Press "Enter" to skip to content

Posts tagged as “Tim Story”

Ice Cube to Play Scrooge in Christmas Movie ‘Humbug’

By goodblacknews on October 4, 2015
Ice Cube to Play Scrooge in

 

Universal Pictures has purchased the script “Humbug” from writers Todd R. Jones and Earl Richey Jones with Ice Cube attached to star and Tim Story to direct, sources confirm to Variety.
The script is a contemporary retelling of Charles Dickens’ classic story of a wealthy real estate mogul who is shown a path to redemption by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.  Cube will produce alongside Jeff Kwatinetz. Jones & Jones will co-produce.
The film marks another collaboration between Cube and Story that began with the box office hit “Barbershop,” which spawned two two sequels, the third recently wrapped production with Malcolm Lee at the helm. The two also worked on the “Ride Along” series for Universal with the sequel bowing this January with Story directing and Cube and Kevin Hart co-starring.
Cube just produced box-office smash “Straight Outta Compton” and is about to start filming the New Line Comedy “Fist Fight” with Charlie Day.
The Jones brothers’ past credits include “Rio” and “Johnson Family Vacation.”
article by Justin Kroll via Variety.com

HBO Greenlights "Brothers in Atlanta", Comedy Series from "Late Night" Writers Diallo Riddle & Bashir Salahuddin

By goodblacknews on April 30, 2015
Brothers in Atlanta Diallo Riddle Bashir
Director Tim Story (l); writer/producer/stars Diallo Riddle and Bashir Salahuddin (Photo: Variety.com)

According to Variety.com, HBO has picked up to series “Brothers in Atlanta,” a comedy from “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” writers Diallo Riddle, Bashir Salahuddin and “Late Night” Executive Producer Lorne Michaels.
The series follows struggling entertainers and best friends Langston and Moose (played by Riddle and Salahuddin), as they try to navigate relationships and life in the black mecca of Atlanta, GA.  Langston, an Atlanta native, is an aspiring DJ whose career has stalled due to his lack of focus and get-rich schemes, and Moose, who’s brand new to Atlanta, is a perennial backup singer with dreams of being in the spotlight.
“SNL” alumna Maya Rudolph and Jaden Smith (“Karate Kid”) are set to guest star in the series.  Rudolph will play Shirle, Moose’s demanding diva boss, and Smith will play Curtis, Langston’s rowdy teenage neighbor with unpredictable interests and a suspicious income.
The starring duo, Riddle and Salahuddin, will executive produce with Lorne Michaels and Andrew Singer for Broadway Video, plus the Story Co.’s Tim Story. Field Entertainment’s Jeff Field, Doug Griffin of the Story Co. and Anna Dokoza will also produce.
Story (“Think Like a Man,” “Ride Along,” “Fantastic Four”), who directed the pilot, will direct more episodes throughout the series.
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (follow @lakinhutcherson)

American Black Film Festival Moves from Miami to New York With "Think Like a Man" Sequel and Spike Lee Film

By goodblacknews on May 14, 2014

think-trailer-blog480
Romany Malco and Meagan Good in “Think Like a Man Too.” (Screen Gems)

The 18th edition of the American Black Film Festival will make its New York debut next month with films directed by Tim Story and Spike Lee bookending the June 19-22 event, organizers announced last week.
The festival, which promotes work by and about people of African descent, is presented by Film Life, a New York City-based entertainment company. The Miami area was home to the festival for most of its existence. Now, Jeff Friday, the festival’s founder and Film Life chief executive, said in a phone interview that he hoped the move will be a permanent one, with the goal of reaching a larger, more diverse audience.
“Last year proved if nothing else, that black films can be more mainstream,” Mr. Friday said. “We want to encourage audiences to consume, ingest and enjoy black cinema as much as multicultural audiences enjoy other forms of black culture.”

Jamie Foxx, Kevin Hart and Tim Story Team Up for "Black Phantom"

By goodblacknews on March 11, 2014
Jamie Foxx, Kevin Hart and Tim
Shareif Ziyadat/FilmMagic
Jamie Foxx and Kevin Hart are in talks to star in Screen Gems’ Black Phantom, with Ride Along helmer Tim Story in discussions to direct.  If a deal makes, the film would re-team Hart and Story with their Ride Along producer Will Packer, who is producing the pic along with Will Gluck. Packer has long wanted to do the film and, after the success of Ride Along and Foxx’s interest to work with Hart, the project seemed like the perfect match for all four men.
Story follows a double-crossed mob hitman who enlists the help of the Black Phantom, the same African-American hitman who had been sent to kill him.  Dave Lease and Megan Hinds wrote the original screenplay. Screen Gems president Clint Culpepper will oversee the project for the studio.
Foxx has been a favorite of Sony’s for some time, with The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and the Annie reboot bowing this year. Given Hart’s recent box office winning streak, the pairing could be a huge win for Screen Gems.  Hart currently can be seen in Screen Gems’ About Last Night.
article by Justin Kroll via Deadline.com

Kevin Hart and Ice Cube’s "Ride Along" Cruising for a Sequel

By goodblacknews on February 19, 2014

Ride Along Movie

According to Variety.com, Universal Studios has started pre-production on a sequel to its hit buddy comedy Ride Along, with Ice Cube and Kevin Hart on board to reprise their starring roles.  Ride Along has topped $117 million in U.S. box office after five weekends, starting its run with three consecutive first-place finishes. The film was budgeted at a cost-effective $25 million.
Will Packer, Ice Cube, Matt Alvarez and Larry Brezner will again produce. Tim Story is attached to direct again from a script by Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi. Universal signed the writers to script the sequel last year.  The decision to greenlight Ride Along 2 comes on the heels of the healthy opening of another Hart comedy, Sony’s About Last Night, which took in $27.8 million over the four-day weekend.
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson

"Ride Along" Tops Box Office for 2nd Week in a Row with $21.2M Take

By goodblacknews on January 26, 2014

Kevin Hart and Ice Cube
According to Variety.com, while Lionsgate’s I, Frankenstein failed to spark audience interest, delivering only an estimated $8.3 million in three days, the domestic box office still saw signs of life, thanks to solid holds from such films as the Kevin Hart/Ice Cube comedy Ride Along and the Mark Wahlberg-starrer Lone Survivor, which led with $21.2 million and $12.6 million, respectively.
In its second outing, Ride Along fell just 49%, lifting its Stateside totals to a sizable $75.4 million; while Lone Survivor, which dropped just 43% in its fifth frame, reached $93.6 million domestically.
The full list of this weekend’s Top 10 follows below:
Film (Weeks in release): 3-day gross*; Locations; Per-theater average; Cume*; Percentage change

  1. Ride Along (2): $21.2; 2,759; $7,670; $75.4; -49%
  2. Lone Survivor (5): $12.6; 3,162; $3,985; $93.6; -43%
  3. The Nut Job (2): $12.3; 3,472; $3,547; $40.3; -37%
  4. Frozen (10): $9.0; 2,757; $3,277; $347.8; -23%
  5. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2): $8.8; 3,387; $2,598; $30.2; -43%
  6. I, Frankenstein (1): $8.3; 2,753; $3,006; $8.3; –
  7. American Hustle (7): $7.1; 2,304; $3,082; $127.0; -28%
  8. August: Osage County (5): $5.0; 2,411; $2,091; $26.5; -32%
  9. The Wolf of Wall Street (5): $5.0; 1,804; $2,772; $98.0; -29%
  10. Devil’s Due (2): $2.8; 2,544; $1,081; $12.9; -67%

article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson

2013: A Breakout Year for Black Films

By goodblacknews on June 4, 2013
“FRUITVALE STATION” Ariana Neal and Michael B. Jordan star in a film based on the 2009 killing of a young man in Oakland, Calif. (Cait Adkins/Weinstein Company)

LOS ANGELES — Musical. Romance. Epic history. Social drama. Christmas comedy. After years of complaint and self-criticism about the shortage of prominent movies by and about black Americans, film companies are poised to release an extraordinary cluster of them across an array of genres in the last five months of 2013.

At least 10 new films will be released, including several awards contenders, from both independent and major distributors, like the Weinstein Company, Fox Searchlight and Universal Pictures. Even some of those who made this year’s movies have been caught by surprise.

“You tell me!” said the director and screenwriter Lee Daniels, when asked how so many black-driven films had materialized at once. His historical drama “The Butler” — based on a real-life White House butler who served eight presidents — is to be released by Weinstein on Aug. 16. “I’m working in my own bubble, I come up for air, and there they are,” Mr. Daniels said.

Black filmmakers say the wave of 2013 releases was built in large part on the creativity that has flourished on the independent-film circuit, which has become a laboratory of sorts for more prominent African-American-themed productions. Writers and directors have been sharpening their skills on indie films the last several years while waiting for big distributors to regain interest.

Sequel Already Planned for Ice Cube/Kevin Hart Film ‘Ride Along’

By goodblacknews on April 24, 2013

 

Ice-Cube-Kevin-Hart-Ride-Along-Set
A sequel is already in the works for the upcoming Ice Cube/Kevin Hart comedy “Ride Along,” which isn’t due in theaters until January.
As previously reported, the Tim Story-directed Universal project stars Cube as a tough cop who takes his sister’s future security guard husband (Kevin Hart) on a 24-hour ride-along which the cop hopes will scare the guy out of marrying his sister.
Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi, who were among several scribes who worked on the original, are in preliminary discussions about scripting a sequel that could be put into production months after the first film opens, according to Deadline.com.
Of course, if the film bombs at the box office, it could stop the sequel in its tracks, but according to Deadline, Universal sees it as a high concept comedy made with solid elements at a price, ingredients ripe for sequels.
article via eurweb.com