In the middle of August this year, three legends of the music industry died within 72 hours of each other: founder of A&m Records Jerry Moss; music lawyer Abe Somer; and my father, the “Black Godfather” himself, Clarence Avant. These three men helped define the recording industry of the past six decades, and what’s more, they were inseparable best friends.
Somer, Moss, and Avant met in New York City in the early 1960s, and in the six decades since, never left one another’s side, never once let their “soul contract” expire.
Somer, Moss, and Avant met in New York City in the early 1960s, and in the six decades since, never left one another’s side, never once let their “soul contract” expire.
- 10/28/2023
- by Nicole Avant
- Rollingstone.com
“As goes the South, goes the rest of the country,” Sen. Raphael Warnock, paraphrasing W.E.B. DuBois, said in The South Got Something to Say, the upcoming hip-hop documentary from the film division of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Directed by Ryon and Tyson Horne, the first project from Ajc Films examines the music genre’s role and power in Atlanta, the cultural capital of the South. Launching off the night in 1995 that Outkast won the best new artist at the Source Awards, the documentary includes conversations with Killer Mike, the legendary Goodie Mob, Silk Tymes Leather’s Jordan Victoria, rapper and Love & Hip Hop Atlanta star Rasheeda, Jermaine Dupri, journalist Sonia Murray, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, former Mayor Andrew Young, Warnock and others.
“This is more than just a music documentary,” Ajc president and publisher Andrew Morse said of the film and the greater initiative the paper is undertaking. The former CNN+ chief said that that doc,...
Directed by Ryon and Tyson Horne, the first project from Ajc Films examines the music genre’s role and power in Atlanta, the cultural capital of the South. Launching off the night in 1995 that Outkast won the best new artist at the Source Awards, the documentary includes conversations with Killer Mike, the legendary Goodie Mob, Silk Tymes Leather’s Jordan Victoria, rapper and Love & Hip Hop Atlanta star Rasheeda, Jermaine Dupri, journalist Sonia Murray, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, former Mayor Andrew Young, Warnock and others.
“This is more than just a music documentary,” Ajc president and publisher Andrew Morse said of the film and the greater initiative the paper is undertaking. The former CNN+ chief said that that doc,...
- 10/11/2023
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
In today’s TV news roundup, Oprah will interview former president Barack Obama on Nov. 17 for “The Oprah Conversation,” and Netflix released a trailer for “We Are the Champions,” narrated by Rainn Wilson.
Dates
A new episode of “The Oprah Conversation,” scheduled to premiere on Apple TV Plus on Nov. 17 at 9 a.m. Et, will feature former president Barack Obama. During the conversation surrounding his new memoir “A Promised Land,” host Oprah Winfrey leads Obama through a reflection on the years and accomplishments leading up to his presidency and the expectations people had for him going into office. Each episode of the conversation series explores stories and relevant topics that impact the world through influential people. Obama’s book is available on Apple Books and is also offered as an audiobook.
CNN has announced a Jan. 3 air date for “Jimmy Carter, Rock & Roll President,” which will premiere at at 9 p.
Dates
A new episode of “The Oprah Conversation,” scheduled to premiere on Apple TV Plus on Nov. 17 at 9 a.m. Et, will feature former president Barack Obama. During the conversation surrounding his new memoir “A Promised Land,” host Oprah Winfrey leads Obama through a reflection on the years and accomplishments leading up to his presidency and the expectations people had for him going into office. Each episode of the conversation series explores stories and relevant topics that impact the world through influential people. Obama’s book is available on Apple Books and is also offered as an audiobook.
CNN has announced a Jan. 3 air date for “Jimmy Carter, Rock & Roll President,” which will premiere at at 9 p.
- 11/11/2020
- by Eli Countryman
- Variety Film + TV
Martin Lawrence, Cedric the Entertainer, Marsai Martin, Ambassador Andrew Young, Hydeia Broadbent and Phylicia Fant will be honored at the 28th annual Bounce Trumpet Awards.
Hosted by Wanda Sykes, the ceremony celebrates African American achievements and contributions.
Lawrence will receive the Luminary Award, which honors the actor for rising to the top of his field and inspiring others through his work. Lawrence became a household name with his popular self-titled television series Martin, while he has gone on to star in films including Bad Boys, Blue Streak, Big Momma's House and Life.
Cedric the Entertainer will be honored ...
Hosted by Wanda Sykes, the ceremony celebrates African American achievements and contributions.
Lawrence will receive the Luminary Award, which honors the actor for rising to the top of his field and inspiring others through his work. Lawrence became a household name with his popular self-titled television series Martin, while he has gone on to star in films including Bad Boys, Blue Streak, Big Momma's House and Life.
Cedric the Entertainer will be honored ...
- 12/2/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Martin Lawrence, Cedric the Entertainer, Marsai Martin, Ambassador Andrew Young, Hydeia Broadbent and Phylicia Fant will be honored at the 28th annual Bounce Trumpet Awards.
Hosted by Wanda Sykes, the ceremony celebrates African American achievements and contributions.
Lawrence will receive the Luminary Award, which honors the actor for rising to the top of his field and inspiring others through his work. Lawrence became a household name with his popular self-titled television series Martin, while he has gone on to star in films including Bad Boys, Blue Streak, Big Momma's House and Life.
Cedric the Entertainer will be honored ...
Hosted by Wanda Sykes, the ceremony celebrates African American achievements and contributions.
Lawrence will receive the Luminary Award, which honors the actor for rising to the top of his field and inspiring others through his work. Lawrence became a household name with his popular self-titled television series Martin, while he has gone on to star in films including Bad Boys, Blue Streak, Big Momma's House and Life.
Cedric the Entertainer will be honored ...
- 12/2/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In today’s roundup, CNN announced it will host a town hall with former FBI director James Comey, and NBC Entertainment promoted Sahara Bushue to senior vice president of alternative programming.
TV News
PBS named “Today” alumna Meredith Vieira as host of its new series, “The Great American Read.” The show will explore the country in search of America’s top 100 novels, as well as their authors and fan bases. Its first episode, a two-hour special, will air May 22 at 8 p.m. The series will include appearances by Margaret Atwood, Jenna Bush, Barbara Bush, Chelsea Clinton, Junot Diaz, Morgan Freeman, Lauren Graham, John Green, Gayle King, George R.R. Martin, Shaquille O’Neal, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jason Reynolds, Gabrielle Union, and Ming-Na Wen.
Fox News Channel hired reporter Jeff Paul as a west coast correspondent, the network’s president of news, Jay Wallace, announced Wednesday. Paul currently works as a reporter...
TV News
PBS named “Today” alumna Meredith Vieira as host of its new series, “The Great American Read.” The show will explore the country in search of America’s top 100 novels, as well as their authors and fan bases. Its first episode, a two-hour special, will air May 22 at 8 p.m. The series will include appearances by Margaret Atwood, Jenna Bush, Barbara Bush, Chelsea Clinton, Junot Diaz, Morgan Freeman, Lauren Graham, John Green, Gayle King, George R.R. Martin, Shaquille O’Neal, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jason Reynolds, Gabrielle Union, and Ming-Na Wen.
Fox News Channel hired reporter Jeff Paul as a west coast correspondent, the network’s president of news, Jay Wallace, announced Wednesday. Paul currently works as a reporter...
- 3/28/2018
- by Christi Carras
- Variety Film + TV
April 4 will be the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s death, and History is marking it with a new documentary on the civil rights struggle. Executive produced by NBA star LeBron James and Freedom Riders filmmaker Stanley Nelson, Rise Up: The Movement that Changed America includes interviews with President Clinton, Jesse Jackson, Sen. Cory Booker and others. Watch a promo above.
Produced by Magilla Entertainment in association with SpringHillEntertainment and Firelight Media, the hourlong special will look at the key battles in the Civil Rights movement that transformed American society and what it took to translate protest into real legislative change.
“Segregation was just a consistent act of humiliation,” Harry Belafonte says in Rise Up, which tracks the movement’s dedication, sacrifice and commitment to change – even in the face of withering violent resistance – told by the women and men who led the way. Other interviewees include such Civil Rights activists,...
Produced by Magilla Entertainment in association with SpringHillEntertainment and Firelight Media, the hourlong special will look at the key battles in the Civil Rights movement that transformed American society and what it took to translate protest into real legislative change.
“Segregation was just a consistent act of humiliation,” Harry Belafonte says in Rise Up, which tracks the movement’s dedication, sacrifice and commitment to change – even in the face of withering violent resistance – told by the women and men who led the way. Other interviewees include such Civil Rights activists,...
- 3/28/2018
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Fans of Shaft, Super Fly, and Foxy Brown have a new way to catch up on these other mostly action films targeted to African American audiences. Bounce TV — the network founded by Martin Luther King, III and Andrew Young — just launched a subscription VOD service for the movie genre called Brown Sugar. Viewers can try it for a month for free, and then will pay $3.99 a month. The films will be uncut, and commercial-free. They’ll run on iOS and Android devices, with other…...
- 11/17/2016
- Deadline
The Hamptons International Film Festival’s top prizes have gone to Bulgarian-Greek drama Glory (Slava) and Us documentary The Eagle Huntress.
The Hamptons International Film Festival has given is Best Narrative Feature award to Bulgarian-Greek drama Glory (Slava) (pictured), directed by Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov and its Best Documentary Feature award to Us entry The Eagle Huntress, directed by Otto Bell.
French-Qatari crime story Divines, from Houda Benyamina, and Denmark’s Those Who Jump, from Estephan Wagner, Moritz Siebert and Abou Bakar Sidibé got honourable mentions in, respectively, the narrative feature and documentary feature categories.
The festival’s Tangerine Entertainment Juice Fund Award, which honours an outstanding female narrative filmmakers, went to Wakefield, directed by Robin Swicord.
Other winners announced in the festival’s East Hampton awards ceremony included:
Hiff Award Winner for Best Narrative Short Film presented by the Wall Street Journal
The Silence (Il Silenzio), directed by Ali Asgari and Farnoosh Samadi.
Hiff Award Winner...
The Hamptons International Film Festival has given is Best Narrative Feature award to Bulgarian-Greek drama Glory (Slava) (pictured), directed by Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov and its Best Documentary Feature award to Us entry The Eagle Huntress, directed by Otto Bell.
French-Qatari crime story Divines, from Houda Benyamina, and Denmark’s Those Who Jump, from Estephan Wagner, Moritz Siebert and Abou Bakar Sidibé got honourable mentions in, respectively, the narrative feature and documentary feature categories.
The festival’s Tangerine Entertainment Juice Fund Award, which honours an outstanding female narrative filmmakers, went to Wakefield, directed by Robin Swicord.
Other winners announced in the festival’s East Hampton awards ceremony included:
Hiff Award Winner for Best Narrative Short Film presented by the Wall Street Journal
The Silence (Il Silenzio), directed by Ali Asgari and Farnoosh Samadi.
Hiff Award Winner...
- 10/10/2016
- ScreenDaily
The Hamptons International Film Festival’s top prizes have gone to Bulgarian-Greek drama Glory (Slava) and Us documentary The Eagle Huntress.
The Hamptons International Film Festival has given is Best Narrative Feature award to Bulgarian-Greek drama Glory (Slava) (pictured), directed by Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov and its Best Documentary Feature award to Us entry The Eagle Huntress, directed by Otto Bell.
French-Qatari crime story Divines, from Houda Benyamina, and Denmark’s Those Who Jump, from Estephan Wagner, Moritz Siebert and Abou Bakar Sidibé got honourable mentions in, respectively, the narrative feature and documentary feature categories.
The festival’s Tangerine Entertainment Juice Fund Award, which honours an outstanding female narrative filmmakers, went to Wakefield, directed by Robin Swicord.
Other winners announced in the festival’s East Hampton awards ceremony included:
Hiff Award Winner for Best Narrative Short Film presented by the Wall Street Journal
The Silence (Il Silenzio), directed by Ali Asgari and Farnoosh Samadi.
Hiff Award Winner...
The Hamptons International Film Festival has given is Best Narrative Feature award to Bulgarian-Greek drama Glory (Slava) (pictured), directed by Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov and its Best Documentary Feature award to Us entry The Eagle Huntress, directed by Otto Bell.
French-Qatari crime story Divines, from Houda Benyamina, and Denmark’s Those Who Jump, from Estephan Wagner, Moritz Siebert and Abou Bakar Sidibé got honourable mentions in, respectively, the narrative feature and documentary feature categories.
The festival’s Tangerine Entertainment Juice Fund Award, which honours an outstanding female narrative filmmakers, went to Wakefield, directed by Robin Swicord.
Other winners announced in the festival’s East Hampton awards ceremony included:
Hiff Award Winner for Best Narrative Short Film presented by the Wall Street Journal
The Silence (Il Silenzio), directed by Ali Asgari and Farnoosh Samadi.
Hiff Award Winner...
- 10/10/2016
- ScreenDaily
In a world torn by conflict and chaos, determined optimism can be hard to come by, but a new documentary tells the story of two groups of people who strive to challenge the status quo. “Disturbing The Peace” follows former enemy combatants – Israeli soldiers from the most elite units, and Palestinian fighters, many of whom served years in prison – who have come together to to found Combatants for Peace, a group dedicated to promote human rights and peace for all. They are the only bipartisan, non-violent activist group of enemy combatants working together in an ongoing armed conflict in the world today. Watch an exclusive trailer for the film below.
Read More: Ebertfest Announces Final Slate, Including ‘Grandma’ and ‘Love & Mercy’
The film is directed by Stephen Apkon and Andrew Young. Young’s 1994 film “Children of Fate: Life and Death in a Sicilian Family” won the Grand Jury Prize at...
Read More: Ebertfest Announces Final Slate, Including ‘Grandma’ and ‘Love & Mercy’
The film is directed by Stephen Apkon and Andrew Young. Young’s 1994 film “Children of Fate: Life and Death in a Sicilian Family” won the Grand Jury Prize at...
- 9/7/2016
- by Vikram Murthi
- Indiewire
Plus: Kino Lorber acquires The Daughter; Aspen Film appoints industry trio for flagship events; and more…
Voltage Pictures CEO Nicolas Chartier announced on Wednesday that the company has entered into an exclusive arrangement with Alissa Phillips to make features, TV series and mini-series.
Phillips will work alongside the Voltage production team of partner and president of Voltage Productions Craig Flores, Voltage Pictures president of production Zev Foreman, and senior vice-president Dom Rustam.
Prior to Voltage Phillips was a producer with Michael De Luca where she produced Moneyball, Dracula Untold and Butter. She is serving as executive producer on the Focus Features film On The Brinks.
“We are incredibly excited to have Alissa work with us. Her studio experience and multi layered production experience will be a great compliment to our existing team,” said Chartier (pictured).
“I’m delighted to join the Voltage team,” said Philips. “I’ve admired Nicolas’ award-winning work from afar for some time and...
Voltage Pictures CEO Nicolas Chartier announced on Wednesday that the company has entered into an exclusive arrangement with Alissa Phillips to make features, TV series and mini-series.
Phillips will work alongside the Voltage production team of partner and president of Voltage Productions Craig Flores, Voltage Pictures president of production Zev Foreman, and senior vice-president Dom Rustam.
Prior to Voltage Phillips was a producer with Michael De Luca where she produced Moneyball, Dracula Untold and Butter. She is serving as executive producer on the Focus Features film On The Brinks.
“We are incredibly excited to have Alissa work with us. Her studio experience and multi layered production experience will be a great compliment to our existing team,” said Chartier (pictured).
“I’m delighted to join the Voltage team,” said Philips. “I’ve admired Nicolas’ award-winning work from afar for some time and...
- 7/20/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Ebertfest opens today, and we've got a quick overview of the featured films: Paul Weitz's Grandma, Michael Polish's Northfork, Carol Reed's The Third Man, Stephen Apkon and Andrew Young's Disturbing the Peace, Marcel L’Herbier's L'Inhumane with live accompaniment by The Alloy Orchestra, Kasi Lemmons's Eve's Bayou, Paul Cox's Force of Destiny, Rebecca Parrish's Radical Grace, Bill Pohlad’s Love and Mercy, Brian De Palma's Blow Out and Oscar Micheaux's Body and Soul, featuring Paul Robeson's onscreen debut. » - David Hudson...
- 4/13/2016
- Keyframe
Ebertfest opens today, and we've got a quick overview of the featured films: Paul Weitz's Grandma, Michael Polish's Northfork, Carol Reed's The Third Man, Stephen Apkon and Andrew Young's Disturbing the Peace, Marcel L’Herbier's L'Inhumane with live accompaniment by The Alloy Orchestra, Kasi Lemmons's Eve's Bayou, Paul Cox's Force of Destiny, Rebecca Parrish's Radical Grace, Bill Pohlad’s Love and Mercy, Brian De Palma's Blow Out and Oscar Micheaux's Body and Soul, featuring Paul Robeson's onscreen debut. » - David Hudson...
- 4/13/2016
- Fandor: Keyframe
Buffalo Bills player Tony Steward revealed Tuesday that his fiancée has died after battling cancer at the age of 26. In a heartfelt and emotional Instagram post, the linebacker paid tribute to his bride-to-be Brittany Burns, a former Clemson rower. "Brittany Ann Steward! Wow Beautiful is the only way I know you," he captioned a photo of Burns. "You have the biggest heart I have ever seen in my entire life and I promise you that it will live on in me, our family and every single soul you have touched. According to Syracuse.com Burns was diagnosed with a rare...
- 2/3/2016
- by Naja Rayne, @najarayne
- PEOPLE.com
[[tmz:video id="0_61yn8u5o"]] It was Usher to the rescue when Hillary Clinton's campaign stop was nearly derailed by protesters yelling and singing through her speech. It went down Friday afternoon in South Carolina ... where Clinton was joined by Usher, Congressman John Lewis and Andrew Young. Just as she took the podium ... a group of young people marched in and started chanting, "black lives matter!" It gets pretty tense in the video as Hillary's followers tried to drown out the haters.
- 10/30/2015
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
“A Song of Ice and Fire” books are long, they’re laboriously detailed, and if George R. R. Martin dies before the series is finished, it will be the greatest tragedy of modern fantasy storytelling. It is known. In fact, it’s so widely known that putting pressure on Martin to stop doing any activities other than ones that lead to the completion of the books has become a loud, necessary cri de coeur for fans. Not only is it accepted, it’s a fan’s duty — when he or she sees Martin at a Game of Thrones red carpet or at a signing event — to tell him to get the fuck back to work. Fortunately, a filmmaking team headed by Andy Young (of Keith and Heath fame) has taken inspiration from Multiplicity to toy with the cultural frustration in a fun, inventive way. As a bonus, Zero Charisma‘s Sam Eidson plays Martin (and all of...
- 1/12/2015
- by Scott Beggs
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
It was inevitable, with so many inspired-by-a-true-story films in the Oscar race, that there would be grumbling about the inaccuracies of various awards-contending movies. This year, however, all those complaints seemed to emerge at once, mostly during the past week. And the gripes are especially bitter, seemingly aimed not just at questioning the movies' factuality but also at sabotaging their chances of winning awards. It's this sort of mudslinging that has many observers wondering if those who complain are actually doing the bidding of campaigners for competing films and performers.
The loudest trash talk last week came from gold-medal-winning Olympic wrestler Mark Schultz, who is played by Channing Tatum in the awards-contender "Foxcatcher." Noticing that reviewers of the recently-released films have found a subtext of homosexuality in the movie (though it's all in the way that creepy coach John du Pont, played by Steve Carell, behaves toward Schultz, and not...
The loudest trash talk last week came from gold-medal-winning Olympic wrestler Mark Schultz, who is played by Channing Tatum in the awards-contender "Foxcatcher." Noticing that reviewers of the recently-released films have found a subtext of homosexuality in the movie (though it's all in the way that creepy coach John du Pont, played by Steve Carell, behaves toward Schultz, and not...
- 1/5/2015
- by Gary Susman
- Moviefone
As Jeff Labreque reflects, "Selma' examines one of the most tense and pivotal moments in Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life and the civil rights movement: the proposed march from Selma, Ala., to the state capitol of Montgomery to protest the systematic disenfranchisement and intimidation of African-Americans in the South ... Director Ava DuVernay focused her film on King and the men and women who literally risked their lives by walking across the Edmund Pettus Bridge and were greeted by state troopers who viciously bludgeoned them while TV cameras captured it all. In an exclusive behind-the-scenes featurette about the film and the actual history, men like Andrew Young and John Lewis who were there, as well as the cast and crew, discuss the importance of bringing a film about Selma and King to the screen in 2014." EW -Break- Updated: Experts' Oscars predictions in 24 categories For Sasha ...
- 12/31/2014
- Gold Derby
Beverly Hills — Get ready to hear a lot more about actor David Oyelowo. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Ava DuVernay's "Selma," which sounded a thunder clap upon arrival at this year's AFI Fest, he exhibits a presence and a commitment that is sure to keep him in the thick of the Best Actor Oscar discussion. And according to him, it was sort of pre-ordained. Oyelowo is a relaxing personality to be around, prim, proper, but thoughtful and inviting. He spoke at length recently about coveting the role of Dr. King and his desire to imbue his own sense of faith with a character, a man, who himself was clearly so driven by a higher power. It was that higher power, Oyelowo says, who told him he would one day take on the role, even when other directors weren't so sure. The journey of this project has been a long one for him.
- 11/25/2014
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Hitfix
André Holland is used to playing pioneers. In last year’s 42, he portrayed Wendell Smith, an African-American sportswriter who chronicled the rise of Jackie Robinson. In the upcoming Selma, we’ll see him as former Atlanta mayor and Civil Rights pioneer Andrew Young. Then there’s his current role on the Steven Soderbergh period medical drama The Knick: Holland plays Dr. Algernon Edwards, one of the country’s only black surgeons. Edwards faces the kind of discrimination you’d expect a minority doctor to face at the turn of the century, but he finds himself stuck in the middle, excoriated by fellow blacks for his “fancy shoes and clothes” and looked down upon by whites — including his own boss, Dr. John Thackery (Clive Owen) — for trying his hand at an educated profession. Holland rang up Vulture to discuss the racism his character faces, the show’s gory surgery scenes,...
- 9/28/2014
- by Alex Suskind
- Vulture
Gather 'round for your first look at one awards contender - the film Selma, directed by Ava DuVernay, starring David Oyelowo as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. With the awards season kicking off next month, many films lining up are finally starting to be unveiled and this is yet another on the docket. Selma follows Oyelowo as Martin Luther King, Jr. on his historic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in 1965. While one shot gives us a close look at Oyelowo and Carmen Ejogo as his wife Coretta Scott King, the second one features quite the ensemble line-up: Tessa Thompson plays Diane Nash, Omar Dorsey plays James Orange, Colman Domingo plays Ralph Abernathy, André Holland plays Andrew Young, Corey Reynolds plays Rev. C.T. Vivian, and Lorraine Toussaint plays Amelia Boynton. See both images below. Here's the first two photos from Ava DuVernay's Selma, revealed by Paramount Pictures (via SlashFilm...
- 8/22/2014
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Why Watch? Do you have a best friend? Probably not as best as Keith’s best friend Heath and Heath’s best friend Keith. These best friends are the best best friends. They’re also twins, and they’re also puppets. This imaginative short film from Andy Young thrives due to sheer cheekiness, parodic levels of sunshine and a hint of Adult Swim’s DNA. It’s a bowl of sugary children’s cereal spiked with whiskey and set loose on Saturday morning. Jon Cozart voices the titular stars of Keith and Heath, complete with their signature gag and a manic sense of comic joy that infects the entire cast. A wrench gets thrown into the happy story when the brothers face the difficult choice of living apart from one another, but the bulk of the short film doesn’t worry about plot, using it like a rag doll instead of a storytelling tool. Instead...
- 5/27/2014
- by Scott Beggs
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Rapper/actor Common is on his way to Ava DuVernay's Selma, to play James Bevel, the civil rights activist who helped set up 1963's "children's crusade" in Birmingham, Alabama, which was a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement. Common joins David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King Jr., Carmen Ejogo as Coretta Scott King, Tom Wilkinson as President Lyndon B. Johnson, Ledisi as Mahalia Jackson, Keith Stanfield as Jimmie Lee Jackson, Henry G. Sanders playing Cager Lee, Jimmie Lee Jackson's grandfather, Andre Holland as Andrew Young, and Tessa Thompson as Diane...
- 5/12/2014
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Untitled Howard Hughes Project
Alec Baldwin is set to join Warren Beatty's untitled Howard Hughes project, portraying his lawyer Bob Mayhew. Martin Sheen, Matthew Broderick, Annette Bening, Alden Ehrenreich and Lily Collins which deals with a love story between Hughes' young assistant (Ehrenreich) and a woman he is seeing (Collins). [Source: Deadline]
American Express
Charlize Theron is in talks to both star in and produce the indie movie "American Express" which Nash Edgerton ("The Square") will direct. Story details are being kept under wraps. [Source: The Wrap]
Sand Castles
Toby Kebbell ("Fantastic Four," "The Escape Artist") will join Nicholas Hoult in Seb Edwards' Iraq war drama "Sand Castle" for Umedia. Shooting kicks off in October in South Africa and Italy.
Iraq war veteran Chris Roessner penned the script is based on real events experienced by a platoon (led by Kebbell's character) sent to repair an aqueduct in the dangerous and remote village of Baqubah,...
Alec Baldwin is set to join Warren Beatty's untitled Howard Hughes project, portraying his lawyer Bob Mayhew. Martin Sheen, Matthew Broderick, Annette Bening, Alden Ehrenreich and Lily Collins which deals with a love story between Hughes' young assistant (Ehrenreich) and a woman he is seeing (Collins). [Source: Deadline]
American Express
Charlize Theron is in talks to both star in and produce the indie movie "American Express" which Nash Edgerton ("The Square") will direct. Story details are being kept under wraps. [Source: The Wrap]
Sand Castles
Toby Kebbell ("Fantastic Four," "The Escape Artist") will join Nicholas Hoult in Seb Edwards' Iraq war drama "Sand Castle" for Umedia. Shooting kicks off in October in South Africa and Italy.
Iraq war veteran Chris Roessner penned the script is based on real events experienced by a platoon (led by Kebbell's character) sent to repair an aqueduct in the dangerous and remote village of Baqubah,...
- 5/11/2014
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Andre Holland has joined the cast of Ava DuVernay's upcoming Mlk drama Selma, to play politician Andrew Young, who served was Executive Director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (Sclc) during the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, and was a supporter and friend of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He was a strategist and negotiator during the Civil Rights Campaigns that resulted in the passage of the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act. He was also with King in Memphis, Tennessee, when King was assassinated in 1968. And also Tessa Thompson has been cast as Diane Nash, a founding member of the Student Nonviolent...
- 5/8/2014
- by Natasha Greeves
- ShadowAndAct
Actor Andre Holland has joined the cast of Paramount’s drama “Selma”, about the civil rights movement of 1965 and Martin Luther King Jr’s voting rights campaign. The story hones in on black marchers’ attempts to move from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama and gain their voting rights, the police responding with force. Holland will be playing politician and activist Andrew Young in the film, who worked closely with King during the movement. He joins a strong ensemble including David Oyelowo (“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”) in the momentous role of King Jr., Carmen Ejogo (“Away We Go”) as Coretta [...]
The post Andre Holland Joins Civil Rights Drama ‘Selma’ appeared first on Up and Comers.
The post Andre Holland Joins Civil Rights Drama ‘Selma’ appeared first on Up and Comers.
- 5/8/2014
- by Layla Hedges
- UpandComers
• Rebel Wilson (Pitch Perfect) is attached to star in a re-imagining of the now-classic 1980 Goldie Hawn comedy Private Benjamin. In the original, scripted by Nancy Meyers, after Judy Benjamin’s husband dies on their wedding night, a recruiting agent tricks the prissy widower into enlisting in the U.S. Army. It’s obviously not what she expected. The new take finds a “redneck” (Wilson) and a city girl who enlist in the Marines as an escape from their lives. [Den of Geek; The Wrap]
• NBA superstar LeBron James has signed on to join the cast of Judd Apatow’s Trainwreck. Method Man is reportedly on board too.
• NBA superstar LeBron James has signed on to join the cast of Judd Apatow’s Trainwreck. Method Man is reportedly on board too.
- 5/8/2014
- by Lindsey Bahr
- EW - Inside Movies
Bounce TV (www.bouncetv.com) has announced that the network will honor Black History Month in February with a month-long programming tribute that will include: a series of vignettes featuring influential African Americans like Andrew Young, Representative John Lewis (D-ga), rapper, entrepreneur and actor Ludacris and others, all sharing their thoughts and perspectives on famous African American figures as well as the films being featured. Ambassador Young, who is among the Founding Group and Board of Directors of Bounce TV, commented, “Bounce TV celebrates the African American community every day of the year. At the same time, it is important as the country focuses...
- 1/29/2014
- ShadowAndAct
Following the death of former South African President Nelson Mandela on Thursday, Hollywood took a moment to express their condolences.
Related: Nelson Mandela Dies
Vice President Joe Biden: "Nelson Mandela once said, 'A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.' Mandela's wisdom and compassion were formidable enough to change the world. First his courage and then his forgiveness inspired us all, and challenged us to do better. In the words of the South African poet Peter Horn, he 'dreamed the world another way.' I saw his world the way it used to be when I visited South Africa as a 34 year old Senator. When I exited the plane I was directed to one side of the tarmac, while the African American congressmen traveling with me were sent to the other side. I refused to break off, and the officials finally relented. When I tried to enter Soweto township with Congressmen...
Related: Nelson Mandela Dies
Vice President Joe Biden: "Nelson Mandela once said, 'A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.' Mandela's wisdom and compassion were formidable enough to change the world. First his courage and then his forgiveness inspired us all, and challenged us to do better. In the words of the South African poet Peter Horn, he 'dreamed the world another way.' I saw his world the way it used to be when I visited South Africa as a 34 year old Senator. When I exited the plane I was directed to one side of the tarmac, while the African American congressmen traveling with me were sent to the other side. I refused to break off, and the officials finally relented. When I tried to enter Soweto township with Congressmen...
- 12/5/2013
- Entertainment Tonight
Congratulations to Robin Bronk are due, not only for being honored at Jesse Jackson's 72nd birthday, but for her good work year round, bringing the entertainment community face to face with the issues of education in America today.
The Creative Coalition is the premiere nonprofit, nonpartisan social and public advocacy organization of the arts and entertainment community. Founded in 1989 by prominent members of the creative community, The Creative Coalition is dedicated to educating, mobilizing, and activating its members on issues of public importance, primarily public education, the First Amendment, and arts advocacy. Actor Tim Daly serves as the organization’s President. As CEO, Bronk is dedicated to educating and mobilizing members of The Creative Coalition on issues of public importance. As a seasoned Capitol Hill strategist, she has represented The Creative Coalition at numerous Congressional Hearings, and the White House. Bronk is an author and a frequent public speaker.
She produced the feature film airing on Showtime, Poliwood, directed by Academy Award-winner Barry Levinson. She also produced the award-winning Watch What You Watch PSA campaign addressing girls and body image. Bronk pens a weekly “Five Minutes…” column for The Hill newspaper. Bronk grew up in Clemson, South Carolina and received her Bachelor of Arts degree from The Pennsylvania State University. She resides in New York with her three daughters.
The Rainbow Push Coalition and the Citizenship Education Fund held their Annual Awards Gala , Friday, November 22, 2013 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. The event celebrated Rev. Jackson’s 72nd birthday and his lifetime of service in the struggle for civil and human rights at home and abroad. Significantly, Rev. Jackson just returned from meaningful visits to Nigeria, South Africa, and Brazil, addressing the critical issues facing the African Diaspora, and drawing links to the plight of African- Americans at home.
This year also marks critical landmark struggles in the U.S., from the fight to protect the Voting Rights Act from the Supreme Court decision, to commemorating the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and the Church bombings in Birmingham, to critical movements to protect the Affordable Care Act from the current onslaught in Congress.
Robin Bronk, CEO, The Creative Coalition was honored along with Lysa Heslov, Founder and Executive Director of Children Mending Hearts; Steve McKeever, music producer and CEO of Hidden Beach Records; Lester McKeever, Principal of Washington, Pittman and McKeever; Andrew Young, former Us Ambassador to the Un; Rev. Joseph Bryant, Senior Pastor, Calvary Hill Community Church; Jeffrey David Cox, Sr., National President, American Federation of Government Employees/AFL-CIO; Thomas Saenz, President and General Counsel, Maldef.
Music was performed by Jin Jin Reevs and Hitzville.
Proceeds from the gala celebration are being directed to the commitment to providing scholarships for students across the country, to expand their higher education opportunities.
The Creative Coalition is the premiere nonprofit, nonpartisan social and public advocacy organization of the arts and entertainment community. Founded in 1989 by prominent members of the creative community, The Creative Coalition is dedicated to educating, mobilizing, and activating its members on issues of public importance, primarily public education, the First Amendment, and arts advocacy. Actor Tim Daly serves as the organization’s President. As CEO, Bronk is dedicated to educating and mobilizing members of The Creative Coalition on issues of public importance. As a seasoned Capitol Hill strategist, she has represented The Creative Coalition at numerous Congressional Hearings, and the White House. Bronk is an author and a frequent public speaker.
She produced the feature film airing on Showtime, Poliwood, directed by Academy Award-winner Barry Levinson. She also produced the award-winning Watch What You Watch PSA campaign addressing girls and body image. Bronk pens a weekly “Five Minutes…” column for The Hill newspaper. Bronk grew up in Clemson, South Carolina and received her Bachelor of Arts degree from The Pennsylvania State University. She resides in New York with her three daughters.
The Rainbow Push Coalition and the Citizenship Education Fund held their Annual Awards Gala , Friday, November 22, 2013 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. The event celebrated Rev. Jackson’s 72nd birthday and his lifetime of service in the struggle for civil and human rights at home and abroad. Significantly, Rev. Jackson just returned from meaningful visits to Nigeria, South Africa, and Brazil, addressing the critical issues facing the African Diaspora, and drawing links to the plight of African- Americans at home.
This year also marks critical landmark struggles in the U.S., from the fight to protect the Voting Rights Act from the Supreme Court decision, to commemorating the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and the Church bombings in Birmingham, to critical movements to protect the Affordable Care Act from the current onslaught in Congress.
Robin Bronk, CEO, The Creative Coalition was honored along with Lysa Heslov, Founder and Executive Director of Children Mending Hearts; Steve McKeever, music producer and CEO of Hidden Beach Records; Lester McKeever, Principal of Washington, Pittman and McKeever; Andrew Young, former Us Ambassador to the Un; Rev. Joseph Bryant, Senior Pastor, Calvary Hill Community Church; Jeffrey David Cox, Sr., National President, American Federation of Government Employees/AFL-CIO; Thomas Saenz, President and General Counsel, Maldef.
Music was performed by Jin Jin Reevs and Hitzville.
Proceeds from the gala celebration are being directed to the commitment to providing scholarships for students across the country, to expand their higher education opportunities.
- 11/25/2013
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
With Lee Daniels tackling a large swath of American history and racial politics in one fell swoop with his upcoming "The Butler"-or-insert-new-title-here, perhaps he already scratched his Civil Rights itch. In fact, back in 2010, he had already said he wasn't keen on doing two movies about the same subject back-to-back. If you remember, he was once slated to direct the Martin Luther King drama "Selma," and it was oh so promising. Had it come together, the historical drama would've looked something like this: David Oyelowo playing Martin Luther King, Hugh Jackman signed up as Sheriff Jim Clark, Liam Neeson portraying Lyndon Johnson; Robert De Niro attached to star as racist governor George Wallace; Cedric The Entertainer was set to play minister and activist Ralph Abernathy while Lenny Kravitz was also on board as activist Andrew Young. Well, financing didn't arrive and it all fell apart but...
- 7/11/2013
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
The academic world will not forget about Dre. Music industry icons Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre are giving $70 million to create an undergraduate academy at USC, announced the university. The USC Jimmy Iovine and Andrew Young Academy for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation will focus on four core curriculum areas: Arts and Entrepreneurship; Technology, Design and Marketability; Concept and Business Platforms; and Creating a Prototype. "The vision and generosity of Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young will profoundly influence the way all of us perceive and experience artistic media," said USC...
- 5/15/2013
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
Abe Jones, a Superior Court judge in Wake County, N.C. who presided over a high-profile case involving former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards' mistress and an infamous sex-tape, was voted off the bench earlier this month after 17 years of service.
In an exit interview with the Raleigh News and Observer, Jones revealed one of the more uncomfortable moments of the memorable lawsuit filed by Rielle Hunter, the woman who was uncovered as the mother of Edwards' child after a lengthy coverup.
When Andrew Young, the former Edwards aide being sued by Hunter, eventually turned over the video purporting to show Hunter and Edwards in the act, it quickly became the centerpiece of the case.
But Jones told the News and Observer that he refused to watch it.
“I just didn’t want to do it,” Jones said. “I sometimes see [Edwards] socially. I would feel like I was in his bedroom.
In an exit interview with the Raleigh News and Observer, Jones revealed one of the more uncomfortable moments of the memorable lawsuit filed by Rielle Hunter, the woman who was uncovered as the mother of Edwards' child after a lengthy coverup.
When Andrew Young, the former Edwards aide being sued by Hunter, eventually turned over the video purporting to show Hunter and Edwards in the act, it quickly became the centerpiece of the case.
But Jones told the News and Observer that he refused to watch it.
“I just didn’t want to do it,” Jones said. “I sometimes see [Edwards] socially. I would feel like I was in his bedroom.
- 11/29/2012
- by Nick Wing
- Huffington Post
By Cristina Recino
Miley Cyrus paid homage to President Theodore Roosevelt with her latest ink, an excerpt from a speech he gave at the Sorbonne, Paris in 1910.
>> Miley Cyrus' Marriage Equality Finger Tattoo Causes Controversy
Situated on the 19-year-old former "Hannah Montana's" left forearm, the new ink reads: "So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."
>> 6 More Presidential Quotes For Miley Cyrus Tattoos (from MTV Guy Code Blog)
But who says Miley is the only one who should find tattoo inspiration in unlikely places? Here are some politicians that should take the cue from the future Mrs. Hemsworth and get some ink of their own … using lyrics from Miley's tracks that we think might have special meaning for them.
Sarah Palin
To all those haters out there: “Who says I can’t be President? I say,...
Miley Cyrus paid homage to President Theodore Roosevelt with her latest ink, an excerpt from a speech he gave at the Sorbonne, Paris in 1910.
>> Miley Cyrus' Marriage Equality Finger Tattoo Causes Controversy
Situated on the 19-year-old former "Hannah Montana's" left forearm, the new ink reads: "So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."
>> 6 More Presidential Quotes For Miley Cyrus Tattoos (from MTV Guy Code Blog)
But who says Miley is the only one who should find tattoo inspiration in unlikely places? Here are some politicians that should take the cue from the future Mrs. Hemsworth and get some ink of their own … using lyrics from Miley's tracks that we think might have special meaning for them.
Sarah Palin
To all those haters out there: “Who says I can’t be President? I say,...
- 7/13/2012
- by MTV News
- MTV Newsroom
John Edwards has never spoken publicly about his feelings for Rielle Hunter, but new testimony offers insight into his relationship with his mistress with whom he has a daughter. His former speechwriter Wendy Button testified Tuesday at the former senator's campaign corruption trial, saying that Edwards admitted he loved Hunter - though described the relationship as "complicated." Edwards spoke about the relationship when answering mock questions as he practiced what he would say during a press conference where he planned to admit he fathered a child with Hunter. "Do you love Rielle?" Button testified she asked Edwards as Button was...
- 5/9/2012
- by Sharon Cotliar
- PEOPLE.com
The judge residing in John Edwards’ trial, Catherine Eagles, rejected the bid by the former North Carolina senator’s previous mistress to restrict what the court and public could hear about the sex tape the two made together, ABC News is reporting. While the judge ruled earlier that the video itself was inadmissible in court, and will not be introduced during the trial, testimony about it can be made. Edwards’ former mistress, Rielle Hunter, who was a videographer on his failed bid for the presidency in 2007, is expected to testify in the trial. The video was first introduced when Edwards’ lawyer, Abbe Lowell, was questioning key prosecution witness Andrew Young [ Read More ]...
- 4/27/2012
- by Karen Benardello
- ShockYa
Former senator John Edwards lashed out at his mistress when he found out she was pregnant with his baby, saying the child had a 'one-in-three chance' of being his. Can you believe it?! John Edwards, 58, went off on an angry tirade, calling his mistress Rielle Hunter "a crazy slut" when she revealed he got her pregnant during their 2007 affair, Edwards' former aide testified April 24. The former Democratic presidential candidate was "angry and concerned," when he found out about the baby, his former aide Andrew Young said, calling Edwards a "master manipulator." Edwards is on trial for allegedly misusing $1 million campaign donations to keep his affair a secret during his 2008 campaign. He faces a lengthy prison sentence if convicted. What do You think, HollywoodLifers? Should John Edwards go to jail? -- Kaydi Poirier More John Edwards John Edwards Accused of Hiring Escorts While Married And Running For President John Edwards & Mistress...
- 4/25/2012
- by Kaydi Poirier
- HollywoodLife
Legendary civil rights campaigner Martin Luther King, Jr. loved telling "racial jokes" about himself and members of his entourage, according to folk singer Joan Baez.
The veteran musician is a keen human rights activist and spent time with King, Jr. ahead of the 1963 March On Washington rally, where he delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech.
In an interview with Uncut magazine, Baez is asked to reveal a secret about the assassinated campaigner, and she recalls how she was stunned to hear him "ragging on" pals including Jesse Jackson and telling controversial jokes.
Baez says, "Before performing at the March On Washington I spent a lot of time with Dr. King. In private, he and his lieutenants - Jesse Jackson, Andrew Young and others - were constantly ragging on each other and telling racial jokes about themselves! Totally not PC. I'd be standing there with my mouth open thinking, 'Oh dear, we're not supposed to say these things', and they'd just be howling!
"I remember myself and Andy Young picking up Dr. King before a conference. He gets in the car and they start telling dirty jokes. They were giggling and laughing all the way to the conference... Obviously, guys like that can't afford to horse around on camera, so they save it all up for backstage. Any politician who doesn't, I sure as hell don't wanna vote for them!"...
The veteran musician is a keen human rights activist and spent time with King, Jr. ahead of the 1963 March On Washington rally, where he delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech.
In an interview with Uncut magazine, Baez is asked to reveal a secret about the assassinated campaigner, and she recalls how she was stunned to hear him "ragging on" pals including Jesse Jackson and telling controversial jokes.
Baez says, "Before performing at the March On Washington I spent a lot of time with Dr. King. In private, he and his lieutenants - Jesse Jackson, Andrew Young and others - were constantly ragging on each other and telling racial jokes about themselves! Totally not PC. I'd be standing there with my mouth open thinking, 'Oh dear, we're not supposed to say these things', and they'd just be howling!
"I remember myself and Andy Young picking up Dr. King before a conference. He gets in the car and they start telling dirty jokes. They were giggling and laughing all the way to the conference... Obviously, guys like that can't afford to horse around on camera, so they save it all up for backstage. Any politician who doesn't, I sure as hell don't wanna vote for them!"...
- 1/3/2012
- WENN
Philadelphia -- The nation's first free broadcast network targeting African-American audiences arrived in the nation's fourth-largest media market on Thursday.
Atlanta-based Bounce TV is an over-the-air free channel supported by sponsors and is geared toward black viewers ages 25 to 54. Unlike cable channels, Bounce TV is one of a growing number of networks carried on the broadcast digital signals of local television stations.
Bounce TV executives – among them Martin Luther King III and former Atlanta mayor and U.N. ambassador Andrew Young – said the new network's targeted demographic is vastly underserved and hungers for positive programming that speaks to them.
"I believe that a network, while its primary purpose is entertainment, can have a balance so that there is information or education, or `edutainment,' that is created by certain content," King said at a news conference Thursday to publicize Bounce TV's launch on Lenfest Broadcasting's Wmcn-tv in Philadelphia, ranked by the Nielsen Co.
Atlanta-based Bounce TV is an over-the-air free channel supported by sponsors and is geared toward black viewers ages 25 to 54. Unlike cable channels, Bounce TV is one of a growing number of networks carried on the broadcast digital signals of local television stations.
Bounce TV executives – among them Martin Luther King III and former Atlanta mayor and U.N. ambassador Andrew Young – said the new network's targeted demographic is vastly underserved and hungers for positive programming that speaks to them.
"I believe that a network, while its primary purpose is entertainment, can have a balance so that there is information or education, or `edutainment,' that is created by certain content," King said at a news conference Thursday to publicize Bounce TV's launch on Lenfest Broadcasting's Wmcn-tv in Philadelphia, ranked by the Nielsen Co.
- 12/1/2011
- by AP
- Huffington Post
Several big names in music and politics are going to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Dedication on August 28 at West Potomac Park in Washington D.C. on the 48th anniversary of the March on Washington and the classic “I Have A Dream” speech. The celebrities on tap to be celebrity co-chairs are Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Berry Gordy, Jr., George Lucas, Jamie Foxx and Clarence Avant. Other movers and shakers in politics and civil rights will be present at the ceremony. According to the press release: Members of the King Family, civil rights leaders including Congressman John Lewis, Ambassador Andy Young, Reverend Al...
- 8/5/2011
- by monique
- ShockYa
The former presidential candidate has just been indicted on six counts stemming from his attempt to cover up his affair with Rielle Hunter. Who's defending Edwards, how strong is the federal case, and why didn't he take a plea deal? The Daily Beast answers those and other key questions about the case.
Plus, Howard Kurtz has an exclusive report on Edwards' money trail.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Weinergate: The Movie
After a two-year investigation, a grand jury indicted former senator and two-time presidential candidate John Edwards for violating campaign finance laws in his attempt to cover up an affair with former staffer Rielle Hunter.
Edwards pleaded not guilty on Friday-though he admitted some obvious wrongdoing. "There is no question that I have done wrong," Edwards said in a brief statement to reporters in North Carolina. "But I did not break the law."
What is he being charged with?...
Plus, Howard Kurtz has an exclusive report on Edwards' money trail.
Related story on The Daily Beast: Weinergate: The Movie
After a two-year investigation, a grand jury indicted former senator and two-time presidential candidate John Edwards for violating campaign finance laws in his attempt to cover up an affair with former staffer Rielle Hunter.
Edwards pleaded not guilty on Friday-though he admitted some obvious wrongdoing. "There is no question that I have done wrong," Edwards said in a brief statement to reporters in North Carolina. "But I did not break the law."
What is he being charged with?...
- 6/3/2011
- by The Daily Beast
- The Daily Beast
John Edwards faces criminal charges regarding hundreds of thousands of dollars used to hide his love affair with Rielle Hunter during the 2008 Presidential Election. What was he thinking!?
John Edwards has been indicted after a 2 year investigation regarding hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions which were allegedly kept from public records during the 2008 Presidential Campaign. John is being represented by Greg Craig, who was formerly President Barack Obama’s first white house counsel. Will John plead guilty?
John’s former aide Andrew Young, initially was said to be the father of John’s love child with Rielle. Andrew Young has since claimed that he was given a large sum of money from donors to help keep John’s affair a secret! Rielle herself was also alegedly paid to keep quiet, too!
There should be a club for guys like John Edwards and Arnold Schwarzenegger! Don’t they know the truth always surfaces?...
John Edwards has been indicted after a 2 year investigation regarding hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions which were allegedly kept from public records during the 2008 Presidential Campaign. John is being represented by Greg Craig, who was formerly President Barack Obama’s first white house counsel. Will John plead guilty?
John’s former aide Andrew Young, initially was said to be the father of John’s love child with Rielle. Andrew Young has since claimed that he was given a large sum of money from donors to help keep John’s affair a secret! Rielle herself was also alegedly paid to keep quiet, too!
There should be a club for guys like John Edwards and Arnold Schwarzenegger! Don’t they know the truth always surfaces?...
- 6/3/2011
- by HL Intern
- HollywoodLife
A federal indictment is imminent for former Senator John Edwards, stemming from a two-year investigation into payments made by Edwards' campaign to his former mistress, Rielle Hunter.
The indictment could be averted if prosecutors and lawyers for Edwards reach a plea deal, sources confirm to CNN, but the Edwards is reluctant to plead guilty for fear of losing his legal license.
A source told CNN that Edwards "doesn't want to lose his license, not to...
The indictment could be averted if prosecutors and lawyers for Edwards reach a plea deal, sources confirm to CNN, but the Edwards is reluctant to plead guilty for fear of losing his legal license.
A source told CNN that Edwards "doesn't want to lose his license, not to...
- 5/25/2011
- Extra
Today is the 43rd anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., and, in a nice little stroke of irony, people are still being idiots! Universal has dropped the Scott Rudin-backed Mlk biopic Memphis, in development with Paul Greengrass (United 93) attached to direct, thanks to some controversy with the King estate.
Apparently Universal started getting frustrated when Andrew Young, a rep from the estate and personal contact of King's, refuted scenes in the Memphis script that depicted King's marital infidelities (which many legitimate sources that aren't the King estate claim as truth)
read more...
Apparently Universal started getting frustrated when Andrew Young, a rep from the estate and personal contact of King's, refuted scenes in the Memphis script that depicted King's marital infidelities (which many legitimate sources that aren't the King estate claim as truth)
read more...
- 4/5/2011
- by Anna Breslaw
- Filmology
Viewers would probably prefer a warts-and-all Dr King biopic. But his legacy is worth protecting
Question: what do Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and Martin Luther King Jr have in common? Answer: both are suspected of having plagiarised their PhD theses. A 1980s committee of investigation went further, in the case of Mlk, and put on record that his doctorate was undeserved. Had young Martin's examiners failed his thesis, as they should have done, and drummed him out of Boston University in disgrace, he could have gone on to dream all he wanted – and posterity would, for the larger part, never have heard of him.
King died, by a still-mysterious assassin's hand, 43 years ago today. And the dream he proclaimed on 28 August 1963 has gone some way to being realised, with an African American in the White House. It should be a time of rejoicing.
It isn't. It's a time of ignominious squabbling.
Question: what do Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and Martin Luther King Jr have in common? Answer: both are suspected of having plagiarised their PhD theses. A 1980s committee of investigation went further, in the case of Mlk, and put on record that his doctorate was undeserved. Had young Martin's examiners failed his thesis, as they should have done, and drummed him out of Boston University in disgrace, he could have gone on to dream all he wanted – and posterity would, for the larger part, never have heard of him.
King died, by a still-mysterious assassin's hand, 43 years ago today. And the dream he proclaimed on 28 August 1963 has gone some way to being realised, with an African American in the White House. It should be a time of rejoicing.
It isn't. It's a time of ignominious squabbling.
- 4/4/2011
- by John Sutherland
- The Guardian - Film News
Objections from King family members said to be behind studio's about-face over British director Paul Greengrass's film Memphis
Universal Pictures has pulled out of financing and distributing British director Paul Greengrass's film about Martin Luther King, reports say.
Greengrass's script for the film, titled Memphis, focuses on King's last days before he was assassinated on 4 April, 1968. Universal took on the project last month and filming was scheduled to start in June with an eye to a release for Martin Luther King weekend in 2012.
The studio was said to be citing concerns about scheduling and a tight timescale to explain its abandonment of Memphis, but Deadline speculates that objections from King's family may have played a part.
King is thought to have been experiencing some personal problems in the months before his death and one of his friends, Andrew Young, attacked the script's approach to this in the Independent.
Universal Pictures has pulled out of financing and distributing British director Paul Greengrass's film about Martin Luther King, reports say.
Greengrass's script for the film, titled Memphis, focuses on King's last days before he was assassinated on 4 April, 1968. Universal took on the project last month and filming was scheduled to start in June with an eye to a release for Martin Luther King weekend in 2012.
The studio was said to be citing concerns about scheduling and a tight timescale to explain its abandonment of Memphis, but Deadline speculates that objections from King's family may have played a part.
King is thought to have been experiencing some personal problems in the months before his death and one of his friends, Andrew Young, attacked the script's approach to this in the Independent.
- 4/4/2011
- by Ian J Griffiths
- The Guardian - Film News
Deadline Hollywood is reporting that Universal Pictures has dropped Paul Greengrass’ Martin Luther King, Jr. project Memphis. The studio picked up the film last month, and was hoping to production underway this June for a release around Martin Luther King, Jr’s birthday next year. According to Universal, they’re uncertain they could get the film out in time for next February, and have halted production because of that reason. However, Deadline is hearing that Mlk’s estate was pressuring to studio to stop the film, and that former confidante of the civil rights leader Andrew Young called the studio personally to object the film’s development.
There’s also word that Mlk’s family will be going public against their opposition to Greengrass’ script, and it was feared that would hurt the film’s performance at the box-office. But Greengrass is looking at other studios to finance the film regardless of this controversy.
There’s also word that Mlk’s family will be going public against their opposition to Greengrass’ script, and it was feared that would hurt the film’s performance at the box-office. But Greengrass is looking at other studios to finance the film regardless of this controversy.
- 4/3/2011
- by Matt Keith
- Killer Films
Paul Greengrass's Memphis has been dropped by Universal Pictures. The studio has changed it's mind and will no longer be financing and distributing the film about the final days and assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. Progress has stopped on the film scripted by Greengrass and produced by Scott Rudin. The studio had just picked up the film last month and planned to begin production in June to meet a release date of Mlk Weekend, 2012. Deadline reports that the studio has halted the movie because of timing and scheduling, and an uncertainty the film could be pulled together in time for next February.
The Mlk estate has also been unhappy with the project and is said to have been putting pressure on Universal. It's reported that Andrew Young, former confidante of the civil rights leader, reached out to the studio personally to register his objections. The same thing is...
The Mlk estate has also been unhappy with the project and is said to have been putting pressure on Universal. It's reported that Andrew Young, former confidante of the civil rights leader, reached out to the studio personally to register his objections. The same thing is...
- 4/2/2011
- by Tiberius
- GeekTyrant
Universal, the same studio who last month nipped in the bud an R-rated, $150 million ambitious horror adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s At The Mountains of Madness, to be directed by Guillermo Del Toro, produced by James Cameron and starring Tom Cruise – have just axed Memphis, a political drama about the final days of Martin Luther King Jr that would open with huge publicity on Mlk weekend 2012.
Paul Greengrass (Bourne Supremacy/Ultimatum, United 93) pitched from the ground-up, scripting the personal project that he was to direct and he must be royally pissed right now as this cancellation comes just months on the back of his failed attempt to get a Jimmi Hendrix biopic, starring Anthony Mackie, into production because the legendary rocker’s estate weren’t happy with the proposed plans.
Though we hear there is still hope for Memphis. Mega producer Scott Rudin (The Social Network, No Country For Old Men...
Paul Greengrass (Bourne Supremacy/Ultimatum, United 93) pitched from the ground-up, scripting the personal project that he was to direct and he must be royally pissed right now as this cancellation comes just months on the back of his failed attempt to get a Jimmi Hendrix biopic, starring Anthony Mackie, into production because the legendary rocker’s estate weren’t happy with the proposed plans.
Though we hear there is still hope for Memphis. Mega producer Scott Rudin (The Social Network, No Country For Old Men...
- 4/2/2011
- by Matt Holmes
- Obsessed with Film
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