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Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake Storm Onto Hot 100, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Charts with "Love Never Felt So Good" (AUDIO)

By goodblacknews on May 12, 2014
Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake Storm Onto Hot 100, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Charts

It’s a royal return for the King of Pop to the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. Michael Jackson‘s “Love Never Felt So Good” with Justin Timberlake makes splashy debuts at No. 20 on the Hot 100 and No. 6 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The track (heard below) is the first single from Jackson’s posthumous album “Xscape,” due tomorrow (May 13).

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wnuTGGuAVs&w=560&h=315]

“Good” sold 80,000 downloads in the week ending May 4, according to Nielsen SoundScan, after only three full days on-sale. The song went on-sale in the evening of May 1, after it premiered on the iHeartRadio Music Awards the same night. It’s available as both a duet and as a solo track from Jackson, although sales of the Timberlake version drive 80 percent of its combined sales.
Powered by hourly play across a multitude of Clear Channel-owned radio stations on May 2, “Love” debuts at No. 38 on the Radio Songs chart. It bows with 34 million in audience for the week ending May 6, from 358 stations, according to Nielsen BDS. “Love” is Jackson’s biggest Radio Songs hit since “Butterflies” peaked at No. 14 in early 2002.
The debut for “Good” is handsome not just because of its sales and airplay figures, but also thanks to its streaming numbers. The tune collected 1.9 million U.S. streams in the week ending May 4, according to BDS. It arrives at No. 41 on Streaming Songs.
Bringing Michael Jackson Back: The Inside Story of ‘Xscape’ (Cover Story)
“Good” arrives as Jackson’s 49th Hot 100 hit (not counting his entries as part of the Jackson 5). He nets his highest Hot 100 rank since “Butterflies” reached No. 14 (Jan. 26, 2002). He also ties for his third-highest debut: “You Are Not Alone,” his 13th and last No. 1, launched at the summit (Sept. 2, 1995), almost three months after “Scream,” with Janet Jackson, started at its No. 5 peak. “Good” matches the bow of his classic “Thriller,” which began at No. 20 on Feb. 11, 1984 and rose to its No. 4 highpoint three weeks later.
“Good” becomes Jackson’s 33rd top 20 Hot 100 hit, tying him with Rihanna for the seventh-best sum in the chart’s 55-year history. (Jackson was born the same month as the Hot 100: August 29, 1958, or 25 days after the chart’s inception.) Elvis Presley leads with 48 top 20 hits, followed by Madonna (44), the Beatles (42), Elton John (40), Lil Wayne (39) and Stevie Wonder (36).
On Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, “Good” is likewise Jackson’s highest-charting entry since “Butterflies,” which reached No. 2 on the ranking. He lands his 33rd Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs top 10. (James Brown boasts the most top 10s all-time, 60, followed by Louis Jordan, with 54, and Aretha Franklin, with 52.)
Timberlake, meanwhile, tallies his 21st Hot 100 top 20 and 10th such hit on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.
article by Keith Caufield & Gary Trust via billboard.com

 

Tracee Ellis Ross/Anthony Anderson Sitcom “Black-ish” Gets Picked Up By ABC

By goodblacknews on May 12, 2014

Blackish
via Instagram

You may recall in February when we reported Tracee Ellis Ross had signed on for the cast of Anthony Anderson’s pilot for “Black-ish” on ABC. Well congratulations to the pair, since ABC recently announced they will be picking up the show for their 2014-15 TV roster.
As mentioned, the series will center around Anderson’s character, an “upper-middle-class Black man who struggles to raise his children with a sense of cultural identity despite constant contradictions from his liberal wife, old-school father and his own assimilated, color-blind kids.”
Ross recently shared the news with her 300,000+ Instagram followers:
“Yup we’re #Blackish …this is a dream and yet it’s reality! @kenyab_in_imax3d #KenyaBarris #LaurenceFishburne @AnthonyAnderson #LarryWilmore and MEEEEE …thank you ABC.”
The actress will play alongside Anderson as his liberal wife and also expressed:
“This is how I feel right now…#goodthingshappening.”
Laurence Fishburne is an executive producer of the show and make some re-occurring appearances as the old-school dad.  Anderson recently appeared in NBC’s short-lived comedy “Guys With Kids”. He’s also been tapped to host the NBC game show “Wall of Fame”. Tracee Ellis-Ross is arguably best known for her role as the ambitious Joan Clayton on the CW network’s “Girlfriends”. This will be ABC’s sixth comedy pilot this season and it’s second African-American themed drama pilot so far. We’re looking forward to some honest laughs.
article via madamenoire.com

The Kerry Washington Revolution: African-American Female Leads on TV

By goodblacknews on May 11, 2014

Spencer, who has had a recurring role on CBS’ “Mom” this season and was rumored at one point to star in a remake of “Murder, She Wrote,” gets her own show in “Red Band Society,” a Fox medical drama that involves many supporting teenage characters who live at the hospital where Spencer is a doctor.  Similarly, ABC recently ordered a new Shonda Rhimes series, “How to Get Away With Murder” starring Viola Davis as a law professor who gets wrapped up in a murder mystery with four students.

Taraji P. Henson, who was killed off CBS’ “Person of Interest” this season, dusted herself off and will report for duty on “Empire,” a new, soap-style series about the world of hip-hop music from Lee Daniels and Danny Strong, who collaborated on the smash film “The Butler.” Henson plays Cookie Lyon, the former business partner and ex-wife of Lucious Lyon (Terrence Howard), a music mogul trying to stay relevant.

Veteran actress Alfre Woodard has played everything from a freed slave in “12 Years a Slave” to a desperate housewife. She’s on the upswing, career-wise. Woodard is going to play the president to Katherine Heigl’s crusading CIA agent in the NBC drama “State of Affairs.”

Finally, Rashida Jones has been cast as “Angie Tribeca,” a TBS satire on police procedurals that was created by Jones’ “Office” co-star Steve Carell and his wife, Nancy.

article by Robert Rorke via nypost.com

"Daily Show’s" Larry Wilmore to Replace Stephen Colbert

By goodblacknews on May 10, 2014

larry wilmore
“The Daily Show with Jon Stewart’s” Larry Wilmore has been tapped to host “The Minority Report with Larry Wilmore,” a new Comedy Central show to air in the 11:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday timeslot currently occupied by soon-to-be “Late Show” host Stephen Colbert.
“The Minority Report” premieres in January and promises to “offer a comedic look at news, current events and pop culture from unique perspectives not typically on display in late night television.” It was created by Jon Stewart and will be produced by Stewart’s Busboy Prods., with Stewart and Wilmore serving as exec producers.
The selection of the African-American Wilmore breaks up the white-male homogeneity to most of latenight TV. The lack of diversity in the latenight talk-variety show arena has been in focus in recent months amid the generational shift of hosts at NBC (where Jimmy Fallon took over “The Tonight Show” from Jay Leno in February) and CBS (where Colbert is to succeed David Letterman next year).
“We are thrilled to be expanding our relationship with Jon Stewart and Busboy Productions, and are looking forward to the world getting to know Larry Wilmore even better. He’s a spectacular talent in front of and behind the camera,” said Michele Ganeless, Comedy Central prexy. “‘The Minority Report with Larry Wilmore’ follows in the Comedy Central tradition – bringing new perspectives to the day’s events and breaking ground in the world of late night television.”

Terry Crews Named New Host Of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire"

By goodblacknews on May 7, 2014

rewsActor former NFL player Terry Crews has sealed a deal to become the new host of the syndicated Who Wants To Be A Millionaire for the next 13th season, which launches in the fall. He succeeds Cedric the Entertainer, who hosted the show this season. Who Wants To Be A Millionaire is going through a number of changes, including a move to to Stamford, Connecticut where it is expected to benefit from a tax break.

Crews, who co-stars in Fox’s comedy series Brooklyn Nine-Nine, had been exploring doing a syndicated show and met with several studios, with Disney-ABC jumping in with the Millionaire offer. “Terry is engaging, endearing, smart, and quick on his feet — the perfect combination to lead one of the longest-running franchises in game show history,” said Janice Marinelli, president, Disney-ABC Domestic TV.

This marks the latest career expansion for Crews who started as an athlete before moving to entertainment. “In addition to my film projects including Blended, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and now being a first time author, hosting has always been a dream of mine, and I couldn’t have asked for a greater opportunity,” he said. Crews’ recent credits include a recurring stints on The Newsroom and Arrested Development and roles in Tyler Perry’s The Single Moms Club and Ivan Reitman’s Draft Day.

Next up is the comedy Blended with Adam Sandler and he’ll be reprising his role as “Hale Caesar” in the third installment of the Expendables franchise. Crews also penned his first book, memoir “Manhood,” which comes out May 20.

article by Nellie Andreeva via Deadline.com

Lee Daniels’ Hip-Hop Drama ‘Empire’ Gets Series Order at Fox

By goodblacknews on May 6, 2014
empire-lee-daniels-danny-strong
According to Variety.com, “Empire,” the drama project from Lee Daniels and Danny Strong set in the world of hip-hop, has been picked up as a new series at Fox.
The family drama from Imagine TV and 20th Century Fox TV stars Terrence Howard as industry heavyweight Lucious Lyon, a tough but wise patriarchal figure. The cast also includes Taraji P. Henson, Gabourey Sidibe, Trai Byers, Kaitlin Doubleday, Grace Gealey, Bryshere ‘Yazz the Greatest’ Gray, Jussie Smollett and Malik Yoba.
The project reteams “Lee Daniels’ The Butler”‘s Daniels and Strong, who co-wrote this pilot with Daniels directing. Grammy Award-winning Tim “Timbaland” Mosley wrote the music for the pilot — marking the first time Mosley has worked so closely on a drama pilot. Executive producers are Brian Grazer, Daniels, Strong and Francie Calfo.
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson

"Belle" Does Well in Limited Release; Expands to 10 More Cities Next Weekend

By goodblacknews on May 5, 2014

belleFox Searchlight had another solid debut this weekend with its initial limited opening of Belle in four New York and L.A. theaters.  British-set period drama Belle,directed by Amma Asante and staring Gugu Mbatha-Raw,  managed a regal bow, grossing over $104K, giving the film a $26,123 theater average. Searchlight said the feature outgrossed “Spider-Man 2” at the Landmark Theatres in West LA and was the second-highest grosser at the Arclight Theatre in Hollywood. In New York, it also had strong numbers at Lincoln Plaza and Sunshine theaters.

“We’re pretty happy with how it opened. It’s an interesting thing with a film that’s very sophisticated like this and you’re hoping to get the cinephile crowd out,” Searchlight’s EVP of Distribution Frank Rodriguez told me Sunday morning. “The secret of this film is to keep it in theaters and see if it can get some traction. We know we have a great art film and we know we’re going to do well with it. The real goal here is to see if it can go a little mainstream. To do that with Spider-Man and the like will be interesting. Perhaps it’s a bit of counter-programming, but if we had had a $15 – 25K [PTA this weekend] I would have been happy, so we’re at the high end of that. In this business anything can happen, but we’re going into the right theaters and targeting a sophisticated audience.”

Fox Searchlight will open Belle in ten more cities next weekend including Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Toronto, San Francisco and Boston as it lures the film’s natural art-house crowd while also tempting some cross-over. The company expects Belle to be in about 350 theaters by Memorial Day weekend and it will head into about 50 – 60 runs next weekend.

article by Brian Brooks via deadline.com

Gabourey Sidibe's Speech On Confidence Is Incredibly Moving

By goodblacknews on May 4, 2014
GABOUREY SIDIBE CONFIDENT
We’re just going to say it: Gabourey Sidibe is awesome.
She’s made to put up with a lot, but she doesn’t let the haters get her down. Not anymore.
Once again, the 30-year-old actress proved why she’s one of the strongest women in Hollywood with a powerful and moving speech about confidence at the Gloria Awards and Gala in New York City on May 1.
Sidibe opened by declaring that she loathes questions about the source of her confidence.
“I hate that,” Sidibe told the crowd. “I always wonder if that’s the first thing they ask Rihanna when they meet her. ‘RiRi! How are you so confident?’ Nope. No. No. But me? They ask me with that same incredulous disbelief every single time. ‘You seem so confident! How is that?'”
After telling a story about the cruelty of children and the importance of thinking highly of yourself, she circled back:

“Gabourey, how are you so confident?” It’s not easy. It’s hard to get dressed up for award shows and red carpets when I know I will be made fun of because of my weight. There’s always a big chance if I wear purple, I will be compared to Barney. If I wear white, a frozen turkey. And if I wear red, that picture of Kool-Aid that says, “Oh, yeah!” Twitter will blow up with nasty comments about how the recent earthquake was caused by me running to a hot dog cart or something. And “Diet or Die?” [She gives the finger to that] This is what I deal with every time I put on a dress. This is what I deal with every time someone takes a picture of me. Sometimes when I’m being interviewed by a fashion reporter, I can see it in her eyes, “How is she getting away with this? Why is she so confident? How does she deal with that body? Oh my God, I’m going to catch fat!”

The former “American Horror Story” star went on to say that every day she went to school, people made fun of her, and that she had to go home to a place where everyone made fun of her as well. But when she moved in with her aunt, Dorothy Pitman Hughes, whom she described as a “feminist, an activist, and a lifelong friend of Gloria Steinem,” a portrait of her aunt and Steinem together gave her hope and strength.
The actress closed out her speech returning again to the question of confidence — something she hopefully won’t have to address again.

“How are you so confident?” “I’m an asshole!” Okay? It’s my good time, and my good life, despite what you think of me. I live my life, because I dare. I dare to show up when everyone else might hide their faces and hide their bodies in shame. I show up because I’m an asshole, and I want to have a good time. And my mother and my father love me. They wanted the best life for me, and they didn’t know how to verbalize it. And I get it. I really do. They were better parents to me than they had themselves. I’m grateful to them, and to my fifth grade class, because if they hadn’t made me cry, I wouldn’t be able to cry on cue now. [Dabs tears] If I hadn’t been told I was garbage, I wouldn’t have learned how to show people I’m talented. And if everyone had always laughed at my jokes, I wouldn’t have figured out how to be so funny. If they hadn’t told me I was ugly, I never would have searched for my beauty. And if they hadn’t tried to break me down, I wouldn’t know that I’m unbreakable. [Dabs tears] So when you ask me how I’m so confident, I know what you’re really asking me: how could someone like me be confident? Go ask Rihanna, asshole!”

To read Sidibe’s entire speech, head over to Vulture.
article by Stephanie Marcus via huffingtonpost.com

Eddie Murphy’s Back For New ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ Film

By goodblacknews on May 4, 2014

Beverly Hills CopSeems that everything old is new again for Paramount Pictures. The studio has elected to resurrect one of its earliest and successful franchises along with its star attraction. Eddie Murphy is coming back to play Axel Foley in a new story to “Beverly Hills Cop.”

Brett Ratner will direct the film from a script by Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec. Set for a March 25, 2016 release, early reports says that the film will find Axel Foley “returning to his Detroit roots.”

With the exception of “Beverly Hills Cop III,” the first two installments took in $235M in 1984 and $153M in 1987 domestically at the box office. The last one, which came seven years later, did poorly with $42M. Overall, the franchise brought in over $700M worldwide for the studio.

AFI & Walt Disney Pictures' "A Cinematic Celebration Of Jerry Bruckheimer"Jerry Bruckheimer, who produced ‘Cop’ and ‘Cop II,’ is back to produce the new film.

There were plans to bring the franchise to the small screen with Brandon T. Jackson starring as Foley’s son and Murphy possible coming in on a recurring basis, but the pilot didn’t get picked up.

Murphy’s last film was 2011′s ‘Tower Heist,’ which Ratner directed. It took in over $75M domestically.

article by Wilson Morales via blackfilm.com

LeBron James High School Tale Being Acquired by Universal Pictures

By goodblacknews on May 2, 2014

LeBron James
After an aggressive bidding war that saw several studios vying for the film, sources say Universal Pictures is nearing a deal to acquiring the rights to an untitled pic revolving around NBA superstar LeBron James’ high school career.
“Wolf of Wall Street” scribe Terrence Winter and his wife, “Dallas Buyers Club” producer Rachel Winter, will produce along with James and his manager Maverick Carter. The picture is based on a pitch by Frank E. Flowers.
The story was covered in the 2008 documentary, “More Than a Game,” which followed James and his four high school teammates through their playing career together and the ups and downs that came with it while James’ fame grew to astronomical levels.
Besides being considered the best and probably most popular player in the NBA over the past decade, James’ brand and business has become one of the most desirable of any athlete since Michael Jordan, leading Hollywood players to try to get in business with the Miami Heat player.  Universal is a good fit since it is already in the James business — the studio and Imagine Entertainment are currently developing the basketball comedy “Ballers” which James is expected to star in alongside Kevin Hart.
James is also executive-producing the “Entourage”-like Starz comedy “Survivor’s Remorse” about a young basketball star who signs a multi-million dollar contract and moves to Georgia with his cousin.
article by Justin Kroll via Variety.com