What really happened during the 48 hours leading up to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy — at least according to mob bosses — is heading to the big screen in the upcoming film “November 1963: The Killing of a President.”
The mob’s version of events were passed down to Chicago mob boss Sam Giancana’s nephew, Nicholas Celozzi, by Sam’s brother, the late Joseph “Pepe” Giancana, who drove around with his brother Sam during those two days.
“The reason why there’s this fascination or anxiety is because people know that what they’ve heard so far doesn’t make sense,” Celozzi tells Variety of the ongoing interest in the circumstances surrounding JFK’s assassination, even 60 years later. “They keep talking about it because they’re waiting to hear something that makes more common sense.”
Celozzi, whose film producing and writing credits include “The Legitimate Wiseguy,” “The Class” and...
The mob’s version of events were passed down to Chicago mob boss Sam Giancana’s nephew, Nicholas Celozzi, by Sam’s brother, the late Joseph “Pepe” Giancana, who drove around with his brother Sam during those two days.
“The reason why there’s this fascination or anxiety is because people know that what they’ve heard so far doesn’t make sense,” Celozzi tells Variety of the ongoing interest in the circumstances surrounding JFK’s assassination, even 60 years later. “They keep talking about it because they’re waiting to hear something that makes more common sense.”
Celozzi, whose film producing and writing credits include “The Legitimate Wiseguy,” “The Class” and...
- 5/8/2024
- by Katcy Stephan
- Variety Film + TV
The Producers Guild of America (PGA) has set the producers and producing teams invited to join the PGA Create lab for emerging and mid-career creative producers.
“As Chairs of the One Guild initiative committed to supporting inclusive membership, employment, content, and authentic depictions, we are thrilled for this year’s PGA Create and the program’s continued evolution and growth over the years,” said Producers Guild members Tonya Lewis Lee, Lori McCreary, and Shelby Stone. “Uplifting the next generation of producers by providing them the tools, resources, and connections they need for this profession is life-changing. We are proud of PGA Create for its intentional work to ensure the next generation of producers includes diverse creators with unique perspectives.”
PGA Create, which runs from Monday, June 3 through June 6, offers fellows the opportunity to hone their pitches, attend master classes led by experienced producers, and expand their network of fellow producers.
“As Chairs of the One Guild initiative committed to supporting inclusive membership, employment, content, and authentic depictions, we are thrilled for this year’s PGA Create and the program’s continued evolution and growth over the years,” said Producers Guild members Tonya Lewis Lee, Lori McCreary, and Shelby Stone. “Uplifting the next generation of producers by providing them the tools, resources, and connections they need for this profession is life-changing. We are proud of PGA Create for its intentional work to ensure the next generation of producers includes diverse creators with unique perspectives.”
PGA Create, which runs from Monday, June 3 through June 6, offers fellows the opportunity to hone their pitches, attend master classes led by experienced producers, and expand their network of fellow producers.
- 5/8/2024
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
Morgan Freeman, Olivier Marchal and Simone Ashley will be lauded at the Monte-Carlo TV Festival in June. Prince Albert II of Monaco will present Freeman with Festival’s Crystal Nymph award.
It had already been announced that civil war drama The Gray House, which Freeman exec produced with Kevin Costner, Leslie Greif and Lori McCreary, will have its world premiere at Monte-Carlo.
The Honorary Golden Nymph, the Festival’s highest distinction, will be presented to the French actor and director Olivier Marchal (36 quai des Orfèvres, Braquo), at the Festival’s closing ceremony. Simone Ashley, whose credits include Bridgerton and Sex Education, will receive the Golden Nymph for Most Promising Talent.
Events for fans and public include an Anniversary Tea Party to mark the 50th anniversary of the primetime drama Little House on the Prairie. Michael Weatherly, Cote de Pablo, Brian Dietzen and Wilmer Valderrama will be in town for a...
It had already been announced that civil war drama The Gray House, which Freeman exec produced with Kevin Costner, Leslie Greif and Lori McCreary, will have its world premiere at Monte-Carlo.
The Honorary Golden Nymph, the Festival’s highest distinction, will be presented to the French actor and director Olivier Marchal (36 quai des Orfèvres, Braquo), at the Festival’s closing ceremony. Simone Ashley, whose credits include Bridgerton and Sex Education, will receive the Golden Nymph for Most Promising Talent.
Events for fans and public include an Anniversary Tea Party to mark the 50th anniversary of the primetime drama Little House on the Prairie. Michael Weatherly, Cote de Pablo, Brian Dietzen and Wilmer Valderrama will be in town for a...
- 5/6/2024
- by Stewart Clarke
- Deadline Film + TV
Morgan Freeman will receive the Crystal Nymph Award at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival, which runs June 14-18 in Monaco.
Freeman will receive the award at the opening ceremony from Prince Albert II of Monaco, in recognition of his television career.
The festival will open with the world premiere of “The Gray House,” in the presence of executive producers Freeman, Leslie Greif and Lori McCreary, as well as actors Mary-Louise Parker, Daisy Head, Amethyst Davis and Ben Vereen.
The Honorary Golden Nymph will be awarded to the French actor and director Olivier Marchal, for his contribution to the entertainment industry, at the closing ceremony.
Simone Ashley, best known for playing Kate Sharma in the second season of “Bridgerton,” will receive the International Golden Nymph for Most Promising Talent.
This year’s Fiction category includes three world premieres: “Madam”, “Alone at Sea” and “Night Therapy”.
The festival will also screen the international...
Freeman will receive the award at the opening ceremony from Prince Albert II of Monaco, in recognition of his television career.
The festival will open with the world premiere of “The Gray House,” in the presence of executive producers Freeman, Leslie Greif and Lori McCreary, as well as actors Mary-Louise Parker, Daisy Head, Amethyst Davis and Ben Vereen.
The Honorary Golden Nymph will be awarded to the French actor and director Olivier Marchal, for his contribution to the entertainment industry, at the closing ceremony.
Simone Ashley, best known for playing Kate Sharma in the second season of “Bridgerton,” will receive the International Golden Nymph for Most Promising Talent.
This year’s Fiction category includes three world premieres: “Madam”, “Alone at Sea” and “Night Therapy”.
The festival will also screen the international...
- 5/6/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
“The Gray House,” the Kevin Costner-produced limited series about a female spy ring during the Civil War, will open Monaco’s 63rd annual Monte-Carlo Television Festival in June.
The six-episode limited series tells the hidden-history tale of four Southern women — a Virginia socialite and her mother, a formerly enslaved Black woman and a high-end prostitute — who served as key espionage agents for the Union. The foursome are credited as unsung heroes who helped end the nation’s brutal cleavage in 1865. Mary-Louise Parker, Amethyst Davis, Daisy Head and Ben Vereen lead the ensemble cast.
Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary produce through their Revelations Entertainment banner alongside Costner’s Territory Pictures and Big Dreams Entertainment from Republic Pictures. Paramount Global Content Distribution is handling distribution of the series but it’s not yet clear where “Gray House” will land in the U.S.
“As a storyteller, I’ve always looked to history.
The six-episode limited series tells the hidden-history tale of four Southern women — a Virginia socialite and her mother, a formerly enslaved Black woman and a high-end prostitute — who served as key espionage agents for the Union. The foursome are credited as unsung heroes who helped end the nation’s brutal cleavage in 1865. Mary-Louise Parker, Amethyst Davis, Daisy Head and Ben Vereen lead the ensemble cast.
Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary produce through their Revelations Entertainment banner alongside Costner’s Territory Pictures and Big Dreams Entertainment from Republic Pictures. Paramount Global Content Distribution is handling distribution of the series but it’s not yet clear where “Gray House” will land in the U.S.
“As a storyteller, I’ve always looked to history.
- 4/18/2024
- by William Earl
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Lori McCreary and Morgan Freeman’s Revelations Entertainment is partnering with the podcast Ear Hustle — part of the Radiotopia podcast network from Prx — on a docuseries adaptation.
Co-hosted by Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods, Ear Hustle launched in 2017 as the first podcast created and produced in prison. A two-time Peabody Awards finalist, National Magazine Awards finalist, and Pulitzer Prize finalist downloaded more than 78 million times, the show is made by a team both inside and out of San Quentin State Prison in California, traversing stories such as finding romance, grappling with a life sentence, trying to parent via 15-minute phone calls, getting out and starting over, and beyond.
With the series to be directed by Erika Cohn, the two-time Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker behind New York Times Critics Pick Belly of the Beast, Revelations aims to capture authentic, raw and surprising stories of prison life by delving even...
Co-hosted by Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods, Ear Hustle launched in 2017 as the first podcast created and produced in prison. A two-time Peabody Awards finalist, National Magazine Awards finalist, and Pulitzer Prize finalist downloaded more than 78 million times, the show is made by a team both inside and out of San Quentin State Prison in California, traversing stories such as finding romance, grappling with a life sentence, trying to parent via 15-minute phone calls, getting out and starting over, and beyond.
With the series to be directed by Erika Cohn, the two-time Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker behind New York Times Critics Pick Belly of the Beast, Revelations aims to capture authentic, raw and surprising stories of prison life by delving even...
- 3/21/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The documentary 761st Tank Battalion: The Original Black Panthers, featuring Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman, is set to stream on Hulu + Live TV on February 22nd.
Produced by Freeman and Lori McCreary’s Revelations Entertainment, in association with GroupM Motion Entertainment, the documentary tells the true story of the 761st Tank Battalion, the first Black tank unit to serve in combat during WWII, and the major battles they faced both overseas while in combat and back home in the United States.
Better known as the first Black Panthers, this was the only Black tank unit to see combat in World War II. Formed in the spring of 1942, the 761st played a significant role in military operations during the war against Nazi Germany. However, while the majority Black battalion was fighting one battle overseas, they were simultaneously fighting another in their home country – against racism, segregation, and inequality. Despite facing unprecedented adversity,...
Produced by Freeman and Lori McCreary’s Revelations Entertainment, in association with GroupM Motion Entertainment, the documentary tells the true story of the 761st Tank Battalion, the first Black tank unit to serve in combat during WWII, and the major battles they faced both overseas while in combat and back home in the United States.
Better known as the first Black Panthers, this was the only Black tank unit to see combat in World War II. Formed in the spring of 1942, the 761st played a significant role in military operations during the war against Nazi Germany. However, while the majority Black battalion was fighting one battle overseas, they were simultaneously fighting another in their home country – against racism, segregation, and inequality. Despite facing unprecedented adversity,...
- 2/23/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Following the continued success of the PGA Create program, the Producers Guild of America announced the six documentary producers and producing teams invited to take part in the PGA Create lab for emerging and mid-career producers. Now entering its third year, the program’s focus is on supporting producers from underrepresented backgrounds. PGA Create is sponsored by Google, the lead underwriter of the program.
PGA Create’s documentary cycle will be held December 4-7. The program is an immersive lab for documentary producers and producing teams actively developing, financing and packaging nonfiction projects. Participants will have opportunities to hone their project pitches, attend master classes with
experienced producers and build their network of fellow producers.
PGA Create is designed to provide touch points over the span of one year, including an invitation for participants of its Scripted and Documentary cycles to re-convene during the PGA Create Forum, a day-long...
PGA Create’s documentary cycle will be held December 4-7. The program is an immersive lab for documentary producers and producing teams actively developing, financing and packaging nonfiction projects. Participants will have opportunities to hone their project pitches, attend master classes with
experienced producers and build their network of fellow producers.
PGA Create is designed to provide touch points over the span of one year, including an invitation for participants of its Scripted and Documentary cycles to re-convene during the PGA Create Forum, a day-long...
- 11/28/2023
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
The Gray House, a Civil War spy drama series that is being produced by Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman, is the latest high-profile project to land an interim agreement from SAG-AFTRA.
The project managed to secure an interim agreement – by which the producers agree to the terms of the guild’s last counter-offer to the AMPTP – despite having international distribution through Paramount Global.
The actors guild has now handed out over 60 interim agreements to movies and series since the walkout earlier this month. Apple TV+’s Tehran became the most high-profile series to land one, after films such as The Watchers, which has involvement from Warner Bros. Discovery’s New Line, were also added to the list as well as Glenn Close’s The Summer Book and A24 films Mother Mary and I Dream Of Unicorns.
Paramount Global Content Distribution, which is run by Dan Cohen, is set to distribute six-part series The Gray House,...
The project managed to secure an interim agreement – by which the producers agree to the terms of the guild’s last counter-offer to the AMPTP – despite having international distribution through Paramount Global.
The actors guild has now handed out over 60 interim agreements to movies and series since the walkout earlier this month. Apple TV+’s Tehran became the most high-profile series to land one, after films such as The Watchers, which has involvement from Warner Bros. Discovery’s New Line, were also added to the list as well as Glenn Close’s The Summer Book and A24 films Mother Mary and I Dream Of Unicorns.
Paramount Global Content Distribution, which is run by Dan Cohen, is set to distribute six-part series The Gray House,...
- 7/24/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
The Hollywood Reporter hosted the inaugural “Raising Our Voices” luncheon, sponsored by The Golden Globes, Wallis Annenberg GenSpace, and East West Bank at the Audrey Irmas Pavilion on Wednesday, May 31.
Eva Longoria speaks onstage during The Hollywood Reporter Raising Our Voices Deia Luncheon
Credit/Copyright: Michael Kovac/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images
“Raising Our Voices” brought together the industry’s most influential and inspiring executives, storytellers and thought leaders for a groundbreaking series of discussions on the state and future of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in Hollywood.
During the program, keynote speaker Taika Waititi (Academy Award-winning screenwriter (JoJo Rabbit)), Emmy Award-nominated television producer, actor and filmmaker) was introduced by Bird Runningwater (Executive Producer and Activist). During his speech, Waititi spoke about the journey of moving forward to foster more diversity in the entertainment world and his beliefs on the best practices for incorporating representation within movies and film.
Eva Longoria speaks onstage during The Hollywood Reporter Raising Our Voices Deia Luncheon
Credit/Copyright: Michael Kovac/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images
“Raising Our Voices” brought together the industry’s most influential and inspiring executives, storytellers and thought leaders for a groundbreaking series of discussions on the state and future of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in Hollywood.
During the program, keynote speaker Taika Waititi (Academy Award-winning screenwriter (JoJo Rabbit)), Emmy Award-nominated television producer, actor and filmmaker) was introduced by Bird Runningwater (Executive Producer and Activist). During his speech, Waititi spoke about the journey of moving forward to foster more diversity in the entertainment world and his beliefs on the best practices for incorporating representation within movies and film.
- 6/8/2023
- Look to the Stars
“As you can tell, there’s a writers strike on, so I didn’t write shit,” Taika Waititi joked upon grabbing the mic at The Hollywood Reporter’s second annual Raising Our Voices luncheon on Wednesday, teasing he initially had chatGPT take a first pass at his speech and it quickly pointed out Hollywood’s issues in diversity and representation. “Now if AI can do that in eight seconds and it gets it, what’s taking so long? This thing can tell me what the problem is and what we need to do to fix it in eight seconds, and there’s a lot of people in this town who still don’t get it and still kind of refuse to get it and want to be told.”
Waititi, who also appeared on this week’s THR cover, served as keynote speaker for the luncheon, where Eva Longoria and Niecy Nash-Betts were honored as 2023 Trailblazers.
Waititi, who also appeared on this week’s THR cover, served as keynote speaker for the luncheon, where Eva Longoria and Niecy Nash-Betts were honored as 2023 Trailblazers.
- 6/1/2023
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Django Unchained and Captain Marvel star Samuel L. Jackson has been set to star in death-row drama Last Meals, joining the previously announced Boyd Holbrook.
Jackson will play Walter, a disgraced White House chef who finds himself many years later working in a maximum-security prison cooking last meals for inmates on death row. Holbrook will play Reed, the inmate who embarks on a hunger strike on Walter’s watch. The two men form an unlikely bond which gives Walter a look into the soul of a man who is willing to forgo his last pleasurable experience in order to protest his innocence.
This is a package whose script garnered good feedback in the last couple of years but was initially impacted by the pandemic and it has now been refashioned.
The film will now be helmed by New Yorker Andrew Levitas,...
Jackson will play Walter, a disgraced White House chef who finds himself many years later working in a maximum-security prison cooking last meals for inmates on death row. Holbrook will play Reed, the inmate who embarks on a hunger strike on Walter’s watch. The two men form an unlikely bond which gives Walter a look into the soul of a man who is willing to forgo his last pleasurable experience in order to protest his innocence.
This is a package whose script garnered good feedback in the last couple of years but was initially impacted by the pandemic and it has now been refashioned.
The film will now be helmed by New Yorker Andrew Levitas,...
- 5/15/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
An eight-part event series about boxing icon Muhammad Ali is in the works at Peacock from Rege-Jean Page, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Willmott.
Titled ‘Excellence: 8 Fights’, the scripted drama series hails from Oscar-winning writer Willmott and is based on Jonathan Eig’s definitive biography ‘Ali: A Life’. ‘Bridgerton’ breakout Page and Freeman are both on board as executive producers, as well as Willmott, Lori McCreary for Revelations Entertainment and Emily Brown, reports ‘Variety’.
According to the show’s official description, ‘Excellence: 8 Fights’ will “chronicle eight distinct and defining moments in the iconic life of Muhammad Ali. Each episode will be framed by one fight from Ali’s life, but the essence of the episode, what it’s really about, is the internal fight – the drama outside the ring – where we will explore the struggle going on in the heart and mind of one of the most consequential and controversial figures of the 20th century.
Titled ‘Excellence: 8 Fights’, the scripted drama series hails from Oscar-winning writer Willmott and is based on Jonathan Eig’s definitive biography ‘Ali: A Life’. ‘Bridgerton’ breakout Page and Freeman are both on board as executive producers, as well as Willmott, Lori McCreary for Revelations Entertainment and Emily Brown, reports ‘Variety’.
According to the show’s official description, ‘Excellence: 8 Fights’ will “chronicle eight distinct and defining moments in the iconic life of Muhammad Ali. Each episode will be framed by one fight from Ali’s life, but the essence of the episode, what it’s really about, is the internal fight – the drama outside the ring – where we will explore the struggle going on in the heart and mind of one of the most consequential and controversial figures of the 20th century.
- 3/9/2023
- by News Bureau
- GlamSham
Muhammad Ali Series in Development at Peacock From Regé-Jean Page, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Willmott
An eight-part event series about boxing icon Muhammad Ali is in the works at Peacock from Regé-Jean Page, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Willmott, Variety has confirmed.
Titled “Excellence: 8 Fights,” the scripted drama series hails from Oscar-winning writer Willmott and is based on Jonathan Eig’s definitive biography “Ali: A Life.” “Bridgerton” breakout Page and Freeman are both on board as executive producers, as well as Willmott, Lori McCreary for Revelations Entertainment and Emily Brown. Eig will serve as a producer, with CBS Studios and UCP.
According to the show’s official description, “Excellence: 8 Fights” will “chronicle eight distinct and defining moments in the iconic life of Muhammad Ali. Each episode will be framed by one fight from Ali’s life, but the essence of the episode, what it’s really about, is the internal fight – the drama outside the ring – where we will explore the struggle going on in the...
Titled “Excellence: 8 Fights,” the scripted drama series hails from Oscar-winning writer Willmott and is based on Jonathan Eig’s definitive biography “Ali: A Life.” “Bridgerton” breakout Page and Freeman are both on board as executive producers, as well as Willmott, Lori McCreary for Revelations Entertainment and Emily Brown. Eig will serve as a producer, with CBS Studios and UCP.
According to the show’s official description, “Excellence: 8 Fights” will “chronicle eight distinct and defining moments in the iconic life of Muhammad Ali. Each episode will be framed by one fight from Ali’s life, but the essence of the episode, what it’s really about, is the internal fight – the drama outside the ring – where we will explore the struggle going on in the...
- 3/9/2023
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: As we mark the 52nd anniversary of the first Ali-Frazier fight today, Deadline can reveal that Peacock is developing Excellence: 8 Fights, a scripted eight-part event series about boxing great Muhammad Ali, based on the definitive biography Ali: A Life by Jonathan Eig.
Related Story How MGM Synergized With Amazon To Make ‘Creed III’ The Streamer’s Biggest Box Office Blockbuster Ever At $100M+ Related Story Kevin Costner, Bradley Cooper, Morgan Freeman, Michael Imperioli & Dan Aykroyd Line Up Docs For The History Channel Related Story 'Puss In Boots: The Last Wish' Sets Peacock Premiere Date
The project hails from Oscar-winning BlackKklansman co-writer Kevin Willmott, Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary’s Revelations Entertainment, Bridgerton alum Regé-Jean Page and Emily Brown. Page is executive producing, but there currently is no deal in place for him to star as Ali. CBS Studios and UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group, serve as the studios.
Related Story How MGM Synergized With Amazon To Make ‘Creed III’ The Streamer’s Biggest Box Office Blockbuster Ever At $100M+ Related Story Kevin Costner, Bradley Cooper, Morgan Freeman, Michael Imperioli & Dan Aykroyd Line Up Docs For The History Channel Related Story 'Puss In Boots: The Last Wish' Sets Peacock Premiere Date
The project hails from Oscar-winning BlackKklansman co-writer Kevin Willmott, Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary’s Revelations Entertainment, Bridgerton alum Regé-Jean Page and Emily Brown. Page is executive producing, but there currently is no deal in place for him to star as Ali. CBS Studios and UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group, serve as the studios.
- 3/9/2023
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
The History Channel has greenlit a range of new docuseries and documentaries that are produced by Hollywood stars like Morgan Freeman, Bradley Cooper, and Kevin Costner.
The announcements were made as part of a larger A+E Networks slate reveal ahead of its 2023-2024 upfronts presentation. Additional projects hail from producers Michael Imperioli and Dan Aykroyd.
“Our goal within this media evolution is to meet audiences wherever and however they consume content, by working with great worldwide storytellers to develop and execute their vision,” said Paul Buccieri, president and Chairman of A+E Networks Group. “Over the last four years, we have been on a journey to expand our production capabilities in both scripted and factual, and we’ve established key relationships in the talent management space as well as continued creating compelling content across our brands to further meet the needs of our valued partners and viewers.”
Costner will host...
The announcements were made as part of a larger A+E Networks slate reveal ahead of its 2023-2024 upfronts presentation. Additional projects hail from producers Michael Imperioli and Dan Aykroyd.
“Our goal within this media evolution is to meet audiences wherever and however they consume content, by working with great worldwide storytellers to develop and execute their vision,” said Paul Buccieri, president and Chairman of A+E Networks Group. “Over the last four years, we have been on a journey to expand our production capabilities in both scripted and factual, and we’ve established key relationships in the talent management space as well as continued creating compelling content across our brands to further meet the needs of our valued partners and viewers.”
Costner will host...
- 3/8/2023
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
The History Channel has unveiled its latest programming slate, featuring documentaries from top talent including Kevin Costner and Bradley Cooper.
The network has ordered five new projects as part of an initiative to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026.
These include Kevin Costner’s The West, Fdr from Cooper, Black Patriots: The 761st Battalion from Freeman, Five Families from Imperioli and The Unbelievable with Dan Aykroyd.
It comes as parent company A+E Networks is hosting its annual Upfronts event to advertisers. These projects join a slew of series at Lifetime and A&e.
Kevin Costner’s The West (w/t) is an eight-part series hosted by the Yellowstone star. It will explore the American frontier from the literal trailblazers to the law enforcers and the bloody battles for both land and freedom as well as explore how the stories of The West continue to impact the nation today.
The network has ordered five new projects as part of an initiative to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026.
These include Kevin Costner’s The West, Fdr from Cooper, Black Patriots: The 761st Battalion from Freeman, Five Families from Imperioli and The Unbelievable with Dan Aykroyd.
It comes as parent company A+E Networks is hosting its annual Upfronts event to advertisers. These projects join a slew of series at Lifetime and A&e.
Kevin Costner’s The West (w/t) is an eight-part series hosted by the Yellowstone star. It will explore the American frontier from the literal trailblazers to the law enforcers and the bloody battles for both land and freedom as well as explore how the stories of The West continue to impact the nation today.
- 3/8/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: The Producers Guild of America has named the producers chosen for its second annual PGA Create lab, designed to support emerging and mid-career creative producers from underrepresented backgrounds.
The program’s fall Scripted cycle will feature the participation of feature producers Rui Xu (72), Nerissa Williams Scott (Dill), Robbie Daw & Tyler Steele (Double Wide Dreams), Maya S. Patel & Neeraj Jain (Further to Fly), Ali Salem & Ioana Uricaru (The Swim Lesson), Carolyn Mao & Allison Jordan (Time Away), and Chad Shields (We Were Born Dead). The TV producers taking part are Kathryn Lo (Our Dark Lady), Linhan Zhang (The Black Lotus) and Winnie Yuan Kemp (The Dragon Lady).
All of the above producers and teams are in active development, financing or packaging of their feature or series. The lab, taking place from October 31 through November 3, will offer them the chance to hone their project pitches, attend master classes with experienced producers and...
The program’s fall Scripted cycle will feature the participation of feature producers Rui Xu (72), Nerissa Williams Scott (Dill), Robbie Daw & Tyler Steele (Double Wide Dreams), Maya S. Patel & Neeraj Jain (Further to Fly), Ali Salem & Ioana Uricaru (The Swim Lesson), Carolyn Mao & Allison Jordan (Time Away), and Chad Shields (We Were Born Dead). The TV producers taking part are Kathryn Lo (Our Dark Lady), Linhan Zhang (The Black Lotus) and Winnie Yuan Kemp (The Dragon Lady).
All of the above producers and teams are in active development, financing or packaging of their feature or series. The lab, taking place from October 31 through November 3, will offer them the chance to hone their project pitches, attend master classes with experienced producers and...
- 10/12/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Morgan Freeman and his producing partner Lori McCreary are set to produce “War Is Coming,” a short film from Nigerian filmmaking collective The Critics Company.
Freeman and McCreary are producing through their Revelations Entertainment production banner.
“War Is Coming” follows the story of Óla, a brash teenager who discovers he is the reincarnation of a demigod, and spirals into his destiny, unprepared for the events that come as a result of this discovery.
The film will debut at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art’s +234 Connect Festival: A Celebration of Nigerian Creativity. It will also be released simultaneously via The Critics Company’s popular YouTube channel.
Said McCreary: “The Smithsonian’s National Museum was a natural way to premiere the film and introduce the world to the uniquely talented Critics in-person.”
Ranging in age from 17 through 21 years old, The Critics became social media sensations following the 2019 release of their sci-fi short “The Chase,...
Freeman and McCreary are producing through their Revelations Entertainment production banner.
“War Is Coming” follows the story of Óla, a brash teenager who discovers he is the reincarnation of a demigod, and spirals into his destiny, unprepared for the events that come as a result of this discovery.
The film will debut at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art’s +234 Connect Festival: A Celebration of Nigerian Creativity. It will also be released simultaneously via The Critics Company’s popular YouTube channel.
Said McCreary: “The Smithsonian’s National Museum was a natural way to premiere the film and introduce the world to the uniquely talented Critics in-person.”
Ranging in age from 17 through 21 years old, The Critics became social media sensations following the 2019 release of their sci-fi short “The Chase,...
- 9/29/2022
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: We can tell you first that Kevin Costner’s Territory Pictures will team with Morgan Freeman, Lori McCreary and their Revelations Entertainment to produce the Civil War spy drama The Gray House, a six-hour limited series for Paramount Global.
Both actors’ production shingles are partnering with Big Dreams Entertainment’s founder Leslie Greif, to tell the story of the three women General Ulysses S. Grant credited as helping the North win the Civil War. Costner is revisiting the Civil War era with his New Line ensemble western Horizon which he is currently shooting. Costner’s 7x Oscar winning movie, Dances With Wolves, was set during the Civil War frame, that pic earning the multihyphenate Best Picture and Best Director trophies.
Much like the women in the 2017 film Hidden Figures, in which Costner co-starred, The Gray House focuses on the unsung women who turned the tide of the American Civil...
Both actors’ production shingles are partnering with Big Dreams Entertainment’s founder Leslie Greif, to tell the story of the three women General Ulysses S. Grant credited as helping the North win the Civil War. Costner is revisiting the Civil War era with his New Line ensemble western Horizon which he is currently shooting. Costner’s 7x Oscar winning movie, Dances With Wolves, was set during the Civil War frame, that pic earning the multihyphenate Best Picture and Best Director trophies.
Much like the women in the 2017 film Hidden Figures, in which Costner co-starred, The Gray House focuses on the unsung women who turned the tide of the American Civil...
- 9/28/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Amy Jephta, who directed South Africa’s most recent International Film Oscar entry, Barakat, will be showrunning the drama series Hanover Street from D6 Entertainment’s Lesley-Ann Brandt and Adrian Cunningham, and Revelations Entertainment’s Lori McCreary and Morgan Freeman.
Hanover Street follows the joyful and heartbreaking journey of two sisters in Cape Town’s District Six during South Africa’s Apartheid years. The vibrant neighborhood was home to 60k residents of all ethnicities and creeds, along with a thriving LGBTQ+ population. In 1966 the government designated it a “Whites-only” area. By 1982 the entire population had been forcibly removed, with families torn apart and the neighborhood destroyed. Hanover Street will reflect upon the correlation between the racial reconciliation that has taken place in South Africa and the important conversations happening in America today.
It’s been 30 years since Freeman and McCreary teamed on their first feature film, Bopha!
Hanover Street follows the joyful and heartbreaking journey of two sisters in Cape Town’s District Six during South Africa’s Apartheid years. The vibrant neighborhood was home to 60k residents of all ethnicities and creeds, along with a thriving LGBTQ+ population. In 1966 the government designated it a “Whites-only” area. By 1982 the entire population had been forcibly removed, with families torn apart and the neighborhood destroyed. Hanover Street will reflect upon the correlation between the racial reconciliation that has taken place in South Africa and the important conversations happening in America today.
It’s been 30 years since Freeman and McCreary teamed on their first feature film, Bopha!
- 9/22/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Although Morgan Freeman has solidified himself in Hollywood as an Oscar-winning actor, he has provided his talents primarily in front of the camera during his illustrious career. However, in the early '90s, Freeman tried his hand at directing his one and only feature-length film. The project was called "Bopha!" and featured Danny Glover in the starring role of a Black policeman during the South African apartheid. Freeman's directorial debut did well with critics, but performed poorly at the box office. He eventually returned to directing with the television series "Madam Secretary," but it took over two decades for that to happen.
The reason for Freeman's extended absence from behind the camera is simpler than one might think. At a point when he was pumping out performances at a considerable rate, Freeman did not particularly enjoy the fact that making "Bopha!" forced him to reject other opportunities for an entire year.
The reason for Freeman's extended absence from behind the camera is simpler than one might think. At a point when he was pumping out performances at a considerable rate, Freeman did not particularly enjoy the fact that making "Bopha!" forced him to reject other opportunities for an entire year.
- 8/15/2022
- by Marcos Melendez
- Slash Film
“Billionaire Class,” a new one-hour drama hailing from Malcolm Spellman and Eric Haywood is in development at Fox, TheWrap has confirmed.
The logline is as follows: “A brilliant but disillusioned billionaire’s executive assistant (Jo) teaches a charismatic, fast-talking street hustler (Miles) how to walk, talk and act like a billionaire in order to con her employer’s super-wealthy friends into using their money to help the less fortunate.” The series is billed as a “high-stakes wish-fulfillment drama, offering a complex vision of wealth, race and equity in America.”
Haywood and Spellman will serve as executive producers, reuniting since their time together on the same network as producers on “Empire,” starring Taraji P. Henson. The former will also write, while Ray Smith will co-produce. Executive producers are Nichelle Tramble Spellman and Eli Dansky under The 51 banner, Five All In The Fifth’s Douglas Banker, Trevor Engelson of Underground and Maurice “Mo” Marable.
The logline is as follows: “A brilliant but disillusioned billionaire’s executive assistant (Jo) teaches a charismatic, fast-talking street hustler (Miles) how to walk, talk and act like a billionaire in order to con her employer’s super-wealthy friends into using their money to help the less fortunate.” The series is billed as a “high-stakes wish-fulfillment drama, offering a complex vision of wealth, race and equity in America.”
Haywood and Spellman will serve as executive producers, reuniting since their time together on the same network as producers on “Empire,” starring Taraji P. Henson. The former will also write, while Ray Smith will co-produce. Executive producers are Nichelle Tramble Spellman and Eli Dansky under The 51 banner, Five All In The Fifth’s Douglas Banker, Trevor Engelson of Underground and Maurice “Mo” Marable.
- 7/6/2022
- by Natalie Oganesyan
- The Wrap
The Producers Guild of America has announced that applications are now open for a new scripted cycle of PGA Create, a multi-day lab for emerging and mid-career creative producers from underrepresented backgrounds, which launched in 2021.
PGA Create was conceived for producers with film or TV projects in active development, financing or packaging. The upcoming scripted cycle of the program will take place in November, with a documentary cycle to follow next spring.
Each PGA Create Fellow participates in a multi-day, immersive lab during which they hear from subject experts on topics of relevance to advancing their specific projects, also receiving an opportunity to present themselves and their projects to an invited industry audience, including a range of PGA’s established creative producers, who serve as advisors and mentors. All Scripted and Documentary Fellows will be invited to participate in an in-person joint PGA Create Forum held during PGA’s annual Produced By Conference next summer.
PGA Create was conceived for producers with film or TV projects in active development, financing or packaging. The upcoming scripted cycle of the program will take place in November, with a documentary cycle to follow next spring.
Each PGA Create Fellow participates in a multi-day, immersive lab during which they hear from subject experts on topics of relevance to advancing their specific projects, also receiving an opportunity to present themselves and their projects to an invited industry audience, including a range of PGA’s established creative producers, who serve as advisors and mentors. All Scripted and Documentary Fellows will be invited to participate in an in-person joint PGA Create Forum held during PGA’s annual Produced By Conference next summer.
- 6/30/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
“Twin Territories,” a new series following the first Black Deputy U.S. Marshal, Bass Reeves, is in development at Amazon, TheWrap has confirmed. The series hails from Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary’s production company Revelations Entertainment with a script penned by “Hand of God” creator Ben Watkins and “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” writer Josef Sawyer.
Based on the novel “Black, Red and Deadly” by scholar Art T. Burton, who specializes in academia around Black Americans in the Wild West, the show will follow the preeminent lawman colloquially known as the Lone Ranger as he and the assertive Irishman Chauncey Lee contend with the unruly area, aiming to do right by Indigenous communities. “Twin Territories” will also explore how Reeves, who was formerly enslaved, became instrumental to Oklahoma’s statehood.
Executive producers are Malcolm Spellman (who created “Tfatws), Scott Frank, James Pickens Jr., Scott Frank, Leonard Chang and Watkins.
Based on the novel “Black, Red and Deadly” by scholar Art T. Burton, who specializes in academia around Black Americans in the Wild West, the show will follow the preeminent lawman colloquially known as the Lone Ranger as he and the assertive Irishman Chauncey Lee contend with the unruly area, aiming to do right by Indigenous communities. “Twin Territories” will also explore how Reeves, who was formerly enslaved, became instrumental to Oklahoma’s statehood.
Executive producers are Malcolm Spellman (who created “Tfatws), Scott Frank, James Pickens Jr., Scott Frank, Leonard Chang and Watkins.
- 6/29/2022
- by Natalie Oganesyan
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary’s Revelations Entertainment has set up a Bass Reeves series titled Twin Territories at Amazon, after three decades spent chasing the elusive lawman.
The Revelations and The 51-produced series in development at the streamer is based on a novel by preeminent Reeves scholar Art T. Burton. While most people have heard of The Lone Ranger, few know the true story of the man behind the legend, who in his time was arguably the greatest lawman west of the Mississippi. As the first Black Deputy U.S. Marshal, Reeves all but tamed The Wild West single-handedly, bringing well over 3,000 dangerous criminals to justice in his 32 years as a federal peace officer under “Hanging” Judge Parker.
Twin Territories will follow America’s #1 lawman as he and the brash Irishman Chauncey Lee are faced with the almost impossible task of imposing the rule of law in the most dangerous place on earth,...
The Revelations and The 51-produced series in development at the streamer is based on a novel by preeminent Reeves scholar Art T. Burton. While most people have heard of The Lone Ranger, few know the true story of the man behind the legend, who in his time was arguably the greatest lawman west of the Mississippi. As the first Black Deputy U.S. Marshal, Reeves all but tamed The Wild West single-handedly, bringing well over 3,000 dangerous criminals to justice in his 32 years as a federal peace officer under “Hanging” Judge Parker.
Twin Territories will follow America’s #1 lawman as he and the brash Irishman Chauncey Lee are faced with the almost impossible task of imposing the rule of law in the most dangerous place on earth,...
- 6/29/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Morgan Freeman and Josh Hutcherson star in “57 Seconds,” a thriller based in the world of tech and big pharma. The film is directed by Rusty Cundieff, and written by Macon Blair, and is based on the acclaimed story by British author E.C. Tubbs.
In “57 Seconds,” tech blogger Franklin Fausti (Hutcherson) lands a career-defining interview with the visionary technology guru Anton Burrell (Morgan Freeman). After thwarting an attack against the celebrated technophile, Franklin picks up a mysterious ring that Burrell has dropped and soon discovers the ring allows its possessor to travel 57 seconds into the past. Driven by revenge and with Burrell’s support, Franklin uses the ring to dismantle the pharmaceutical company responsible for his sister’s death. But he soon gets entangled in a treacherous and brutal chain of events with much more than his own destiny at stake.
The cast also includes Lovie Simone, Greg Germann...
In “57 Seconds,” tech blogger Franklin Fausti (Hutcherson) lands a career-defining interview with the visionary technology guru Anton Burrell (Morgan Freeman). After thwarting an attack against the celebrated technophile, Franklin picks up a mysterious ring that Burrell has dropped and soon discovers the ring allows its possessor to travel 57 seconds into the past. Driven by revenge and with Burrell’s support, Franklin uses the ring to dismantle the pharmaceutical company responsible for his sister’s death. But he soon gets entangled in a treacherous and brutal chain of events with much more than his own destiny at stake.
The cast also includes Lovie Simone, Greg Germann...
- 5/22/2022
- by Carole Horst
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: The Hideaway Entertainment has promoted Kristy Grisham to SVP of Development and Production, upping Ryan Cassells to Director of Development and Production, and tapping Jennifer Cox as Creative Executive. The company’s expansion reflects a recent initiative to ramp up their slate by buying and optioning books, screenplays, life rights and other IP in all stages of development.
In her role, Grisham will be responsible for overseeing development and production on The Hideaway’s current slate of film and television projects, including its adaptation of Dan Schilling’s book Combat Control with Thruline Entertainment Partner Ron West (The Great) and screenwriter Michael Russell Gunn (Billions). Grisham was integral in bringing the book proposal to the company and packaging the movie, which is being directed by Sam Hargrave (Extraction), with The Hideaway and MGM co-financing.
Grisham is also overseeing Otherwise Illegal Activity from The Wolf of Wall Street scribe Terence Winter...
In her role, Grisham will be responsible for overseeing development and production on The Hideaway’s current slate of film and television projects, including its adaptation of Dan Schilling’s book Combat Control with Thruline Entertainment Partner Ron West (The Great) and screenwriter Michael Russell Gunn (Billions). Grisham was integral in bringing the book proposal to the company and packaging the movie, which is being directed by Sam Hargrave (Extraction), with The Hideaway and MGM co-financing.
Grisham is also overseeing Otherwise Illegal Activity from The Wolf of Wall Street scribe Terence Winter...
- 5/16/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
As they prepare for this season’s 33rd annual Producers Guild of America Awards on March 19, PGA presidents Gail Berman and Lucy Fisher are taking stock in the chaotic years they and the guild just navigated and look ahead at what’s to come.
“Producers have prevailed!” says Fisher. “Despite difficulties and hardships our industry has faced, despite Covid and the boomerang effect we all felt with starting and stopping productions, high-quality entertainment got made and viewers around the world were happy to once again be able to enjoy new entertainment and were left wanting more.”
Berman is excited to return to an in-person ceremony at the Fairmont Century Plaza, after last year’s virtual affair in light of the pandemic.
“We, along with many in the industry, are excited to be able to come back [safely] and be together in person with our exceptional nominees and honorees,” says Berman. She...
“Producers have prevailed!” says Fisher. “Despite difficulties and hardships our industry has faced, despite Covid and the boomerang effect we all felt with starting and stopping productions, high-quality entertainment got made and viewers around the world were happy to once again be able to enjoy new entertainment and were left wanting more.”
Berman is excited to return to an in-person ceremony at the Fairmont Century Plaza, after last year’s virtual affair in light of the pandemic.
“We, along with many in the industry, are excited to be able to come back [safely] and be together in person with our exceptional nominees and honorees,” says Berman. She...
- 3/18/2022
- by Paul Plunkett
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Revelations Entertainment’s Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary have boarded Kamilla Blanche’s upcoming documentary 2 Richards! The African Company as EPs.
The African Company was located in New York’s Greenwich Village and was America’s first Black theater company, formed 44 years before the passage of the 13th Amendment. The documentary follows the pioneers of the company, William Alexander Brown and James Hewlett.
In 1821, both The African Company and an adjacent all-white theater company, The Park Theatre, put on competing productions of William Shakespeare’s Richard III. Increasingly alarmed at the attention The African Company was receiving, The Park Theatre began to sabotage and disrupt their productions, causing them to move locations several times until the African Grove Theater was ultimately burned to the ground in 1823. A few of these locations can still be found on the streets of Greenwich Village today, and part of the plan is to...
The African Company was located in New York’s Greenwich Village and was America’s first Black theater company, formed 44 years before the passage of the 13th Amendment. The documentary follows the pioneers of the company, William Alexander Brown and James Hewlett.
In 1821, both The African Company and an adjacent all-white theater company, The Park Theatre, put on competing productions of William Shakespeare’s Richard III. Increasingly alarmed at the attention The African Company was receiving, The Park Theatre began to sabotage and disrupt their productions, causing them to move locations several times until the African Grove Theater was ultimately burned to the ground in 1823. A few of these locations can still be found on the streets of Greenwich Village today, and part of the plan is to...
- 2/23/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Delroy Lindo to star in, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje to direct ‘Last Meals’.
Sentient Entertainment founder and CEO Renee Tab and producer Christopher Tuffin have launched sales, production and finance company Sentient Pictures International (Spi) and will oversee alongside former Relativity COO Andrew Marcus and Taken director Pierre Morel.
Boutique management and production company Sentient and Spi will function as separately owned and operated entities. Spi announced on Thursday (10) an inaugural sales slate led by Sentient productions Last Meals with Delroy Lindo and Boyd Holbrook and sci-fi thriller D.O.A. which Morel will direct, and produce with Tab and Tuffin.
Adewale...
Sentient Entertainment founder and CEO Renee Tab and producer Christopher Tuffin have launched sales, production and finance company Sentient Pictures International (Spi) and will oversee alongside former Relativity COO Andrew Marcus and Taken director Pierre Morel.
Boutique management and production company Sentient and Spi will function as separately owned and operated entities. Spi announced on Thursday (10) an inaugural sales slate led by Sentient productions Last Meals with Delroy Lindo and Boyd Holbrook and sci-fi thriller D.O.A. which Morel will direct, and produce with Tab and Tuffin.
Adewale...
- 2/10/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Sentient Entertainment founder and CEO Renee Tab and producer Christopher Tuffin are launching a new foreign sales, finance and production outfit dubbed Sentient Pictures International (Spi), which they will oversee alongside former Relativity COO Andrew Marcus and Taken helmer Pierre Morel.
The first projects on the company’s sales slate include drama Last Meals, from director Adewale Akinnuoye Agbaje and Morel’s sci-fi thriller D.O.A.
Last Meals stars Delroy Lindo and Boyd Holbrook and follows a disgraced and misunderstood White House chef who finds himself many years later working in a maximum security prison cooking last meals for inmates on death row. There, he forms an unlikely bond with an inmate who launches a hunger strike as his day of execution quickly approaches.
Justin Piasecki writes the script, which is based on his Nicholls Award-winning screenplay Death Of An Ortolan. Shooting is expected to begin in January 2023. It’s produced...
The first projects on the company’s sales slate include drama Last Meals, from director Adewale Akinnuoye Agbaje and Morel’s sci-fi thriller D.O.A.
Last Meals stars Delroy Lindo and Boyd Holbrook and follows a disgraced and misunderstood White House chef who finds himself many years later working in a maximum security prison cooking last meals for inmates on death row. There, he forms an unlikely bond with an inmate who launches a hunger strike as his day of execution quickly approaches.
Justin Piasecki writes the script, which is based on his Nicholls Award-winning screenplay Death Of An Ortolan. Shooting is expected to begin in January 2023. It’s produced...
- 2/10/2022
- by Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
CAA Media Finance represents US rights.
Morgan Freeman and Josh Hutcherson are set to star in the upcoming sci-fi thriller 57 Seconds with Highland Film Group handling international sales at EFM.
CAA Media Finance represents US rights on the story about a tech blogger who thwarts an attack on a tech guru and comes into possession of the latter’s ring, which allows the wearer to travel 57 seconds back in time.
Driven by revenge and with the guru’s support, the young man uses the ring to dismantle the pharmaceutical company responsible for his sister’s death.
Rusty Cundieff directs from...
Morgan Freeman and Josh Hutcherson are set to star in the upcoming sci-fi thriller 57 Seconds with Highland Film Group handling international sales at EFM.
CAA Media Finance represents US rights on the story about a tech blogger who thwarts an attack on a tech guru and comes into possession of the latter’s ring, which allows the wearer to travel 57 seconds back in time.
Driven by revenge and with the guru’s support, the young man uses the ring to dismantle the pharmaceutical company responsible for his sister’s death.
Rusty Cundieff directs from...
- 2/10/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Oscar winner Morgan Freeman and The Hunger Games alum Josh Hutcherson are set to lead the cast of time-bending sci-fi thriller 57 Seconds.
Rusty Cundieff (Tales from the Hood) is directing, the screenplay was written by Macon Blair (I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore), based on the story by British author E.C. Tubbs.
The film follows a tech blogger (Hutcherson) who lands a career-defining interview with a visionary technology guru (Freeman). After thwarting an attack against the celebrated technophile, the blogger picks up a mysterious ring that allows its possessor to travel 57 seconds into the past.
Principal photography is set to start in April on location in Louisiana.
A Curmudgeon Films and Revelations Entertainment production, 57 Seconds is produced by Griff Furst (Where All Light Tends to Go), Lori McCreary (Invictus), Gary Lucchesi (Million Dollar Baby) and Thomas P. Vitale (Slasher). The film is executive produced by Ford Corbett,...
Rusty Cundieff (Tales from the Hood) is directing, the screenplay was written by Macon Blair (I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore), based on the story by British author E.C. Tubbs.
The film follows a tech blogger (Hutcherson) who lands a career-defining interview with a visionary technology guru (Freeman). After thwarting an attack against the celebrated technophile, the blogger picks up a mysterious ring that allows its possessor to travel 57 seconds into the past.
Principal photography is set to start in April on location in Louisiana.
A Curmudgeon Films and Revelations Entertainment production, 57 Seconds is produced by Griff Furst (Where All Light Tends to Go), Lori McCreary (Invictus), Gary Lucchesi (Million Dollar Baby) and Thomas P. Vitale (Slasher). The film is executive produced by Ford Corbett,...
- 2/9/2022
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Revelations Entertainment has acquired Thunder, Hunter, and Me, a four-part docuseries about how a chance connection four decades in the making helped open up the pathway for love and healing.
The project follows the blossoming friendship between Melora Hardin and Hunter Austin, a longtime fan of Hardin’s 1977 series Thunder, about a young girl and her beloved stallion. As trust grew between the women, Austin felt comfortable enough with her new friend to reveal she had been raped at the age of 7 by a stranger in a park bathroom and the effects it had on her life.
The pair go on a powerful journey towards healing in the docuseries, formatted like a video diary, with Hardin serving as director. A trailer can be seen above.
Hardin and Revelations Entertainment CEO Lori McCreary spoke with Deadline about Thunder, Hunter, and Me, Austin’s resilience, and what they...
The project follows the blossoming friendship between Melora Hardin and Hunter Austin, a longtime fan of Hardin’s 1977 series Thunder, about a young girl and her beloved stallion. As trust grew between the women, Austin felt comfortable enough with her new friend to reveal she had been raped at the age of 7 by a stranger in a park bathroom and the effects it had on her life.
The pair go on a powerful journey towards healing in the docuseries, formatted like a video diary, with Hardin serving as director. A trailer can be seen above.
Hardin and Revelations Entertainment CEO Lori McCreary spoke with Deadline about Thunder, Hunter, and Me, Austin’s resilience, and what they...
- 1/10/2022
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Alcon Entertainment has acquired the film rights to Arthur C. Clarke’s sci-fi novel Rendezvous With Rama with Denis Villeneuve on board to direct.
The novel had previously been controlled by Morgan Freeman with Freeman and his partner Lori McCreary’s Revelations Entertainment will produce along with Alcon.
First published in 1973, the novel is regarded as one of the cornerstones of Clarke’s works. Set in the 2130s, the story involves a 31 by 12 mile cylindrical alien starship that enters the Solar System. The story is told from the point of view of a group of human explorers who intercept the ship in an attempt to unlock its mysteries.
Alcon will finance the project, and Kosove and Johnson will produce. McCreery and Freeman will also produce. Alcon Entertainment financed and produced Villeneuve’s Prisoners starring Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal, and the critically acclaimed epic Blade Runner 2049 starring Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford,...
The novel had previously been controlled by Morgan Freeman with Freeman and his partner Lori McCreary’s Revelations Entertainment will produce along with Alcon.
First published in 1973, the novel is regarded as one of the cornerstones of Clarke’s works. Set in the 2130s, the story involves a 31 by 12 mile cylindrical alien starship that enters the Solar System. The story is told from the point of view of a group of human explorers who intercept the ship in an attempt to unlock its mysteries.
Alcon will finance the project, and Kosove and Johnson will produce. McCreery and Freeman will also produce. Alcon Entertainment financed and produced Villeneuve’s Prisoners starring Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal, and the critically acclaimed epic Blade Runner 2049 starring Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford,...
- 12/15/2021
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Having left an indelible imprint on Arrakis with his acclaimed adaptation of Frank Herbert’s “Dune,” Denis Villeneuve will journey deeper into the science fiction canon.
Alcon Entertainment, which previously partnered with Villeneuve on “Prisoners” and “Blade Runner 2049,” has acquired the film rights to Arthur C. Clarke’s classic sci-fi novel “Rendezvous With Rama” for their frequent collaborator to direct.
The novel had previously been controlled by Morgan Freeman and his partner Lori McCreary’s Revelations Entertainment, which will produce along with Alcon.
First published in 1973, the novel is set in the 2130s and centers on a 31-by-12 mile cylindrical alien starship that enters the solar system. The story is told from the point of view of a group of human explorers who intercept the ship in an attempt to unlock its mysteries. The novel won both the Hugo and Nebula awards upon its release. Clarke is the author of “2001: A Space Odyssey,...
Alcon Entertainment, which previously partnered with Villeneuve on “Prisoners” and “Blade Runner 2049,” has acquired the film rights to Arthur C. Clarke’s classic sci-fi novel “Rendezvous With Rama” for their frequent collaborator to direct.
The novel had previously been controlled by Morgan Freeman and his partner Lori McCreary’s Revelations Entertainment, which will produce along with Alcon.
First published in 1973, the novel is set in the 2130s and centers on a 31-by-12 mile cylindrical alien starship that enters the solar system. The story is told from the point of view of a group of human explorers who intercept the ship in an attempt to unlock its mysteries. The novel won both the Hugo and Nebula awards upon its release. Clarke is the author of “2001: A Space Odyssey,...
- 12/15/2021
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
After taking on Frank Herbert’s “Dune,” Oscar-nominated filmmaker Denis Villeneuve is set to direct another adaptation of a sci-fi novel, this time from “2001: A Space Odyssey” author Arthur C. Clarke.
Villeneuve will direct “Rendezvous with Rama” for Alcon Entertainment, with whom Villeneuve worked on the Hugh Jackman thriller “Prisoners” and his sci-fi sequel “Blade Runner 2049” (itself based on the writings of sci-fi legend Philip K. Dick). Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary will also produce alongside via their Revelations Entertainment banner. Freeman purchased rights to the novel in 2018.
The story from Clarke’s original novel, per THR, “follows a group of human space explorers that are tasked with intercepting an alien starship that is hurtling through the solar system. It is believed that the missions will lead to mankind’s first contact with alien intelligence.” The story takes place in the 2130s.
Freeman and McCreary had a long-standing collaboration with Arthur C.
Villeneuve will direct “Rendezvous with Rama” for Alcon Entertainment, with whom Villeneuve worked on the Hugh Jackman thriller “Prisoners” and his sci-fi sequel “Blade Runner 2049” (itself based on the writings of sci-fi legend Philip K. Dick). Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary will also produce alongside via their Revelations Entertainment banner. Freeman purchased rights to the novel in 2018.
The story from Clarke’s original novel, per THR, “follows a group of human space explorers that are tasked with intercepting an alien starship that is hurtling through the solar system. It is believed that the missions will lead to mankind’s first contact with alien intelligence.” The story takes place in the 2130s.
Freeman and McCreary had a long-standing collaboration with Arthur C.
- 12/15/2021
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Nyle Dimarco and Melrose Placed’s Sami Housman have partnered with Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary’s Revelations Entertainment to develop and produce the drama series Deaf Punk.
Dimarco is set to lead the series exploring how a cultural revolution was supported by the unlikely union of two minority groups.
Deaf Punk is inspired by San Francisco’s famed music venue The Deaf Club, originally founded in the 1930s as a clubhouse for the deaf that would go on to showcase punk bands like The Dead Kennedys, The Offs, The Mutants, and The Thelonious Band after the space was rented nightly in the ’70s by music manager Daphne Hanrahan.
“Two disenfranchised communities who joined forces to make noise and propel change is a powerful story and one that is as timely as ever. I love the sheer irony of a Deaf club helping change music history and can’t...
Dimarco is set to lead the series exploring how a cultural revolution was supported by the unlikely union of two minority groups.
Deaf Punk is inspired by San Francisco’s famed music venue The Deaf Club, originally founded in the 1930s as a clubhouse for the deaf that would go on to showcase punk bands like The Dead Kennedys, The Offs, The Mutants, and The Thelonious Band after the space was rented nightly in the ’70s by music manager Daphne Hanrahan.
“Two disenfranchised communities who joined forces to make noise and propel change is a powerful story and one that is as timely as ever. I love the sheer irony of a Deaf club helping change music history and can’t...
- 11/22/2021
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Following the Gravitas Ventures day and date theatrical release, HBO Max has picked up exclusive streaming rights to the award-winning, critically-acclaimed film The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain. The movie will stream on Nov. 19, the ten-year anniversary of Kenneth Chamberlain, Sr.’s Death.
The David Midell directed movie is based on the true events of an elderly African American veteran with bipolar disorder who is killed by the White Plains, NY police during a welfare check after his medical alert is accidentally activated. Through a series of unfortunate circumstances and the overly aggressive policing tactics that make the news on an all-too-frequent basis, the life of Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. ended at the hands of those who were sworn to “protect and serve.”
Pic is produced by Midell and Enrico Natale of Redbird Entertainment, and executive produced by Lori McCreary, Morgan Freeman and Gary Lucchesi of Revelations Entertainment, along with Sharad Chib,...
The David Midell directed movie is based on the true events of an elderly African American veteran with bipolar disorder who is killed by the White Plains, NY police during a welfare check after his medical alert is accidentally activated. Through a series of unfortunate circumstances and the overly aggressive policing tactics that make the news on an all-too-frequent basis, the life of Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. ended at the hands of those who were sworn to “protect and serve.”
Pic is produced by Midell and Enrico Natale of Redbird Entertainment, and executive produced by Lori McCreary, Morgan Freeman and Gary Lucchesi of Revelations Entertainment, along with Sharad Chib,...
- 10/15/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Lucifer and Spartacus star Lesley-Ann Brandt is partnering with Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary’s Revelations Entertainment on the development of Hanover Street, a drama series set in Cape Town’s District Six.
Brandt, who will star and produce with Adrian Cunningham of D6 Entertainment said, “We are thrilled to have partnered with Lori, Morgan, and the team at Revelations to bring the beauty and tragedy of District Six to life. It’s such a personal story to me, my family, and the people of the Cape Flats. While the barbarity of the apartheid regime has featured onscreen before, Hanover Street will lean into the joy and solidarity that the community shared in the face of repression.”
Home to 60K residents of all ethnicities and creeds, along with a thriving Lgbtqia+ community, District Six stood as a symbol of defiance against everything that apartheid stood for. In 1966, the regime designated it a whites-only area.
Brandt, who will star and produce with Adrian Cunningham of D6 Entertainment said, “We are thrilled to have partnered with Lori, Morgan, and the team at Revelations to bring the beauty and tragedy of District Six to life. It’s such a personal story to me, my family, and the people of the Cape Flats. While the barbarity of the apartheid regime has featured onscreen before, Hanover Street will lean into the joy and solidarity that the community shared in the face of repression.”
Home to 60K residents of all ethnicities and creeds, along with a thriving Lgbtqia+ community, District Six stood as a symbol of defiance against everything that apartheid stood for. In 1966, the regime designated it a whites-only area.
- 9/30/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
The Producers Guild of America on Monday revealed the 10 scripted producers and producing teams that will participate in its inaugural PGA Create, a lab for emerging and mid-career creative producers from underrepresented backgrounds.
The lab will be held October 25-28, during which time participants will be able to hone project pitches, attend master classes and build their network of fellow producers. PGA Create producers in both Scripted and the upcoming Documentary cycles will also be invited reconvene during the PGA Create Forum, a new event to run during the PGA’s annual Produced By Conference, to next be held in June 2022.
Google has also come aboard as lead sponsor of the PGA Create initiative, the guild said today. The company will provide resources and funding to help nurture talent. UTA Marketing repped the tie-up.
See the list of Scripted participants below.
“Google’s significant support of this important PGA initiative championing diversity,...
The lab will be held October 25-28, during which time participants will be able to hone project pitches, attend master classes and build their network of fellow producers. PGA Create producers in both Scripted and the upcoming Documentary cycles will also be invited reconvene during the PGA Create Forum, a new event to run during the PGA’s annual Produced By Conference, to next be held in June 2022.
Google has also come aboard as lead sponsor of the PGA Create initiative, the guild said today. The company will provide resources and funding to help nurture talent. UTA Marketing repped the tie-up.
See the list of Scripted participants below.
“Google’s significant support of this important PGA initiative championing diversity,...
- 9/28/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Gravitas Ventures Acquires North American Rights to Documentary ‘Lady Buds’
Gravitas Ventures, a Red Arrow Studios company, acquired North American rights to the documentary “Lady Buds,” directed, produced and written by Chris J. Russo.
“Lady Buds” tells the story of six women in cannabis who left their livelihoods behind in the underground market to forge a path to legalization in California as they attempt to claim their piece of the “American dream” in the very market they helped create.
“In her confident and ambitious feature debut, Russo highlights six women who are as interesting as they are inspiring. Seeing these underdogs fights against bureaucracy and regulations make for a highly insightful and engaging film,” says David Sullivan, sales and acquisitions manager at Gravitas Ventures. “We can’t wait to play our part in getting this timely and enjoyable film out into the world.”
Sullivan negotiated the deal with Travis Tammero at CAA.
Gravitas Ventures, a Red Arrow Studios company, acquired North American rights to the documentary “Lady Buds,” directed, produced and written by Chris J. Russo.
“Lady Buds” tells the story of six women in cannabis who left their livelihoods behind in the underground market to forge a path to legalization in California as they attempt to claim their piece of the “American dream” in the very market they helped create.
“In her confident and ambitious feature debut, Russo highlights six women who are as interesting as they are inspiring. Seeing these underdogs fights against bureaucracy and regulations make for a highly insightful and engaging film,” says David Sullivan, sales and acquisitions manager at Gravitas Ventures. “We can’t wait to play our part in getting this timely and enjoyable film out into the world.”
Sullivan negotiated the deal with Travis Tammero at CAA.
- 9/27/2021
- by Katie Song
- Variety Film + TV
Brian Lumley’s Necroscope novels will serve as the inspiration for “episodic TV, animated features, video games, graphic novels, and emerging formats,” because just one adaptation wouldn’t be enough. Revelations Entertainment, an independent movie production company founded by Morgan Freeman and business partner Lori McCreary, will use Lumley’s books as a springboard for numerous […]
The post ‘Necroscope’ Horror Novels Becoming TV Series and Animated Film and Video Game and Who Knows What Else appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘Necroscope’ Horror Novels Becoming TV Series and Animated Film and Video Game and Who Knows What Else appeared first on /Film.
- 7/13/2021
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
Exclusive: Best-selling English author Brian Lumley’s Necroscope sci-fi/horror novel series is being adapted by Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary’s Revelations Entertainment across multiple media including episodic TV, animated features, video games, graphic novels and emerging formats.
The series from the 1980s spans more than 19 novels and short stories and have been translated into nine languages, and still in print today around the globe as they are concurrently being released as Audio Books and in new collectible formats.
McCreary and Gary Lucchesi of Revelations are teaming with Glenn Hetrick and Michael McKay on the long sought-after subsidiary rights for the Necroscope novels, which they plan to develop. Hetrick has been conceptualizing the adaptation of Necroscope since its original release for screen.
“The Necroscope universe allows us to explore...
The series from the 1980s spans more than 19 novels and short stories and have been translated into nine languages, and still in print today around the globe as they are concurrently being released as Audio Books and in new collectible formats.
McCreary and Gary Lucchesi of Revelations are teaming with Glenn Hetrick and Michael McKay on the long sought-after subsidiary rights for the Necroscope novels, which they plan to develop. Hetrick has been conceptualizing the adaptation of Necroscope since its original release for screen.
“The Necroscope universe allows us to explore...
- 7/12/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Gravitas Ventures has acquired North American rights to The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain, writer-director David Midell’s movie about the real-life 2011 fatal shooting of a 68-year-old Black man by police in White Plains, NY. Frankie Faison plays Chamberlain in the pic, which won the jury and audience awards at the 2019 Austin Film Festival where it debuted. Gravitas will now release the film day-and-date in theaters and on-demand on September 17.
The pic tells the story of the final hours of the life of Kenneth Chamberlain Sr., an elderly African-American veteran with bipolar disorder, who was killed during a conflict with police officers who were sent to his home to check on him after his medical alert device was mistakenly activated. Despite Chamberlain informing the officers there was a mistake and he did not have an emergency, they were recorded taunting him, ridiculing his military service and howling racial epithets at him.
The pic tells the story of the final hours of the life of Kenneth Chamberlain Sr., an elderly African-American veteran with bipolar disorder, who was killed during a conflict with police officers who were sent to his home to check on him after his medical alert device was mistakenly activated. Despite Chamberlain informing the officers there was a mistake and he did not have an emergency, they were recorded taunting him, ridiculing his military service and howling racial epithets at him.
- 6/15/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
The Producers Guild of America will present “Producing During Unprecedented Times: Reflections from Today’s Leading Producers” at the 60th Monte-Carlo Television Festival that starts this weekend.
The curated conversations, in which producers explore the challenges they faced getting their shows made during the Covid-19 pandemic, detail how they learned to work within the myriad global safety regulations, and how their ability to pivot during these uncertain times may end up changing business models moving forward.
Participants include:
Bradley Bell, president of Bell-Phillip Television Productions, who’s the nine-time Emmy-winning producer and head writer of The Bold and the Beautiful Producer Yolanda Cochran had three scripted shows that were in mid-season or were about to start that were interrupted by the shutdown: The Astronauts, which was shot in Vancouver and was among the very first to return to production there; Danger Force, which shot in Los Angeles,...
The curated conversations, in which producers explore the challenges they faced getting their shows made during the Covid-19 pandemic, detail how they learned to work within the myriad global safety regulations, and how their ability to pivot during these uncertain times may end up changing business models moving forward.
Participants include:
Bradley Bell, president of Bell-Phillip Television Productions, who’s the nine-time Emmy-winning producer and head writer of The Bold and the Beautiful Producer Yolanda Cochran had three scripted shows that were in mid-season or were about to start that were interrupted by the shutdown: The Astronauts, which was shot in Vancouver and was among the very first to return to production there; Danger Force, which shot in Los Angeles,...
- 6/14/2021
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
Principal photography underway in Bulgaria on Revelations Entertainment, B2Y Production horror thriller.
Jason Flemyng, Raza Jaffrey and Sophie Simnett (Netflix’s Daybreak) are on board Renny Harlin horror thriller The Refuge, which Voltage Pictures has acquired for worldwide sales ahead of the virtual Cannes market.
Principal photography is underway in Bulgaria on the film from Revelations Entertainment and B2Y Production that marks the latest action foray from the director of Die Hard 2 and Cliffhanger.
The Refuge centres on US military veteran Sergeant Rick Pedroni, who returns home a changed and dangerous man after a tour of duty...
Jason Flemyng, Raza Jaffrey and Sophie Simnett (Netflix’s Daybreak) are on board Renny Harlin horror thriller The Refuge, which Voltage Pictures has acquired for worldwide sales ahead of the virtual Cannes market.
Principal photography is underway in Bulgaria on the film from Revelations Entertainment and B2Y Production that marks the latest action foray from the director of Die Hard 2 and Cliffhanger.
The Refuge centres on US military veteran Sergeant Rick Pedroni, who returns home a changed and dangerous man after a tour of duty...
- 6/7/2021
- ScreenDaily
Emerging and mid-career producers from underrepresented backgrounds in the industry are being targeted by a new program, PGA Create, announced today by the Producers Guild of America.
The immersive lab is designed for producers in active development, financing, or packaging of a feature or series and is led by the PGA’s One Guild initiative. There are two program cycles: Scripted and Documentary (Spring 2022 with exact dates Tba).
The deadline to submit for the Scripted Cycle is June 17 and the deadline for the Documentary Cycle will be announced. The program is open to non-members of the Guild.
More information is available here.
“Through PGA’s One Guild initiative, we have been taking a thoughtful look at all facets of how to deepen the Guild’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion,” said PGA presidents Gail Berman and Lucy Fisher. “With the establishment of PGA Create, the Guild is doubling...
The immersive lab is designed for producers in active development, financing, or packaging of a feature or series and is led by the PGA’s One Guild initiative. There are two program cycles: Scripted and Documentary (Spring 2022 with exact dates Tba).
The deadline to submit for the Scripted Cycle is June 17 and the deadline for the Documentary Cycle will be announced. The program is open to non-members of the Guild.
More information is available here.
“Through PGA’s One Guild initiative, we have been taking a thoughtful look at all facets of how to deepen the Guild’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion,” said PGA presidents Gail Berman and Lucy Fisher. “With the establishment of PGA Create, the Guild is doubling...
- 5/14/2021
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Discovery Channel has greenlighted a series centered on the Lost City of Atlantis, from Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary’s Revelations Entertainment.
Hunting Atlantis will follow expert Stel Pavlou and volcanologist Jess Phoenix as they set out “on a quest to solve the greatest archaeological mystery of all time — the rediscovery of Atlantis.”
Armed with new evidence, the duo will unearth sunken cities, archaic artifacts and geological catastrophes as they travel around the world exploring ancient sites in search of the lost city.
Pavlou is the author of a groundbreaking new theory on the date for Atlantis’ destruction near the ...
Hunting Atlantis will follow expert Stel Pavlou and volcanologist Jess Phoenix as they set out “on a quest to solve the greatest archaeological mystery of all time — the rediscovery of Atlantis.”
Armed with new evidence, the duo will unearth sunken cities, archaic artifacts and geological catastrophes as they travel around the world exploring ancient sites in search of the lost city.
Pavlou is the author of a groundbreaking new theory on the date for Atlantis’ destruction near the ...
- 5/12/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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