Tracy Morgan’s plan to star in an FX comedy series is back on track now that writer-actor Jordan Peele and John Carcieri have signed on to write a pilot for the former “30 Rock” star.
Morgan’s life was up-ended 18 months ago by a car crash that came two months after he signed a straight-to-series pact with FX Networks.
The new project will see Morgan playing a career criminal who struggles to reintegrate into society after serving a 15-year prison sentence.
Peele and Carcieri will write the pilot and executive produce with Eric Tannenbaum and Joel Zadak, an alum of Peele’s Comedy Central sketch series “Key and Peele.”
“What an unbeatable combination – Tracy Morgan and Jordan Peele – two exceptional comics joining forces with a great team of writers and producers to create and produce this pilot for FX Networks,” said Nick Grad, president of original programming for FX Networks and FX Prods. “We’ve been committed to Tracy from the start and are thrilled that Jordan, John, Eric and Joel are joining him in developing this new project.”
Morgan’s deal with the cable network in 2014 called for him to work with the “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” gang — Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, and Rob McElhenney — on an unspecified concept for a comedy to air on FXX. It’s unclear whether the new pilot will be bound for FXX or the mothership FX.
Morgan suffered brain injuries and broken bones after his SUV was rear-ended on the New Jersey turnpike in June 2014. The crash killed another passenger in the car, Morgan’s longtime friend and fellow comedian James McNair.
The severity of his injuries forced the former “30 Rock” star to endure a long recuperation period. He began a slow return to the public eye last summer with emotional appearances on the Primetime Emmy Awards telecast and a hosting gig on “Saturday Night Live,” his alma mater.
Morgan at present is headlining a national comedy tour dubbed “Picking Up the Pieces” that is set to run through May. He also just wrapped work on the Weinstein Co.’s biopic “Richard Pryor: Is It Something I Said?,” in which he plays comedian Redd Foxx opposite Mike Epps in the title role.
Peele is coming off a five-season run on the much-praised sketch comedy “Key and Peele.” He was in the ensemble of the 2014 edition of FX’s “Fargo,” and he’s recently had recurring roles on CBS’ “Life in Pieces,” and Netflix’s “Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp,” among other projects.
article by Cynthia Littleton via Variety.com
Posts published in “Entertainment”
Jussie Smollett will host the eighth season of the public television show AfroPoP: The Ultimate Exchange. The star of the hit FOX TV show Empire will emcee the popular show about contemporary art, life and culture across the African Diaspora as it premieres on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Monday, January 18, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on WORLD Channel.
New episodes premiere weekly through February 15. AfroPoP is produced by National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC) and co-presented by American Public Television (APT), which distributes the series to the full public television system in February 2016.
Smollett will also be seen in the new WGN thriller Underground in 2016. The acclaimed entertainer is also involved in numerous humanitarian pursuits, sitting on the boards of the Black AIDS Institute, Artists for a New South Africa and the RuJohn Foundation.
Previous hosts of AfroPoP include Idris Elba, Anika Noni Rose, Wyatt Cenac, Gabourey Sidibe, Anthony Mackie and Yaya DaCosta.
“AfroPoP’s engaging, real-life tales add to the collection of rich Black stories that audiences are clamoring for and I wanted to be a part of bringing them to national attention,” said Smollett.
Kendrick Lamar never forgets where he came from and is always giving props to Compton, California. Whether it’s through his community-service endeavors or always recognizing Compton in his songs, Lamar will remind you he’s Compton-proud every chance he gets. And now the city is showing how proud it is of him.
Compton Mayor Aja Brown announced on Twitter that Lamar will be given the key to the city. Brown expressed how the rapper inspires everyone in Compton and shared positive sentiments about him:
.@kendricklamar you inspire millions + rep #Compton w/ honor! Excited to give you the #keytothecity Feb13th! #VisionForCompton #ComptonUp
— Aja Brown (@AjaLBrown) January 14, 2016
.@kendricklamar you inspire millions + rep #Compton w/ honor! Excited to give you the #keytothecity Feb13th! #VisionForCompton #ComptonUp
— Aja Brown (@AjaLBrown) January 14, 2016
@AjaLBrown I appreciate that. HUBLUV.
— Kendrick Lamar (@kendricklamar) January 14, 2016
@kendricklamar ☺️🙌✌️
— Aja Brown (@AjaLBrown) January 14, 2016
Lamar will receive the key to the city just two days before the Grammys, where he garnered 11 nominations for “To Pimp A Butterfly.”
article by Yesha Callahan via theroot.com
article by Yesha Callahan via theroot.com
Empire fans, rejoice! The hit Fox series has been renewed for a third season. Currently, countless fans are going through withdrawal because of the winter hiatus, so hopefully this news will put smiles on their faces.
Although the ratings of the second season declined, it seems as though the Fox network still has faith in the show. Of course, the renewal news comes on the heels of Taraji P. Henson’s win at the Golden Globes for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series—Drama.
Empire continues its second season on Wednesday, March 30, on Fox.
article by Yesha Callahan via theroot.com
article by Yesha Callahan via theroot.com
It’s been almost two years since HBO’s True Blood aired its series finale, but Rutina Wesley is still a familiar face to many people, and now Wesley has been tapped to star in Ava DuVernay’s upcoming OWN series, Queen Sugar.
Adapted from the novel written by Natalie Baszile, Queen Sugar tells the story of Nova Bordelon (Wesley), a journalist-activist based in New Orleans, whose life is turned upside down when her sister returns to Louisiana from Los Angeles to help run the family’s sugarcane farm. DuVernay is writing and directing the series, and Oprah Winfrey will also make a few guest appearances.
Earlier this year, Winfrey and DuVernay discussed how the series came to be.
“I loved this book and immediately saw it as a series for OWN,” said Winfrey. “The story’s themes of reinventing your life, parenting alone, family connections and conflicts, and building new relationships are what I believe will connect our viewers to this show.”
“From the moment I was introduced to the book, I was captivated by the idea of a modern woman wrestling with identity, family, culture and the echoes of history,” DuVernay added. “To bring this kind of storytelling to life alongside Oprah for her network is wildly wonderful. I’m excited about what’s in store.”
article by Yesha Callahan via theroot.com
Run-D.M.C. are among the artists who will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the GRAMMYs this year. The iconic rap group will be honored at a ceremony and concert to be held this spring. In addition to naming the Queens rappers, the Recording Academy also announced it will honor Ruth Brown, Celia Cruz, Earth, Wind & Fire, Earth, Wind & Fire, Jefferson Airplane and Linda Ronstadt with the award.
The trio – comprising Rev Run (given name Joseph Simmons), Darryl McDaniels (D.M.C.) and Jason Mizell, who performed as Jam Master Jay – blended their defining style of rap with hard rock elements and jazz touches, which gained them popularity both on the pop and R&B charts and paved the way for many rap groups to follow.
In 2002, following the group’s tour with Aerosmith and a year after the release of Crown Royal, Jam Master Jay was murdered during a studio session in Queens. In the wake of the tragedy, Run and DMC officially disbanded the group. The surviving members have since performed together, including for their reunion in 2012 at Fun Fun Fun Fest.
Though Run-D.M.C. have never previously won a GRAMMY, they were the first rap collective to be nominated for Best R&B Vocal Performance in 1986 before the rap category had been formed, according to FADER.
The 58th Annual GRAMMY Awards will air on CBS on February 15th at 8 p.m. ET.
article by Althea Legaspi via rollingstone.com
Sidney Poitier will be honored by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) with the Fellowship at the EE British Academy Film Awards on Sunday, February 14. Awarded annually, the Fellowship is the highest accolade bestowed by BAFTA upon an individual in recognition of an outstanding and exceptional contribution to film, television or games.
Fellows previously honored for their work in film include Charlie Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock, Steven Spielberg, Sean Connery, Elizabeth Taylor, Stanley Kubrick, Anthony Hopkins, Laurence Olivier, Judi Dench, Vanessa Redgrave, Christopher Lee, Martin Scorsese, Alan Parker and Helen Mirren. Mike Leigh received the Fellowship at last year’s Film Awards.
Sidney Poitier said: “I am extremely honored to have been chosen to receive the Fellowship and my deep appreciation to the British Academy for the recognition.”
Amanda Berry OBE, chief executive of BAFTA, said: “I’m absolutely thrilled that Sidney Poitier is to become a Fellow of BAFTA. Sidney is a luminary of film whose outstanding talent in front of the camera, and important work in other fields, has made him one of the most important figures of his generation. His determination to pursue his dreams is an inspirational story for young people starting out in the industry today. By recognizing Sidney with the Fellowship at the Film Awards on Sunday, February 14, BAFTA will be honoring one of cinema’s true greats.”
Sidney Poitier’s award-winning career features six BAFTA nominations, including one BAFTA win, and a British Academy Britannia Award for Lifetime Contribution to International Film.
Poitier began his acting career on Broadway in the 1940s before moving to film in 1950, receiving his first credit as Dr. Luther Brooks in No Way Out. He was the first African American to play a wide range of leading roles; he was BAFTA-nominated for his performances in Edge of the City, A Raisin in the Sun, Lilies of the Field (for which he was the first African American to win the Oscar for Best Actor in 1964), A Patch of Blue, In the Heat of the Night and The Defiant Ones, for which he won a BAFTA and Oscar in 1959. His other acting credits include Blackboard Jungle, To Sir With Love, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, Sneakers, The Jackal and Porgy and Bess.
Poitier was awarded an Honorary Oscar in 2002 “for his extraordinary performances and unique presence on the screen and for representing the industry with dignity, style and intelligence.” Poitier has also been nominated for seven Golden Globes, winning once, and was presented with the Cecil B DeMille Award in 1982.
Alongside his illustrious acting career, Poitier has directed nine feature films, including the Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder comedy Stir Crazy, as well as Buck and the Preacher, Uptown Saturday Night and Fast Forward.
In television, Poitier’s acting credits include Separate but Equal, Children of the Dust and, portaying Nelson Mandela, Mandela and de Klerk.
As well as pushing the boundaries of his craft on screen, Poitier played an active role in the American civil rights campaign and served as ambassador of the Bahamas to Japan and UNESCO from 1997 to 2007. In 1974, Queen Elizabeth II conferred a knighthood on Poitier, and in 2009 he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award of the USA, by President Obama.
The EE British Academy Film Awards take place on Sunday, February 14, at the Royal Opera House in London’s Covent Garden. Stephen Fry will be returning to host this year’s ceremony, which will be broadcast exclusively on BBC One in the UK and in all major territories around the world. On the night, www.bafta.org will feature red carpet highlights, photography and winners interviews, as well as dedicated coverage on its social networks including Facebook (/BAFTA), Twitter (@BAFTA / #EEBAFTAs), Tumblr and Instagram.
article via ebony.com
Viola Davis and Taraji P. Henson are in Elle Magazine’s “Women in TV” issue, and they aren’t pulling any punches when it comes to talking about how media has warped our images of women, especially women of color.
Davis said that television and media has warped our perception of female sexuality, saying that TV “lies about women.”
“If you are anywhere above a size 2, you’re not having sex,” Davis said. “You don’t have sexual thoughts. You may not even have a vagina. And if you’re of a certain age, you’re off the table.”
Henson said that it is hard for black characters to be taken seriously, and that perception is something she has had to fight when she plays the character of Cookie Lyon on Empire.
“It was very important to me that she not be sassy and neck-rollin’ and eye-bulgin’ and attitude all the time,” said Henson. “Everything she does is coming from a place of fighting for her family. That’s why she’s not a caricature.”
article via thegrio.com
Jamie Foxx is set to play Little John in “Robin Hood: Origins,” Lionsgate’s update of the story about the archer-thief who stole from the rich and gave to the poor, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Taron Egerton will play Robin Hood and Eve Hewson will suit up as Maid Marian.
Little John was Robin’s right-hand man and known to fight with a staff.
Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way is producing the project, which will be directed by Otto Bathurst.
Foxx is coming off of “Sleepless Night,” the remake of the 2011 thriller “Nuit Blanche” and is in prep to appear in Edgar Wright’s thriller “Baby Driver” with Ansel Elgort and Lily James.
article via blackamericaweb.com
Denzel Washington was honored with the Golden Globe lifetime achievement award, the Cecil B. DeMille, on Sunday evening, with his “Philadelphia” co-star Tom Hanks introduced him as an actor with the “mysterious power not just to hold our attention, but demand it.”
Hanks recited a list of legendary actors — Marlon Brando, Robert De Niro and the like — that command the most respect in the industry. “The list is finite,” Hanks said. “The club is exclusive. But it includes the actor who is being given the Cecil B. DeMille Award tonight,” said Hanks.
Washington brought his family onstage for a speech that appeared to be cut short by a failure to bring his glasses with him. His wife reminded him twice that he needed them — and the second time, he agreed.
Washington has won Oscars for roles in “Glory” and “Training Day,” Golden Globes for “Glory” and “The Hurricane”, and has a long list of credits including “Malcolm X,” ”Flight,” ”The Manchurian Candidate” and “Remember the Titans.”
In his speech, he thanked his mother for convincing his father that the family needed light bulbs more powerful than 25 watts. “God bless you all,” he said.
Another big winner last night was “Empire’s” Taraji P. Henson, who was awarded the Golden Globe for best lead actress in a television drama. Henson, in honor of her breakout character, handed out cookies as she walked to the stage to accept her award. To see a full list of last night’s winners, click here. To watch Taraji and Denzel’s acceptance speeches, click below:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCbMRz_ZKPo&w=560&h=315]
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEJY7dmleE0&w=560&h=315]
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (follow @lakinhutcherson)