, to inspire some bank employees to join forces and commit a bank robbery. Despite being financially backward, these compliant bank employees were not criminal-minded, but Jeremy Horne, being extremely persuasive, manipulated them with the lure of a better lifestyle. However, somewhat overdramatic dialogue and a lazily written screenplay spoil the charm of the film. Courtney B. Vance’s performance is good, but it becomes a bit difficult for him to single-handedly save the film.

Heist 88 presents us with a fictional retelling of the 1988 bank robbery led by Armand Moore. But changing the name of the actual person, Heist 88 took some creative liberties to construct a new narrative. The film’s protagonist, Jeremy Horne,...

"Heist 88", a new 'caper' movie, "inspired by the true story", is directed by Menhaj Huda, starring Courtney B. Vance, Keith David,  and Keesha, airing September 29, 2023 on Paramount+ and October 1, 2023 on Showtime:

"...a criminal mastermind recruits a group of young bank employees to steal 80 million dollars...

"... in one of the largest bank heist in US history..."

Click the images to enlarge...

Banks are not usually thought of as friends by the American public at large. Thieves usually don’t target banks anymore, as advancements in cybersecurity have made them a tough nut to crack. But that wasn’t always the case, and the new film “Heist 88” which premieres on Paramount+ with Showtime on Friday, Sept. 29 is inspired by the true events of one of the biggest bank robberies in the history of the United States. You can watch with a subscription to Paramount Plus.

How to Watch ‘Heist 88’ When: Friday, September 29, 2023 Where: Paramount Plus Stream: Watch with a subscription to Paramount Plus. Save $20 Now$5.99+ / month paramountplus.com

For a Limited Time, Get 1 Month of Paramount+ With Code: Lioness

About ‘Heist 88’

Criminal genius Jeremy Horne (Courtney Vance) is going to prison. The charismatic thief’s life has finally caught up with him, but before he’s put behind bars...

Bank robbers tend to be fairly easy to root for in movies. After all, it’s not the audience’s money getting pocketed onscreen. They typically don’t want to kill anybody, and their schemes tend to be pretty spectacular. “Heist 88,” a new Showtime release inspired by a real-life Chicago robbery from the year 1988, doesn’t trust viewers to be so accepting, so it spends most of its time underlining the generic reasons that its aggrieved crack team have for taking on the job. It’s a crime film that finds little joy in criminality, crammed with characters who’ve been backed into a corner, hindered by an overarching morality that doesn’t match the material.

Courtney B. Vance leads the feature as Jeremy Horne, an over-the-hill thief about to head back to prison. At a celebration of life for his brother, remembered as a Black community leader, Horne...

Showtime's latest project, Heist 88, is right around the corner, just over a year following its initial announcement. Inspired by real events, the film follows a smooth-talking criminal as he takes on one final job. The film premieres September 29 on Paramount+ with Showtime and airs on the linear Showtime network October 1 at 9 p.m. Et/Pt. Ahead of the film's debut, Collider is excited to share an exclusive clip.

"Heist 88", a new 'caper' movie, "inspired by the true story", is directed by Menhaj Huda, starring Courtney B. Vance, Keith David,  and Keesha, airing September 29, 2023 on Paramount+ and October 1, 2023 on Showtime:

"...a criminal mastermind recruits a group of young bank employees to steal 80 million dollars...

"... in one of the largest bank heist in US history..."

Click the images to enlarge...

Showtime has unveiled the official trailer for Courtney B. Vance’s upcoming crime drama Heist 88. The feature is inspired by one of the largest bank robberies in U.S. history and by the looks of it will keep the audience glued to their seats. Set in 1988, the trailer starts with Jeremy Horne (Vance) giving out instructions to his team which is ready to board a plane. The criminal mastermind is then seen enlisting people some bank employees to rob the First National Bank of Chicago, where they work. The stakes rise as we see why each member is willing to do as he says. The fast-paced trailer gives a taste of what fans can expect and Vance’s cold expressions as the famed criminal keeps you guessing about his intentions.

Exclusive: Keesha Sharp (Power Book II: Ghost) is set as a lead opposite Taye Diggs in BET+ true crime film series Love & Murder: Atlanta Playboy, from Mona Scott-Young of Monami Productions and Eric Tomosunas of Swirl Films. It is set to debut on BET+ later this year.

Courtney Miller will direct, based on Ron Stodghill’s book Redbone: Money, Malice and Murder in Atlanta. Gregory R. Anderson will pen the script.

Atlanta Playboy follows Lance (Diggs), a successful Atlanta businessman, renowned in equal measure for both revolutionizing the city’s 911 system, and his womanizing ways. When he is found murdered in his own home, questions and allegations abound as to who might have wanted him dead. An investigation into the murder is launched which reveals the truths and suspicions behind Lance’s professional and personal life. Was it a business rival, threatened by Lance’s bid for a big contract?...

A series of changes have taken place at Showtime. Variety has confirmed the network has canceled “Ziwe” after just two seasons and has picked up Mandy Patinkin’s “Seasoned” to series, delivering a six-episode order.

Hosted and executive produced by comedian Ziwe Fumudoh, the talk show focused on presenting trending hot topics concerning race, politics and other cultural issues as well as musical numbers, interviews, guest stars and comedic sketches. Guests on Season 2 included Drew Barrymore, Rowan Blanchard, Blake Griffin, Emily Ratajkowski and Mia Khalifa, among others. The series first debuted in 2021.

With the loss, that leaves Showtime without a current late night talk show following the cancellation of “Desus & Mero” (which Ziwe also served as a writer on before moving to her own show). The changes come as part of Showtime’s reevaluation of the programming slate after MTV Entertainment Group president and CEO Chris McCarthy stepped in...

Ziwe Fumudoh’s list of iconic guests has run short. The comedian’s Showtime talk show “Ziwe” has been canceled at the premium cable network after two seasons, IndieWire has confirmed.

In addition, the channel has given a six-episode season order to “Seasoned,” a new comedy show starring real-life married couple Mandy Patinkin and Kathryn Grody; co-created and co-written by their son Gideon Grody-Patinkin and Ewen Wright, the show is directly inspired by the pair’s real-life relationship. The channel also passed on the pilot for “The Wood,” a comedy series based on the 1999 film from Rick Famuyiwa. Finally, Showtime acquired “Heist 88,” a crime thriller film starring Courtney B. Vance, and will premiere it as an original after it was originally scheduled to premiere on Paramount+.

The news of “Ziwe’s” end comes four months after the series, which sees Fumudoh interview notable figures and celebrities via her signature disarmingly blunt style,...

The Chris McCarthy era at Showtime has claimed another victim.

The premium cable network, which was added to the Paramount Global exec’s purview last year, has canceled late night talk show Ziwe after two seasons. Additionally, Showtime has made decisions on two of its three comedy pilots, handing out a series order to Mandy Patinkin family comedy Seasoned while passing on The Wood. What’s more, the original movie Heist 88 starring Courtney B. Vance, has moved from Paramount+ to Showtime.

The changes come as McCarthy has identified three different programming groups for his vision of Showtime, which is being rebranded as Paramount+ With Showtime in a bid to better align the streamer and linear network: franchises, diverse cultures and antiheroes.

As part of McCarthy’s Showtime review, the exec who also oversees linear networks Paramount, MTV, Comedy Central and more has integrated the cabler’s exec team with...

Exclusive: Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance’s film Heist 88, which had been earmarked for Paramount+, will be moving to Showtime, Deadline has learned. Additionally, I hear the network has made decisions on two of its three comedy pilots, handing a six-episode series order to Seasoned, starring Mandy Patinkin and Kathryn Grody, and passing on The Wood, based on the 1999 feature film. Showtime also has opted not to renew Ziwe, hosted and executive produced by comedian Ziwe Fumudoh, for a third season.

Paramount Television Studios, which produces The Wood, will be shopping it elsewhere.

Original movies were a staple on Showtime in the 1980s, 90s and 2000s until the network shifted to original series. The network recently returned to the genre after a14-year break with Ray Donovan: The Movie. Heist 88, which stars Vance, falls into one of the three new programming lanes for Showtime recently outlined by Chris McCarthy,...

The 2023 American Black Film Festival (ABFF) Honors is set to recognize Kerry Washington, Courtney B. Vance, Charles D. King and Janelle Monáe with special honors during the annual award ceremony saluting excellence in the motion picture and television industry.

Washington, an Emmy winner and SAG and Golden Globe-nominated actor, director and producer, will be presented with the Excellence in the Arts Award (Female), while two-time Emmy winner Vance will accept the award for Excellence in the Arts (Male). MacRo founder and CEO King will be presented the Industry Leadership Award, while eight-time Grammy-nominated artist, producer and actor Monáe receives the Renaissance Award. Kasi Lemmons’ 1997 drama “Eve’s Bayou” will be honored with the Classic Cinema Award.

The fifth ABFF Honors will take place on Sunday, March 5, hosted by Emmy-nominated writer, actor and comedian Deon Cole. The intimate, non-televised dinner and award ceremony is executive produced by Nicole and Jeff Friday (under...

Paramount Television Studios has hired Kim Rozenfeld as senior vice president, current television, the company announced Thursday.

In his new role, Rozenfeld will oversee scripted projects for both the television studio and for Paramount+. He will report to Cheryl Bosnak, executive vice president and head of Current for Paramount Television Studios and Paramount+.

“I am delighted to welcome Kim to the Paramount Television Studios and the Paramount+ teams,” Bosnak said in a statement. “Kim brings with him an incredible wealth of experience, and he has a deep understanding of television in all its forms today. We are excited to have him across multiple projects.”

Also Read:

Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance Renew Overall Deal With Paramount, Including ‘Heist 88’

Prior to joining Paramount Television Studios, Rozenfeld was president of Half Full Studios, where he produced scripted and nonfiction series including Apple TV’s docuseries “Home.” Under his Half Full banner,...

It seems American Crime Story and 61st Street star Courtney B. Vance is about to be on the other side of the law. Deadline is reporting that Vance will star in and produce Heist 88, a heist film based on one of the largest heists in American history. The film will be the first made under the renewed overall deal between MTV Entertainment Studios and Bassett Vance Production, Vance’s production company with Angela Bassett.

Courtney B. Vance and Angela Bassett have renewed their overall deal with MTV Entertainment Studios through their production banner Bassett Vance Productions.

Along with the renewal news, Paramount also announced that the pair’s first feature film from their overall deal, “Heist 88,” is currently in production. The film tells the story of one of the largest bank heists ever to occur in the United States.

Here’s a description: Jeremy Horne (Vance), a criminal mastermind with an innate ability to convince anyone to do just about anything, decides to pull one last job before going to prison. He recruits four young bank employees to steal close to 80 million dollars in a daring and brazen assault on the US banking system. “Heist 88” takes place in a time before widespread computerization and the vast cybersecurity of today.

Also Read:

‘Batgirl’ Actress Ivory Aquino Begs David Zaslav to Reconsider Releasing the...

Exclusive: Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance have renewed the overall deal with MTV Entertainment Studios for their Bassett Vance Productions, and have set Heist 88, starring Vance, as the first feature under the new pact.

Directed by Menhaj Huda (Kidulthood),the film, which is currently shooting in Chicago, reunites two-time Emmy winner Vance with his The People vs Oj Simpson: American Crime Story co-star Keesha Sharp and Bentley Green, who recently starred alongside him in AMC’s 61st Street.

In addition to Vance, Sharp and Green, Keith David, Xavier Clyde, Nican Robinson and Precious Way also star in Heist 88, which is inspired by true events and tells the unbelievable story of one of the largest bank heists ever to occur in the United States.

In the film, written by Dwayne Johnson-Cochran, Vance portrays Jeremy Horne, a criminal mastermind with an innate ability to convince anyone to do just about anything,...