For decades, the Gotham Awards have honored the best in independent film as decided by select committees of industry insiders, festival programmers, and media experts. In recent years they have expanded into TV, but in 2024, for the first time, they are holding a separate awards show dedicated to the best new television programs of the year. Scroll down for the complete list of inaugural nominees. Winners will be presented on Tuesday, June 4, in New York City.
Jeffrey Sharp, The Gotham’s Executive Director, said in a statement, “In a historic moment for The Gotham, we’re thrilled to recognize an extraordinary collection of TV series and the brilliant creators responsible for bringing them to the screen. As an organization dedicated to celebrating and nurturing independent media, we know the inaugural 2024 Gotham TV Awards will honor many truly deserving creatives while widening our reach and expanding our impact. We are enormously...
Jeffrey Sharp, The Gotham’s Executive Director, said in a statement, “In a historic moment for The Gotham, we’re thrilled to recognize an extraordinary collection of TV series and the brilliant creators responsible for bringing them to the screen. As an organization dedicated to celebrating and nurturing independent media, we know the inaugural 2024 Gotham TV Awards will honor many truly deserving creatives while widening our reach and expanding our impact. We are enormously...
- 5/14/2024
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
The Gotham Film & Media Institute announced today the nominations in seven competitive award categories for its inaugural Gotham TV Awards, recognizing a range of series, including Baby Reindeer, Ripley, The Curse, Shōgun, Bodkin, Mr. & Mrs. Smith and Black Twitter: A People’s History as well as performances from Emma Stone and Nathan Fielder in The Curse, Andrew Scott in Ripley, Kristen Wiig in Palm Royale, Richard Gadd in Baby Reindeer, and Lily Gladstone in Under The Bridge, among others. The awards ceremony is set for June 4 in NYC.
“In a historic moment for The Gotham, we’re thrilled to recognize an extraordinary collection of TV series and the brilliant creators responsible for bringing them to the screen,” said Jeffrey Sharp, The Gotham’s Executive Director.
The longstanding Gotham Awards is focused on film but includes three television categories. From here on, they will migrate to the new event.
“In a historic moment for The Gotham, we’re thrilled to recognize an extraordinary collection of TV series and the brilliant creators responsible for bringing them to the screen,” said Jeffrey Sharp, The Gotham’s Executive Director.
The longstanding Gotham Awards is focused on film but includes three television categories. From here on, they will migrate to the new event.
- 5/14/2024
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
The Gotham Film & Media Institute has announced the nominations for the first ever Gotham TV Awards taking place on Tuesday, June 4 at Cipriani 25 in New York City. With a focus on shows in their first seasons, the nominees selected by committees of film and television critics, journalists, festival programmers, and film curators feature a range of series, from “Baby Reindeer” to “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” and “Black Twitter: A People’s History,” as well as performances from Emma Stone and Nathan Fielder in “The Curse” to Kristen Wiig in “Palm Royale,” and Lily Gladstone in “Under The Bridge.”
“In a historic moment for The Gotham, we’re thrilled to recognize an extraordinary collection of TV series and the brilliant creators responsible for bringing them to the screen,” said Jeffrey Sharp, The Gotham’s Executive Director via statement. “As an organization dedicated to celebrating and nurturing independent media, we know the...
“In a historic moment for The Gotham, we’re thrilled to recognize an extraordinary collection of TV series and the brilliant creators responsible for bringing them to the screen,” said Jeffrey Sharp, The Gotham’s Executive Director via statement. “As an organization dedicated to celebrating and nurturing independent media, we know the...
- 5/14/2024
- by Marcus Jones
- Indiewire
The Gotham Film & Media Institute has announced its nominees in seven categories for the inaugural Gotham TV Awards.
Baby Reindeer, Ripley, The Curse, Shōgun, Bodkin, Mr. & Mrs. Smith and Black Twitter: A People’s History are among the nominees, with Emma Stone and Nathan Fielder (The Curse), Andrew Scott (Ripley), Kristen Wiig (Palm Royale), Richard Gadd (Baby Reindeer) and Lily Gladstone (Under the Bridge) receiving nods in the acting categories.
“In a historic moment for The Gotham, we’re thrilled to recognize an extraordinary collection of TV series and the brilliant creators responsible for bringing them to the screen,” said Jeffrey Sharp, the Gotham’s executive director. “As an organization dedicated to celebrating and nurturing independent media, we know the inaugural 2024 Gotham TV Awards will honor many truly deserving creatives while widening our reach and expanding our impact. We are enormously proud to celebrate the remarkable talent represented in today’s nominations.
Baby Reindeer, Ripley, The Curse, Shōgun, Bodkin, Mr. & Mrs. Smith and Black Twitter: A People’s History are among the nominees, with Emma Stone and Nathan Fielder (The Curse), Andrew Scott (Ripley), Kristen Wiig (Palm Royale), Richard Gadd (Baby Reindeer) and Lily Gladstone (Under the Bridge) receiving nods in the acting categories.
“In a historic moment for The Gotham, we’re thrilled to recognize an extraordinary collection of TV series and the brilliant creators responsible for bringing them to the screen,” said Jeffrey Sharp, the Gotham’s executive director. “As an organization dedicated to celebrating and nurturing independent media, we know the inaugural 2024 Gotham TV Awards will honor many truly deserving creatives while widening our reach and expanding our impact. We are enormously proud to celebrate the remarkable talent represented in today’s nominations.
- 5/14/2024
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Birthright, a soapy family drama project from Women of the Movement and Black Cake creator Marissa Jo Cerar, has landed at Netflix in a competitive situation with a significant development deal, Deadline has learned. Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment, where Cerar is under an overall deal, is the studio.
In Birthright, written by Cerar, journalist Maya James is stunned when she is made heir to one of the largest and most profitable liquor businesses in America, but it’s a gift that upends her life as she uncovers the many secrets buried by her benefactors.
Cerar executive produces with Kapital’s Kaplan, Brian Morewitz and head of production Michael Lohmann.
This marks the third major project for Cerar under her deal at Kapital, following Women of the Movement, which ran on ABC in 2022, and Black Cake, which premiere on Hulu in November. The latter’s fate is yet to...
In Birthright, written by Cerar, journalist Maya James is stunned when she is made heir to one of the largest and most profitable liquor businesses in America, but it’s a gift that upends her life as she uncovers the many secrets buried by her benefactors.
Cerar executive produces with Kapital’s Kaplan, Brian Morewitz and head of production Michael Lohmann.
This marks the third major project for Cerar under her deal at Kapital, following Women of the Movement, which ran on ABC in 2022, and Black Cake, which premiere on Hulu in November. The latter’s fate is yet to...
- 3/27/2024
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment, the leading film and television industry organization for Asian and Pacific Islanders, on Monday night presented its second annual Radiance Gala, celebrating the achievements of Asian and Pacific Islander Women and Non-Binary artists, artisans, and leaders in entertainment, presenting honors to actress Sandra Oh, the teams behind Lionsgate‘s Joy Ride and Hulu’s Black Cake, and more.
At the event held at at the Ebell in Los Angeles, Oh was presented with the Luminary Award by Jessica Yu, the director of her 20th/Hulu comedy Quiz Lady. Cast members of Black Cake, including Mia Isaac, Chipo Chung and Simon Wan, joined creator-showrunner Marissa Jo Cerar in accepting the Best in TV Award. Meanwhile, Joy Ride filmmaker Adele Lim was joined by writer-producers Teresa Hsiao and Cherry Chevapravatdumrong, and actors Sherry Cola and Desmond Chiam, in accepting the prize for Best in Film, presented by Baron Davis.
At the event held at at the Ebell in Los Angeles, Oh was presented with the Luminary Award by Jessica Yu, the director of her 20th/Hulu comedy Quiz Lady. Cast members of Black Cake, including Mia Isaac, Chipo Chung and Simon Wan, joined creator-showrunner Marissa Jo Cerar in accepting the Best in TV Award. Meanwhile, Joy Ride filmmaker Adele Lim was joined by writer-producers Teresa Hsiao and Cherry Chevapravatdumrong, and actors Sherry Cola and Desmond Chiam, in accepting the prize for Best in Film, presented by Baron Davis.
- 3/12/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Updated, 4:14 p.m.: Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment on Tuesday announced the honorees set for the second edition of its Radiance Gala, celebrating the achievements of Asian and Pacific Islander Women and Non-Binary artists, artisans and leaders in entertainment.
View the list and more information on the event below.
Honorees include:
Luminary Award
Sandra Oh
Julia S. Gouw Next Gen
Madeleine Yuna Voyles (20th Century Studios/New Regency’s The Creator)
Cindy Y. Huang Rising Star Award
Megan Suri (Neon’s It Lives Inside; Netflix’s Never Have I Ever)
Visionary
Fawn Veerasunthorn
Actor in TV
Sarayu Blue (Prime Video’s Expats)
Actor in Film
Ally Maki (Sony Pictures Classics’ Shortcomings; Seagrass)
Best in TV
Black Cake (Hulu)
Actors Mia Isaac, Chipo Chung, Simon Wan, Creator/Showrunner Marissa Jo Cerar are confirmed to attend.
Best...
View the list and more information on the event below.
Honorees include:
Luminary Award
Sandra Oh
Julia S. Gouw Next Gen
Madeleine Yuna Voyles (20th Century Studios/New Regency’s The Creator)
Cindy Y. Huang Rising Star Award
Megan Suri (Neon’s It Lives Inside; Netflix’s Never Have I Ever)
Visionary
Fawn Veerasunthorn
Actor in TV
Sarayu Blue (Prime Video’s Expats)
Actor in Film
Ally Maki (Sony Pictures Classics’ Shortcomings; Seagrass)
Best in TV
Black Cake (Hulu)
Actors Mia Isaac, Chipo Chung, Simon Wan, Creator/Showrunner Marissa Jo Cerar are confirmed to attend.
Best...
- 3/6/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Disney+ has unveiled the official trailer ‘Black Cake,’ an adaptation of Charmaine Wilkerson’s best-selling novel of the same name.
In the late 1960s, a runaway bride named Covey disappears into the surf off the coast of Jamaica and is feared drowned or a fugitive on the run for her husband’s murder. In present-day California, a widow named Eleanor Bennett, loses her battle with cancer, leaving her two estranged children, Byron and Benny, a flash drive that holds previously untold stories of her journey from the Caribbean to America. These stories, narrated by Eleanor, shock her children and challenge everything they thought they knew about their family’s origin.
The series is a family drama wrapped in a murder mystery with a diverse cast of characters and a global setting, from Marissa Jo Cerar, Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films, and Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment. The story takes place in Jamaica,...
In the late 1960s, a runaway bride named Covey disappears into the surf off the coast of Jamaica and is feared drowned or a fugitive on the run for her husband’s murder. In present-day California, a widow named Eleanor Bennett, loses her battle with cancer, leaving her two estranged children, Byron and Benny, a flash drive that holds previously untold stories of her journey from the Caribbean to America. These stories, narrated by Eleanor, shock her children and challenge everything they thought they knew about their family’s origin.
The series is a family drama wrapped in a murder mystery with a diverse cast of characters and a global setting, from Marissa Jo Cerar, Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films, and Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment. The story takes place in Jamaica,...
- 1/11/2024
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The new Hulu limited series “Black Cake” spans not just decades but continents and class structures – all of which made for some pretty impressive challenges for costume designer Hayley Nebauer.
Based on the best-selling book by Charmaine Wilkerson and executive produced by Oprah Winfrey, the eight-episode series moves from the 1940s into the present day, with stops in Jamaica, London, Italy, and Southern California. The show focuses on a woman named Eleanor, whose death unearths many secrets from the past – particularly what happened when she was a young teenager in Jamaica who went by the name of Covey. Mia Isaac stars as the young Covey, with Adrienne Warren and Bashy as Eleanor’s adult children who must reckon with a series of audio recordings their mother left behind as part of her will. “Women of the Movement” and “13 Reasons Why” writer Marissa Jo Cerar is the “Black Cake” creator and showrunner.
Based on the best-selling book by Charmaine Wilkerson and executive produced by Oprah Winfrey, the eight-episode series moves from the 1940s into the present day, with stops in Jamaica, London, Italy, and Southern California. The show focuses on a woman named Eleanor, whose death unearths many secrets from the past – particularly what happened when she was a young teenager in Jamaica who went by the name of Covey. Mia Isaac stars as the young Covey, with Adrienne Warren and Bashy as Eleanor’s adult children who must reckon with a series of audio recordings their mother left behind as part of her will. “Women of the Movement” and “13 Reasons Why” writer Marissa Jo Cerar is the “Black Cake” creator and showrunner.
- 11/10/2023
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
This article contains spoilers for episode 2 of Hulu’s “Black Cake.”
“Black Cake” director Natalia Leite carefully constructed the train crash scene in episode two of the Hulu drama series around a different kind of perspective than the typical action scene.
The show’s second episode watches Covey (Mia Isaac) attempt to run away from London with her new friend Eleanor, or “Elly,” in hopes of finding better lives in Scotland. Covey piggybacked off of Elly’s dream to study geology at a school in Scotland with a really good program for it, but before they could take a chance at establishing roots there together, a tragic train crash kills Eleanor.
“There were a few different versions in the script originally of how that train sequence was going to go and it felt to me that, like with a lot of the choices, I wanted to be with Covey. I...
“Black Cake” director Natalia Leite carefully constructed the train crash scene in episode two of the Hulu drama series around a different kind of perspective than the typical action scene.
The show’s second episode watches Covey (Mia Isaac) attempt to run away from London with her new friend Eleanor, or “Elly,” in hopes of finding better lives in Scotland. Covey piggybacked off of Elly’s dream to study geology at a school in Scotland with a really good program for it, but before they could take a chance at establishing roots there together, a tragic train crash kills Eleanor.
“There were a few different versions in the script originally of how that train sequence was going to go and it felt to me that, like with a lot of the choices, I wanted to be with Covey. I...
- 11/4/2023
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
“Black Cake” showrunner Marissa Jo Cerar and director Natalia Leite agree that the launch of the series’ first three episodes at once will enhance the audience’s curiosity and keep them watching the show.
Adapted from the bestselling book by Charmaine Wilkerson and executive produced by Oprah Winfrey, “Black Cake” tells the generational story of Covey (Mia Isaac), who has to abandon all traces of her life in order to escape her Jamaican island home in hopes of a better future. The story begins with Covey’s children, who only know their mother by the name “Eleanor Bennett” (Chipo Chung). She’s a woman who grew up in an orphanage in London before moving to Southern California’s Orange County with her husband Bert. Upon the death of their mother, Covey’s son Byron (Ashley Thomas) and daughter Bennedetta — who goes by “Benny” (Adrienne Warren) — reunite after years apart to...
Adapted from the bestselling book by Charmaine Wilkerson and executive produced by Oprah Winfrey, “Black Cake” tells the generational story of Covey (Mia Isaac), who has to abandon all traces of her life in order to escape her Jamaican island home in hopes of a better future. The story begins with Covey’s children, who only know their mother by the name “Eleanor Bennett” (Chipo Chung). She’s a woman who grew up in an orphanage in London before moving to Southern California’s Orange County with her husband Bert. Upon the death of their mother, Covey’s son Byron (Ashley Thomas) and daughter Bennedetta — who goes by “Benny” (Adrienne Warren) — reunite after years apart to...
- 11/2/2023
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
On November 1, 2023, Hulu released the first three episodes of “Black Cake,” a new series based on the New York Times bestselling book by Charmaine Wilkerson. The streamer describes it as a murder mystery with a diverse cast and a global setting, taking place in Jamaica, Italy, Scotland, England and Southern California. Early reviews are positive, scoring it at a perfect 100% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes from six critics.
Eleanor Bennett (Chipo Chung) loses her battle with cancer, leaving her children a flash drive that holds untold stories of her journey from the Caribbean to America; the stories shock her children and challenge everything they know about their family’s origin. The ensemble cast includes Mia Isaac, Adrienne Warren, Faith Alabi, Ashley Thomas and Glynn Turman. Read our full review round-up below.
See Thanks to Meryl Streep, this Golden Globe category could see first comedic winner in 13 years
April Prince of Black Girl Nerds writes,...
Eleanor Bennett (Chipo Chung) loses her battle with cancer, leaving her children a flash drive that holds untold stories of her journey from the Caribbean to America; the stories shock her children and challenge everything they know about their family’s origin. The ensemble cast includes Mia Isaac, Adrienne Warren, Faith Alabi, Ashley Thomas and Glynn Turman. Read our full review round-up below.
See Thanks to Meryl Streep, this Golden Globe category could see first comedic winner in 13 years
April Prince of Black Girl Nerds writes,...
- 11/2/2023
- by Vincent Mandile
- Gold Derby
Hulu has a vast library of content, with basically something to watch for everyone, and today we are making a list of the best new shows and movies coming to Hulu in November 2023 that you can watch right now. The shows and movies in this list are ranked according to their availability dates.
Black Cake Season 1 (November 1)
Synopsis: Based on The New York Times-bestselling book by Charmaine Wilkerson, “Black Cake” is a family drama wrapped in a murder mystery with a diverse cast of characters and a global setting, from Marissa Jo Cerar, Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films, and Aaron Kaplans’ Kapital Entertainment. The story takes place in Jamaica, Rome, Scotland, England and Southern California. Cerar wrote the adaptation and serves as showrunner on the series, which spans decades. In the late 1960s, a runaway bride named Covey disappears into the surf off the coast of Jamaica and is feared...
Black Cake Season 1 (November 1)
Synopsis: Based on The New York Times-bestselling book by Charmaine Wilkerson, “Black Cake” is a family drama wrapped in a murder mystery with a diverse cast of characters and a global setting, from Marissa Jo Cerar, Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films, and Aaron Kaplans’ Kapital Entertainment. The story takes place in Jamaica, Rome, Scotland, England and Southern California. Cerar wrote the adaptation and serves as showrunner on the series, which spans decades. In the late 1960s, a runaway bride named Covey disappears into the surf off the coast of Jamaica and is feared...
- 11/2/2023
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
Since the pandemic, Black female-driven content with universal appeal has found a home on Hulu. Stepping away from the cliched stories that have too often defined others’ efforts, each new project from the streamer, be it “The 1619 Project” or the recent “The Other Black Girl,” grows increasingly more ambitious. “Black Cake,” produced by Oprah Winfrey, pushes the boundaries even further by centering on a biracial, immigrant woman’s experience.
Adapted from Charmaine Wilkerson’s New York Times-bestselling novel of the same name, the sweeping eight-episode family drama from showrunner Marissa Jo Cerar revolves around a Jamaican Chinese woman who has lived an epic life spanning various parts of the globe. The problem is: Her past has been kept hidden from her children. Only through a flash drive of audio recordings played after her death do they learn that they know very little of her story. As their mother unravels her life from the grave,...
Adapted from Charmaine Wilkerson’s New York Times-bestselling novel of the same name, the sweeping eight-episode family drama from showrunner Marissa Jo Cerar revolves around a Jamaican Chinese woman who has lived an epic life spanning various parts of the globe. The problem is: Her past has been kept hidden from her children. Only through a flash drive of audio recordings played after her death do they learn that they know very little of her story. As their mother unravels her life from the grave,...
- 10/31/2023
- by Ronda Racha Penrice
- The Wrap
Hulu’s Oprah-Produced Mystery ‘Black Cake’ Is Most Enticing When It Looks Toward the Past: TV Review
We all keep things to ourselves, secrets that, if brought to light, could harm — or even shatter — us or those we love most. While many people have only a few personal confidences tucked away in their hearts, others envelop themselves in a lifetime of lies to survive. Based on Charmaine Wilkerson’s New York Times best-selling novel and adapted for television by Marissa Jo Cerar, “Black Cake” is an eight-episode odyssey stretching from Jamaica’s shores to Scotland’s glens. The series tells one young woman’s story of survival and perseverance whose circumstances and choices reverberate into her children’s lives a generation later.
A beautiful and gutting mystery drama led by rising star Mia Isaac, “Black Cake” is a thoughtful tapestry of what we conceal so we might remain whole. The show opens in the dark of night in the late 1960s. Covey (Isaac), a distressed 17-year-old girl,...
A beautiful and gutting mystery drama led by rising star Mia Isaac, “Black Cake” is a thoughtful tapestry of what we conceal so we might remain whole. The show opens in the dark of night in the late 1960s. Covey (Isaac), a distressed 17-year-old girl,...
- 10/27/2023
- by Aramide Tinubu
- Variety Film + TV
How well do we really know the people we love?
Hulu tackles that question and more in another book-to-screen adaptation with the genre-bending, time-spanning family drama Black Cake,
Hulu released the trailer for the series, making its debut on November 1.
The first three installments will premiere on that day, followed by an episode a week until it concludes.
Black Cake is a series based on the New York Times Bestseller of the same name written by author Charmaine Wilkerson.
The novel was featured in Oprah's Book Club and thus is brought to us by Marissa Jo Cerar from Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions and Aaron Kaplan of A Million Little Things and The Chi's Kapital Management.
The series is a family drama and murder mystery and spans the globe, following a story that takes viewers from Jamaica, Rome, Scotland, England, and Southern California.
The series follows Covey, a young runaway bride...
Hulu tackles that question and more in another book-to-screen adaptation with the genre-bending, time-spanning family drama Black Cake,
Hulu released the trailer for the series, making its debut on November 1.
The first three installments will premiere on that day, followed by an episode a week until it concludes.
Black Cake is a series based on the New York Times Bestseller of the same name written by author Charmaine Wilkerson.
The novel was featured in Oprah's Book Club and thus is brought to us by Marissa Jo Cerar from Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Productions and Aaron Kaplan of A Million Little Things and The Chi's Kapital Management.
The series is a family drama and murder mystery and spans the globe, following a story that takes viewers from Jamaica, Rome, Scotland, England, and Southern California.
The series follows Covey, a young runaway bride...
- 10/4/2023
- by Jasmine Blu
- TVfanatic
"For the rest of my life I'm gonna keep looking over my shoulder." Hulu has unveiled an official trailer for a mystery thriller series titled Black Cake, created by Marissa Jo Cerar. Adapted from the novel of the same name written by Charmaine Wilkerson. Two estranged siblings delve into their mother's hidden past—and how it all connects to her traditional Caribbean black cake—in this immersive family saga. A drama wrapped in a murder mystery with a diverse cast of characters and a global setting, from Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Films, and Aaron Kaplans' Kapital Entertainment. A young runaway bride named Covey disappears in the shore in Jamaica in the late 1960s, under unknown circumstances or reasons. Fifty years later in California, a widow named Eleanor Bennett, loses her battle with cancer, leaving her two estranged children, Byron and Benny, a flash drive that holds previously untold stories of...
- 10/3/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Hulu released a trailer for its upcoming adaptation of Charmaine Wilkerson’s novel “Black Cake” on Monday.
The generational saga, which comes from showrunner and executive producer Marissa Jo Cerar, combines a murder mystery with family drama. The first three episodes of “Black Cake” release Nov. 1 on Hulu. After the premiere, new episodes will release every Wednesday through Dec. 6.
“I’m sorry. Don’t hate me,” Adrienne Warren’s Benny says as she rushes into an office where her brother Byron (Ashley Thomas) already sits waiting for her. “I had car stuff and then I couldn’t find my keys.”
“You don’t get to just blow in here acting like you care all of a sudden,” Thomas’ Byron responds coldly.
“I’m not acting,” Benny replies. “Ma’s dead.”
“Read the will, please,” is all Byron says in return.
Based on The New York Times-bestselling book, “Black Cake” sets...
The generational saga, which comes from showrunner and executive producer Marissa Jo Cerar, combines a murder mystery with family drama. The first three episodes of “Black Cake” release Nov. 1 on Hulu. After the premiere, new episodes will release every Wednesday through Dec. 6.
“I’m sorry. Don’t hate me,” Adrienne Warren’s Benny says as she rushes into an office where her brother Byron (Ashley Thomas) already sits waiting for her. “I had car stuff and then I couldn’t find my keys.”
“You don’t get to just blow in here acting like you care all of a sudden,” Thomas’ Byron responds coldly.
“I’m not acting,” Benny replies. “Ma’s dead.”
“Read the will, please,” is all Byron says in return.
Based on The New York Times-bestselling book, “Black Cake” sets...
- 10/2/2023
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
Angela Bassett was the top winner at the NAACP Image Awards taking the trophy for Entertainer of the Year. The star had previously won this year for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for 9-1-1 and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for her work on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which took the award for Outstanding Motion Picture.
One of the big surprises of the night was Will Smith winning the Outstanding Actor award for Emancipation. The actor was not in attendance and category presenter Janelle Monáe accepted the trophy on his behalf.
Brittney Griner appeared on stage with their wife and made a call to continue fighting for detainees overseas.
Quinta Brunson’s Abbott Elementary continues to be a favorite winning Outstanding Comedy Series, Viola Davis took an award for Outstanding Actress in film for The Woman King and Nicco Annan won Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series for P-Valley.
One of the big surprises of the night was Will Smith winning the Outstanding Actor award for Emancipation. The actor was not in attendance and category presenter Janelle Monáe accepted the trophy on his behalf.
Brittney Griner appeared on stage with their wife and made a call to continue fighting for detainees overseas.
Quinta Brunson’s Abbott Elementary continues to be a favorite winning Outstanding Comedy Series, Viola Davis took an award for Outstanding Actress in film for The Woman King and Nicco Annan won Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series for P-Valley.
- 2/26/2023
- by Armando Tinoco and Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Abbott Elementary, Atlanta and Better Call Saul are among the winners from the fourth night of the NAACP Image Awards‘ non-televised ceremonies.
Winners during Thursday’s night virtual ceremony encompassed the TV writing, TV directing and podcasting categories.
Brittani Nichols won best writing in a comedy series for Abbott Elementary, while Marissa Jo Cerar took the drama series writing award for Women of the Movement.
Angela Barnes won directing honors for the comedy series Atlanta, while Giancarlo Esposito won an NAACP Image Award for directing Better Call Saul.
Winners in the the podcasting categories included The Daily Show and LeVar Burton.
NAACP recognized winners in non-televised categories in virtual ceremonies over multiple nights. Beyoncé and Rihanna were among the winners from night one; Jennifer Hudson, Trevor Noah and Viola Davis were among those winning during night two; and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Quinta Brunson and Keke Palmer were among the night three winners.
Winners during Thursday’s night virtual ceremony encompassed the TV writing, TV directing and podcasting categories.
Brittani Nichols won best writing in a comedy series for Abbott Elementary, while Marissa Jo Cerar took the drama series writing award for Women of the Movement.
Angela Barnes won directing honors for the comedy series Atlanta, while Giancarlo Esposito won an NAACP Image Award for directing Better Call Saul.
Winners in the the podcasting categories included The Daily Show and LeVar Burton.
NAACP recognized winners in non-televised categories in virtual ceremonies over multiple nights. Beyoncé and Rihanna were among the winners from night one; Jennifer Hudson, Trevor Noah and Viola Davis were among those winning during night two; and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Quinta Brunson and Keke Palmer were among the night three winners.
- 2/24/2023
- by Kimberly Nordyke
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Nominations for the 54th NAACP Image Awards were announced on Thursday, and first-time contender Abbott Elementary is the most nominated series of the year.
The recently renewed sitcom amassed nine nominations (including Outstanding Comedy Series), followed in the comedy race by black-ish (with seven nominations). Dramas P-Valley and Queen Sugar collected six total nominations.
More from TVLineAbbott Elementary Scores Early Renewal for Season 3 at ABCGolden Globes: Abbott Elementary Wins Best Comedy Series; Victory Marks Big Comeback for BroadcastGolden Globes 2023: Quinta Brunson Wins Best Actress in a Comedy Series for Abbott Elementary
Among limited series, The Best Man: The Final Chapters...
The recently renewed sitcom amassed nine nominations (including Outstanding Comedy Series), followed in the comedy race by black-ish (with seven nominations). Dramas P-Valley and Queen Sugar collected six total nominations.
More from TVLineAbbott Elementary Scores Early Renewal for Season 3 at ABCGolden Globes: Abbott Elementary Wins Best Comedy Series; Victory Marks Big Comeback for BroadcastGolden Globes 2023: Quinta Brunson Wins Best Actress in a Comedy Series for Abbott Elementary
Among limited series, The Best Man: The Final Chapters...
- 1/12/2023
- by Ryan Schwartz
- TVLine.com
Oprah Winfrey and Apple TV+ have concluded their mega overall deal, first announced in 2018. Both sides have confirmed the evolution, but declined to comment. It’s understood that both sides have agreed to continue to work together, but on a project-by-project basis, now that their previous deal is ending.
Winfrey and Apple TV+ are already currently collaborating on the documentary “Sidney,” about the life of iconic Oscar-winning actor Sidney Poitier. That project, directed by Reggie Hudlin, is through Apple Original Films and debuted this past Friday on Apple TV+.
Winfrey and Apple also continue to collaborate on “Oprah’s Book Club,” which is available on both OprahDaily.com and Apple Books.
Under the pact first signed in 2018, Winfrey and Apple were to create programs that will be released as part of Apple’s original content lineup.
But even at the time, it seemed unclear how this deal would fit into...
Winfrey and Apple TV+ are already currently collaborating on the documentary “Sidney,” about the life of iconic Oscar-winning actor Sidney Poitier. That project, directed by Reggie Hudlin, is through Apple Original Films and debuted this past Friday on Apple TV+.
Winfrey and Apple also continue to collaborate on “Oprah’s Book Club,” which is available on both OprahDaily.com and Apple Books.
Under the pact first signed in 2018, Winfrey and Apple were to create programs that will be released as part of Apple’s original content lineup.
But even at the time, it seemed unclear how this deal would fit into...
- 9/26/2022
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Don’t Look Up, Black-ish and Pachinko were among the winners of the 46th annual Humanitas Prizes announced Friday from a luncheon at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.
The awards, honoring the craft of screenwriting, featured winners in nine juried categories spanning film and television. These included Don’t Look Up from writer Adam McKay for comedy feature film, The Starling from Matt Harris for drama feature film and Encanto from Charise Castro Smith and Jared Bush for family feature film.
On the TV side, Black-ish writer Robb Chavis prevailed for comedy teleplay, Pachinko creator Soo Hugh won for drama teleplay and Women of the Movement creator Marissa Jo Cerar was tops for limited series, TV movie or special.
Larry Wilmore hosted the event, and presenters included Nkechi Okoro Carroll, Jasmine Cephas Jones and Humanitas board president Jenny Bicks. Also honored were...
Don’t Look Up, Black-ish and Pachinko were among the winners of the 46th annual Humanitas Prizes announced Friday from a luncheon at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.
The awards, honoring the craft of screenwriting, featured winners in nine juried categories spanning film and television. These included Don’t Look Up from writer Adam McKay for comedy feature film, The Starling from Matt Harris for drama feature film and Encanto from Charise Castro Smith and Jared Bush for family feature film.
On the TV side, Black-ish writer Robb Chavis prevailed for comedy teleplay, Pachinko creator Soo Hugh won for drama teleplay and Women of the Movement creator Marissa Jo Cerar was tops for limited series, TV movie or special.
Larry Wilmore hosted the event, and presenters included Nkechi Okoro Carroll, Jasmine Cephas Jones and Humanitas board president Jenny Bicks. Also honored were...
- 9/10/2022
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The writers behind ABC’s Black-ish, Apple TV+’s Pachinko, Disney’s Oscar-winning Encanto and Adam McKay’s satire Don’t Look Up are among the winners of the 46th annual Humanitas Prizes. The honors were bestowed Friday afternoon in a ceremony at the Beverly Hilton.
Humanitas Prizes have been handed out since 1973 to empower television and film writers whose work explores the human condition in a nuanced, meaningful way. Writers across 10 categories receive 10,000 cash prizes.
Other winners included Nanfu Wang for her documentary In the Same Breath, Matt Harris for writing the script for Ted Melfi’s The Starling starring Melissa McCarthy and Kevin Kline, and Marissa Jo Cerar for penning the “Mother and Son” episode of ABC’s anthology series Women of the Movement.
Also during the ceremony emceed by Larry Wilmore, the Humanitas organization presented Filmmakers for Ukraine with the Kieser Award and Starz president and CEO Jeffrey Hirsch...
Humanitas Prizes have been handed out since 1973 to empower television and film writers whose work explores the human condition in a nuanced, meaningful way. Writers across 10 categories receive 10,000 cash prizes.
Other winners included Nanfu Wang for her documentary In the Same Breath, Matt Harris for writing the script for Ted Melfi’s The Starling starring Melissa McCarthy and Kevin Kline, and Marissa Jo Cerar for penning the “Mother and Son” episode of ABC’s anthology series Women of the Movement.
Also during the ceremony emceed by Larry Wilmore, the Humanitas organization presented Filmmakers for Ukraine with the Kieser Award and Starz president and CEO Jeffrey Hirsch...
- 9/10/2022
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Retiring ABC series “Black-ish” picked up one more honor on Friday, a Humanitas Prize for comedy teleplay, while Apple TV+’s “Pachinko” and ABC’s “Women of the Movement” also were recognized at the event.
Held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel and hosted by comedian Larry Wilmore, the 46th annual Humanitas Prize event centered on awards and 10,000 cash prizes to screenwriters across ten categories. In addition, Humanitas board president Jenny Bicks presented Filmmakers for Ukraine with the Kieser Award “in recognition of their work to connect the Ukrainian film and TV community impacted by the Russo-Ukrainian War with resources, jobs, and funding to meet basic needs.”
And Jasmine Cephas Jones presented Starz with Voice for Change Award for its #TakeTheLead initiative. Starz president/CEO Jeffrey Hirsch accepted the prize on the network’s behalf. Nkechi Okoro Carroll oversaw the New Voices Fellowship and College Screenwriting Award presentations.
Here are this...
Held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel and hosted by comedian Larry Wilmore, the 46th annual Humanitas Prize event centered on awards and 10,000 cash prizes to screenwriters across ten categories. In addition, Humanitas board president Jenny Bicks presented Filmmakers for Ukraine with the Kieser Award “in recognition of their work to connect the Ukrainian film and TV community impacted by the Russo-Ukrainian War with resources, jobs, and funding to meet basic needs.”
And Jasmine Cephas Jones presented Starz with Voice for Change Award for its #TakeTheLead initiative. Starz president/CEO Jeffrey Hirsch accepted the prize on the network’s behalf. Nkechi Okoro Carroll oversaw the New Voices Fellowship and College Screenwriting Award presentations.
Here are this...
- 9/10/2022
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Chipo Chung and Anthony Mark Barrow have joined the cast of Black Cake, a family drama in the works for Hulu that’s based on the book by Charmaine Wilkerson.
Chung will play Eleanor Bennett, who leaves behind a series of recordings after losing her battle with cancer. Her stories chronicle her journey from the Caribbean to America that shock her surviving children, and challenge everything they thought they knew about the woman who raised them. Chung will be a series regular.
Barrow will recur as Clarence “Little Man” Henry, the head of a powerful family in Jamaica in the 1960s who is feared and respected by the Island community.
Black Cake is described as a family drama wrapped in a murder mystery. The story takes place in Jamaica, Rome, Scotland, England and Southern California. Here’s the official logline: In the late 1960s, a runaway bride named Covey...
Chung will play Eleanor Bennett, who leaves behind a series of recordings after losing her battle with cancer. Her stories chronicle her journey from the Caribbean to America that shock her surviving children, and challenge everything they thought they knew about the woman who raised them. Chung will be a series regular.
Barrow will recur as Clarence “Little Man” Henry, the head of a powerful family in Jamaica in the 1960s who is feared and respected by the Island community.
Black Cake is described as a family drama wrapped in a murder mystery. The story takes place in Jamaica, Rome, Scotland, England and Southern California. Here’s the official logline: In the late 1960s, a runaway bride named Covey...
- 8/18/2022
- by Lynette Rice
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Glynn Turman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) and Sonita Henry (Krypton) are joining the cast of Black Cake, Hulu’s drama from Marissa Jo Cerar, Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films, and Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment.
Turman will play Charles Mitch, a successful lawyer in Newport Beach, Calif. whose top priority is to honor the final wishes of his dear friend and client Eleanor Bennett after she loses her battle to cancer. As Charles works with Eleanor’s family to complete her requests, he is persistent to keep the family together while simultaneously working through his own private grief. Turman is a series regular.
Henry will recur as Mabel Martin, a well renowned food expert, who enjoys a successful and quiet life with her son and her beloved parents. When her world is upended by a shattering revelation, she’ll be forced to question everything she has believed about her family,...
Turman will play Charles Mitch, a successful lawyer in Newport Beach, Calif. whose top priority is to honor the final wishes of his dear friend and client Eleanor Bennett after she loses her battle to cancer. As Charles works with Eleanor’s family to complete her requests, he is persistent to keep the family together while simultaneously working through his own private grief. Turman is a series regular.
Henry will recur as Mabel Martin, a well renowned food expert, who enjoys a successful and quiet life with her son and her beloved parents. When her world is upended by a shattering revelation, she’ll be forced to question everything she has believed about her family,...
- 8/10/2022
- by Lynette Rice
- Deadline Film + TV
Lashay Anderson (Rebel Cheer Squad) and Faith Alabi (Industry) have been cast as series regulars opposite Adrienne Warren, Mia Isaac and Ashley Thomas in Hulu drama series Black Cake, from Marissa Jo Cerar, Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films, and Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment. Additionally, Ahmed Elhaj (Grantchester) has been tapped for a recurring role in the project.
Based on the book by Charmaine Wilkerson, Black Cake is a family drama wrapped in a murder mystery. Cerar wrote the adaptation and serves as showrunner on the series, which spans decades.
In the late 1960s, a runaway bride named Covey (Isaac) disappears into the surf off the coast of Jamaica and is feared drowned or a fugitive on the run for her husband’s murder. Fifty years later in California, a widow named Eleanor Bennett loses her battle with cancer, leaving her two estranged children, Byron and Benny, with a flash...
Based on the book by Charmaine Wilkerson, Black Cake is a family drama wrapped in a murder mystery. Cerar wrote the adaptation and serves as showrunner on the series, which spans decades.
In the late 1960s, a runaway bride named Covey (Isaac) disappears into the surf off the coast of Jamaica and is feared drowned or a fugitive on the run for her husband’s murder. Fifty years later in California, a widow named Eleanor Bennett loses her battle with cancer, leaving her two estranged children, Byron and Benny, with a flash...
- 7/20/2022
- by Sofia Behzadi
- Deadline Film + TV
Ashley Thomas has been cast as the male lead opposite Mia Isaac and Adrienne Warren in Hulu drama series Black Cake, from Women of the Movement creator Marissa Jo Cerar, Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films and Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment. Additionally, Zetna Fuentes (This Is Us) has been tapped to direct the pilot episode, replacing Andrew Dosunmu.
Written by Cerar based on the book by Charmaine Wilkerson, Black Cake is a family drama wrapped in a murder mystery with a diverse cast of characters and a global setting that spans decades. The story takes place in Jamaica, Rome, Scotland, England and Southern California.
In the late 1960s, a runaway bride named Covey (Isaac) disappears into the surf off the coast of Jamaica and is feared drowned or a fugitive on the run for her husband’s murder. Fifty years later in California, a widow named Eleanor Bennett loses her battle with cancer,...
Written by Cerar based on the book by Charmaine Wilkerson, Black Cake is a family drama wrapped in a murder mystery with a diverse cast of characters and a global setting that spans decades. The story takes place in Jamaica, Rome, Scotland, England and Southern California.
In the late 1960s, a runaway bride named Covey (Isaac) disappears into the surf off the coast of Jamaica and is feared drowned or a fugitive on the run for her husband’s murder. Fifty years later in California, a widow named Eleanor Bennett loses her battle with cancer,...
- 7/5/2022
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Humanitas has revealed the nominees for this year’s Humanitas Prizes, which recognize “television and film writers whose work explores the human condition in a nuanced way.” The award is given out in nine categories, including comedy, drama and limited series.
This year’s nominees include “Maid,” “This Is Us,” “Queen Sugar,” “Pachinko,” “Abbott Elementary,” “Somebody Somewhere” and “Black-ish.” Winners will be announced at an in-person awards luncheon at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on September 9, 2022.
“The Humanitas Prizes were created to recognize writers whose work explores the beauty and complexity of the human experience and the 2022 nominees do just that,” said Michelle Franke, Humanitas Executive Director. “Ranging in scope, style, and perspective, these stories underscore our bonds, our history and responsibility to each other in the present as well as possibilities for the future. Especially during challenging times, writers dedicate themselves to the stories that connect and entertain us.”
Here...
This year’s nominees include “Maid,” “This Is Us,” “Queen Sugar,” “Pachinko,” “Abbott Elementary,” “Somebody Somewhere” and “Black-ish.” Winners will be announced at an in-person awards luncheon at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on September 9, 2022.
“The Humanitas Prizes were created to recognize writers whose work explores the beauty and complexity of the human experience and the 2022 nominees do just that,” said Michelle Franke, Humanitas Executive Director. “Ranging in scope, style, and perspective, these stories underscore our bonds, our history and responsibility to each other in the present as well as possibilities for the future. Especially during challenging times, writers dedicate themselves to the stories that connect and entertain us.”
Here...
- 6/27/2022
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
After a two-year hiatus, Humanitas has revealed the nominations for its 2022 Humanitas Prizes in nine categories
Winners will receive their trophies during a September 9 in-person ceremony at the Beverly Hilton.
Launched in 1974, the Humanitas Prizes honor film and television writers whose work explores the human condition, with recipients receiving a trophy and a cash prize.
Here are the nominees for the 46th annual Humanitas Prize:
Children’s Teleplay
El Deafo: Written by Cece Bell and Will McRobb
Karma’s World: “Hair Comes Trouble” – Written by Kellie R. Griffin and Halcyon Person
Snoopy Presents: To Mom (and Dad), with Love: Written by Alex Galatis
The Babysitters Club: “Claudia and the Sad Goodbye” – Written by Sascha Rothchild
Comedy Feature Film
Don’t Look Up: Written by Adam McKay
Everything Everywhere All At Once: Written by Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert
Queen Bees: Written by Donald Martin
tick, tick…Boom!:...
Winners will receive their trophies during a September 9 in-person ceremony at the Beverly Hilton.
Launched in 1974, the Humanitas Prizes honor film and television writers whose work explores the human condition, with recipients receiving a trophy and a cash prize.
Here are the nominees for the 46th annual Humanitas Prize:
Children’s Teleplay
El Deafo: Written by Cece Bell and Will McRobb
Karma’s World: “Hair Comes Trouble” – Written by Kellie R. Griffin and Halcyon Person
Snoopy Presents: To Mom (and Dad), with Love: Written by Alex Galatis
The Babysitters Club: “Claudia and the Sad Goodbye” – Written by Sascha Rothchild
Comedy Feature Film
Don’t Look Up: Written by Adam McKay
Everything Everywhere All At Once: Written by Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert
Queen Bees: Written by Donald Martin
tick, tick…Boom!:...
- 6/27/2022
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Humanitas has announced the nominees for the 46th annual Humanitas Prizes, which celebrates the craft of screenwriting. Across nine juried categories, which include both television and film, 45 writers are nominated for their work.
Among the nominees are Abbott Elementary creator and star Quinta Brunson (comedy teleplay) and Academy Award-winning Coda writer-director Sian Heder (drama feature film). Adam McKay, who was nominated for an Oscar this year for Netflix’s Don’t Look Up, also received a nom for comedy feature film, along with Everything Everywhere All At Once scribes and directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert.
“The Humanitas Prizes were created to recognize writers whose work explores the beauty and complexity of the human experience and the 2022 nominees do just that,” said Humanitas executive director Michelle Franke in a statement. “Ranging in scope, style, and perspective, these stories underscore our bonds, our history and...
Humanitas has announced the nominees for the 46th annual Humanitas Prizes, which celebrates the craft of screenwriting. Across nine juried categories, which include both television and film, 45 writers are nominated for their work.
Among the nominees are Abbott Elementary creator and star Quinta Brunson (comedy teleplay) and Academy Award-winning Coda writer-director Sian Heder (drama feature film). Adam McKay, who was nominated for an Oscar this year for Netflix’s Don’t Look Up, also received a nom for comedy feature film, along with Everything Everywhere All At Once scribes and directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert.
“The Humanitas Prizes were created to recognize writers whose work explores the beauty and complexity of the human experience and the 2022 nominees do just that,” said Humanitas executive director Michelle Franke in a statement. “Ranging in scope, style, and perspective, these stories underscore our bonds, our history and...
- 6/27/2022
- by Tyler Coates
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
Gina Prince-Bythewood and Kasi Lemmons have had remarkably entwined careers as filmmakers. Both broke out with acclaimed debut features near the end of the 20th century: Love & Basketball (2000) and Eve’s Bayou (1997), respectively. Today, they’re both hard at work on their upcoming sixth movies, the former with The Woman King and the latter with I Wanna Dance With Somebody.
They took breaks from their moviemaking to each direct an episode (Prince-Bythewood, the pilot; Lemmons, the finale) of the first season of the ABC anthology series Women of the Movement, the inaugural iteration of which focuses on Mamie Till-Mobley (Adrienne Warren), mother of Emmett Till, who was spurred to take action in the fight for civil rights after her 14-year-old son was brutally kidnapped, tortured and murdered after being accused of offending a white woman in a grocery store.
The project deals with incredibly painful,...
Gina Prince-Bythewood and Kasi Lemmons have had remarkably entwined careers as filmmakers. Both broke out with acclaimed debut features near the end of the 20th century: Love & Basketball (2000) and Eve’s Bayou (1997), respectively. Today, they’re both hard at work on their upcoming sixth movies, the former with The Woman King and the latter with I Wanna Dance With Somebody.
They took breaks from their moviemaking to each direct an episode (Prince-Bythewood, the pilot; Lemmons, the finale) of the first season of the ABC anthology series Women of the Movement, the inaugural iteration of which focuses on Mamie Till-Mobley (Adrienne Warren), mother of Emmett Till, who was spurred to take action in the fight for civil rights after her 14-year-old son was brutally kidnapped, tortured and murdered after being accused of offending a white woman in a grocery store.
The project deals with incredibly painful,...
- 6/15/2022
- by Hilton Dresden
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Mia Isaac (Don’t Make Me Go) has been cast as the lead in Hulu drama series Black Cake, from Women of the Movement creator Marissa Jo Cerar, Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films and Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment. Up-and-comer Isaac is joining Tony winner Adrienne Warren in the project, written by Cerar based on the book by Charmaine Wilkerson.
Black Cake is a family drama wrapped in a murder mystery with a diverse cast of characters and a global setting that spans decades. The story takes place in Jamaica, Rome, Scotland, England and Southern California.
2022 Hulu Pilots & Series Orders
In the late 1960s, a runaway bride named Covey (Isaac) disappears into the surf off the coast of Jamaica and is feared drowned or a fugitive on the run for her husband’s murder. Fifty years later in California, a widow named Eleanor Bennett loses her battle with cancer, leaving her two estranged children,...
Black Cake is a family drama wrapped in a murder mystery with a diverse cast of characters and a global setting that spans decades. The story takes place in Jamaica, Rome, Scotland, England and Southern California.
2022 Hulu Pilots & Series Orders
In the late 1960s, a runaway bride named Covey (Isaac) disappears into the surf off the coast of Jamaica and is feared drowned or a fugitive on the run for her husband’s murder. Fifty years later in California, a widow named Eleanor Bennett loses her battle with cancer, leaving her two estranged children,...
- 6/2/2022
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
“I look at it as a sonic conversation,” declares composer Kathryn Bostic on how a good score adds emotional depth and dimension to a series of film by shifting between light and shade. For our recent webchat about her haunting and heartfelt score for ABC’s “Women of the Movement,” she adds, “just like when you’re talking, there are times when they’re more intense, or the inflections are more noticeable, and then there’s times of silence, and it’s a back and forth exchange with those moments.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.
See over 250 interviews with 2022 Emmy contenders
ABC’s “Women of the Movement” was created by Marissa Jo Cerar, based on the books “Emmett Till: The Murder That Shocked the World and Propelled the Civil Rights Movement” by Devery S. Anderson and “Death of Innocence: The Story of the Hate Crime That Changed America” by Mamie Till-Mobley and Christopher Benson.
See over 250 interviews with 2022 Emmy contenders
ABC’s “Women of the Movement” was created by Marissa Jo Cerar, based on the books “Emmett Till: The Murder That Shocked the World and Propelled the Civil Rights Movement” by Devery S. Anderson and “Death of Innocence: The Story of the Hate Crime That Changed America” by Mamie Till-Mobley and Christopher Benson.
- 6/1/2022
- by Rob Licuria
- Gold Derby
Exclusive: Adrienne Warren is set as a lead in Hulu drama series Black Cake, from Women of the Movement creator Marissa Jo Cerar, Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films and Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment. Andrew Dosunmu (Where Is Kyra?) has been tapped to direct the pilot episode of the project, which landed at the Disney streamer with a straight-to-series order last fall.
Black Cake, based on the book by Charmaine Wilkerson, marks a reunion for Warren with Cerar, Kaplan and Disney following their collaboration on Women of the Movement. Warren starred as Mamie Till-Mobley in the ABC limited series, which was created by Cerar and produced by Kapital.
Hulu Pilots & Series Orders
Cerar serves as showrunner on Black Cake, a family drama wrapped in a murder mystery with a diverse cast of characters and a global setting that spans decades. The story takes place in Jamaica, Rome, Scotland, England and Southern California.
Black Cake, based on the book by Charmaine Wilkerson, marks a reunion for Warren with Cerar, Kaplan and Disney following their collaboration on Women of the Movement. Warren starred as Mamie Till-Mobley in the ABC limited series, which was created by Cerar and produced by Kapital.
Hulu Pilots & Series Orders
Cerar serves as showrunner on Black Cake, a family drama wrapped in a murder mystery with a diverse cast of characters and a global setting that spans decades. The story takes place in Jamaica, Rome, Scotland, England and Southern California.
- 5/31/2022
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
“This story was one I had to do,” admits Gina Prince-Bythewood about directing the pilot episode of ABC’s historical drama “Women of the Movement.” “That’s how I guide my decisions,” she declares, adding for our recent Q&a, “There’s so much stuff I want to do, but what do I have to do?” We talked with Prince-Bythewood as part of Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” Q&a event with 2022 Emmy Awards contenders. Watch our exclusive video interview above.
See over 300 interviews with 2022 Emmy contenders
ABC’s “Women of the Movement” was created by Marissa Jo Cerar, based on the books “Emmett Till: The Murder That Shocked the World and Propelled the Civil Rights Movement” by Devery S. Anderson and “Death of Innocence: The Story of the Hate Crime That Changed America” by Mamie Till-Mobley and Christopher Benson. The historical drama centers on Till-Mobley (Adrienne Warren...
See over 300 interviews with 2022 Emmy contenders
ABC’s “Women of the Movement” was created by Marissa Jo Cerar, based on the books “Emmett Till: The Murder That Shocked the World and Propelled the Civil Rights Movement” by Devery S. Anderson and “Death of Innocence: The Story of the Hate Crime That Changed America” by Mamie Till-Mobley and Christopher Benson. The historical drama centers on Till-Mobley (Adrienne Warren...
- 5/29/2022
- by Rob Licuria
- Gold Derby
When “Women of the Movement” executive producer Gina Prince-Bythewood stepped behind the camera to direct the show’s first episode, she called on her frequent collaborators, editor Terilyn Shropshire and cinematographer Tami Reiker, to help establish the visuals for Emmett Till’s murder.
The six-part series, set in 1955, tracks Mamie Till-Mobley’s (Adrienne Warren) fight to make sure her son would not be forgotten, and how she played a key part in the civil rights movement.
Prince-Bythewood, Shropshire and Reiker talked about laying the foundations for the series in the pilot.
What did you know about Mamie’s fight and how much did you know about this story?
Gina Prince-Bytthewood: I’ve known the story for a very long time. It’s a story that influenced my show “Shots Fired.” It’s a horrifying story that’s still relevant today, and in doing a story like this, we knew the self-imposed pressure,...
The six-part series, set in 1955, tracks Mamie Till-Mobley’s (Adrienne Warren) fight to make sure her son would not be forgotten, and how she played a key part in the civil rights movement.
Prince-Bythewood, Shropshire and Reiker talked about laying the foundations for the series in the pilot.
What did you know about Mamie’s fight and how much did you know about this story?
Gina Prince-Bytthewood: I’ve known the story for a very long time. It’s a story that influenced my show “Shots Fired.” It’s a horrifying story that’s still relevant today, and in doing a story like this, we knew the self-imposed pressure,...
- 5/23/2022
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
As its title suggests, Women of the Movement was conceived as an anthology chronicling the civil rights movement as told by the women behind it. ABC in 2020 greenlighted a six-episode first installment that tells the story of Mamie Till-Mobley (Adrienne Warren), who risked her life to find justice after her son Emmett (Cedric Joe) was brutally murdered in the Jim Crow South in 1955.
Following the limited series’ airing earlier this year, “we don’t have any current plans for [another season] right now,” ABC Entertainment President Craig Erwich told Deadline in an interview tied to the network’s upfront presentation.
ABC Upfront 2022: Deadline’s Complete Coverage
Women Of the Movement‘s writer/executive producer Marissa Jo Cerar shared what a second installment could look like during Deadline’s Contenders TV event in April. Cerar, who said she has already written the bible for a potential season 2, revealed “It’s a jump in time,...
Following the limited series’ airing earlier this year, “we don’t have any current plans for [another season] right now,” ABC Entertainment President Craig Erwich told Deadline in an interview tied to the network’s upfront presentation.
ABC Upfront 2022: Deadline’s Complete Coverage
Women Of the Movement‘s writer/executive producer Marissa Jo Cerar shared what a second installment could look like during Deadline’s Contenders TV event in April. Cerar, who said she has already written the bible for a potential season 2, revealed “It’s a jump in time,...
- 5/17/2022
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
In one of Contenders TV’s most emotional panels, Deadline TV reporter Alexandra Del Rosario spoke with creator/showrunner Marissa Jo Cerar and Tony-winning actress Adrienne Warren about the ABC limited series Women of the Movement.
Inspired by the book Emmett Till: The Murder That Shocked the World and Propelled the Civil Rights Movement by Devery S. Anderson, the six-episode limited series is set in 1955. It centers on Mamie Till-Mobley (Warren), who risks her life to find justice after her son Emmett (Cedric Joe) is brutally murdered in the Jim Crow South.
When asked why she chose to tell the story from Mamie Till-Mobley’s point of view, Cerar said she wanted to add a fresh perspective to the tragedy. “Too often these stories are about the cops, and the lawyers, and we are dead bodies, not characters. We don’t actually explore what it’s like to lose your...
Inspired by the book Emmett Till: The Murder That Shocked the World and Propelled the Civil Rights Movement by Devery S. Anderson, the six-episode limited series is set in 1955. It centers on Mamie Till-Mobley (Warren), who risks her life to find justice after her son Emmett (Cedric Joe) is brutally murdered in the Jim Crow South.
When asked why she chose to tell the story from Mamie Till-Mobley’s point of view, Cerar said she wanted to add a fresh perspective to the tragedy. “Too often these stories are about the cops, and the lawyers, and we are dead bodies, not characters. We don’t actually explore what it’s like to lose your...
- 4/11/2022
- by Valerie Complex and Alexandra Del Rosario
- Deadline Film + TV
The further history gets from us, the easier it becomes to dismiss it as some far-flung past when, in fact, it remains all too relevant to our present. “Women of the Movement,” premiering Jan. 6 on ABC, directly aims to rectify that, putting a sharp focus on a story that, for too many, keeps fading into distant memory. Developed as an anthology series to highlight a different piece of American history every season, “Women of the Movement” first follows Mamie Till-Mobley, whose 14 year-old son Emmett became a national flashpoint upon his brutal murder in 1955. After his death, Till-Mobley became a prominent civil rights figure in her own right both by terrible accident and grim design. The image of a grieving Black mother put a powerful face to a type of crime that had gone unremarked upon for decades — and yet, it’s impossible to watch “Women of the Movement” and not...
- 1/6/2022
- by Caroline Framke
- Variety Film + TV
This month, ABC is betting big that viewers will tune into its ambitious three-part, six-episode limited series “Women of the Movement,” centering on 14-year-old Emmett Till’s brutal murder in 1955 that served as an important catalyst for the civil rights movement. With the ongoing investigation into the Capitol riot and reignited Critical Race Theory debates in the wake of Nikole Hannah-Jones’ “The 1619 Project,” the nation’s “wokeness” meter has arguably never been higher. But the question is whether a traditional broadcast network can succeed on a project first developed at HBO.
Consciously focusing on the role Black women played in the civil rights struggle, “Women of the Movement” centers on Till’s grieving mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, and her determination to bring her son’s mutilated body back to Chicago to “let the world see” (a phrase that inspires the title of ABC’s companion docuseries). We also follow the trial...
Consciously focusing on the role Black women played in the civil rights struggle, “Women of the Movement” centers on Till’s grieving mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, and her determination to bring her son’s mutilated body back to Chicago to “let the world see” (a phrase that inspires the title of ABC’s companion docuseries). We also follow the trial...
- 1/5/2022
- by Ronda Racha Penrice
- The Wrap
After the rush of holiday specials and prestige movies that define December, January entertainment can often feel like a bit of a letdown. That it’s traditionally been a dumping ground for iffy-looking movies and a bit of a dead zone for new TV shows hasn’t helped its reputation.
But release patterns have changed drastically over the past few years (and even more drastically during the pandemic). Even in the worst of years there’s always something worth seeking out, and this doesn’t look like a bad year...
But release patterns have changed drastically over the past few years (and even more drastically during the pandemic). Even in the worst of years there’s always something worth seeking out, and this doesn’t look like a bad year...
- 12/27/2021
- by Keith Phipps
- Rollingstone.com
Netflix announced the comedy event “Death to 2021” will premiere Dec. 27.
The special tells the story of yet another dreadful year through a documentary style, mixing archival footage gathered over the year with commentary from fictitious characters played by Hugh Grant, Lucy Liu, Tracey Ullman, Samson Kayo, Joe Keery, William Jackson Harper, Stockard Channing, Cristin Milioti, Diane Morgan, Nick Mohammed and more.
In a first-look clip from the special, which you can watch below, an “average British citizen,” played by Morgan, shares her experience with online dating during the pandemic. “I got on quite well with one of them,” says the character. “We even had a cuddle.” The scene then cuts to the pair on a virtual date over Zoom, awkwardly leaning towards their computers.
“Death to 2021” is executive produced by Annabel Jones and Ben Caudell. Nick Vaughan-Smith produces, and Jack Clough and Josh Ruben direct. The special was written by Caudell.
The special tells the story of yet another dreadful year through a documentary style, mixing archival footage gathered over the year with commentary from fictitious characters played by Hugh Grant, Lucy Liu, Tracey Ullman, Samson Kayo, Joe Keery, William Jackson Harper, Stockard Channing, Cristin Milioti, Diane Morgan, Nick Mohammed and more.
In a first-look clip from the special, which you can watch below, an “average British citizen,” played by Morgan, shares her experience with online dating during the pandemic. “I got on quite well with one of them,” says the character. “We even had a cuddle.” The scene then cuts to the pair on a virtual date over Zoom, awkwardly leaning towards their computers.
“Death to 2021” is executive produced by Annabel Jones and Ben Caudell. Nick Vaughan-Smith produces, and Jack Clough and Josh Ruben direct. The special was written by Caudell.
- 12/2/2021
- by Katie Song and Selome Hailu
- Variety Film + TV
Progress continues to be incremental in front of and behind television cameras in Hollywood. An October 2021 UCLA Television Diversity study examined 461 scripted television shows airing or streaming during the 2019-20 season. It revealed that only 32.1 percent of scripted broadcast network shows, 28.1 percent on cable TV, and 26.8 percent on streaming platforms, featured majority non-white casts. Each category saw an increase of roughly 2-3 percent over the previous season. In summary, despite popular claims of a “renaissance” for Bipoc creatives in Hollywood (especially for African Americans), there’s still much work to be done on the matter of inclusion in all job areas.
As their study states, the Bipoc group is not proportionately represented to their share of the U.S. population, even though audience interest in programming with talent that represents the nation’s diversity, continues to increase.
When Bipoc narratives are controlled by non-bipoc creatives, character story lines may lack authenticity,...
As their study states, the Bipoc group is not proportionately represented to their share of the U.S. population, even though audience interest in programming with talent that represents the nation’s diversity, continues to increase.
When Bipoc narratives are controlled by non-bipoc creatives, character story lines may lack authenticity,...
- 11/22/2021
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
“The Bachelor” is back on Monday nights this winter, as the dating show enters a new era with a new host.
“The Bachelor,” which will be hosted by Jesse Palmer, will premiere on Jan. 3 at 8 p.m., returning the flagship show to its normal and coveted time slot. The franchise has been airing on Tuesday nights this fall with the current season of “The Bachelorette,” as Bachelor Nation has gotten year-round programming in 2021 with two seasons of “Bachelorette” and “Bachelor in Paradise” this past summer. The new season marks the first season not led by longtime host Chris Harrison, who departed the franchise earlier this year.
Also on ABC’s midseason schedule is the farewell season of the Emmy-nominated and groundbreaking comedy “Black-ish,” which will sign off after eight seasons. The final, star-studded season will feature a guest appearance by former first lady Michelle Obama.
New series coming to ABC...
“The Bachelor,” which will be hosted by Jesse Palmer, will premiere on Jan. 3 at 8 p.m., returning the flagship show to its normal and coveted time slot. The franchise has been airing on Tuesday nights this fall with the current season of “The Bachelorette,” as Bachelor Nation has gotten year-round programming in 2021 with two seasons of “Bachelorette” and “Bachelor in Paradise” this past summer. The new season marks the first season not led by longtime host Chris Harrison, who departed the franchise earlier this year.
Also on ABC’s midseason schedule is the farewell season of the Emmy-nominated and groundbreaking comedy “Black-ish,” which will sign off after eight seasons. The final, star-studded season will feature a guest appearance by former first lady Michelle Obama.
New series coming to ABC...
- 11/1/2021
- by Elizabeth Wagmeister
- Variety Film + TV
Women of the Movement is set to make its ABC debut in the new year.
ABC revealed that the limited series from creator-writer Marissa Jo Cerar will premiere Thursday, Jan. 6 at 8 p.m. Et/Pt. Inspired by the book Emmett Till: The Murder That Shocked the World and Propelled the Civil Rights Movement by Devery S. Anderson, the six-episode limited series is set in 1955. It centers on Mamie Till-Mobley (Adrienne Warren), who risks her life to find justice after her son Emmett (Cedric Joe) is brutally murdered in the Jim Crow South. Unwilling to let Emmett’s murder disappear from the headlines, Mamie chooses to bear her pain on the world stage, emerging as an activist for justice and igniting the Civil Rights movement as we know it today.
The series also features Glynn Turman, Chris Joy, Julia McDermott, Carter Jenkins, Tonya Pinkins, Ray Fisher and Timothy Hutton.
Women of the Movement...
ABC revealed that the limited series from creator-writer Marissa Jo Cerar will premiere Thursday, Jan. 6 at 8 p.m. Et/Pt. Inspired by the book Emmett Till: The Murder That Shocked the World and Propelled the Civil Rights Movement by Devery S. Anderson, the six-episode limited series is set in 1955. It centers on Mamie Till-Mobley (Adrienne Warren), who risks her life to find justice after her son Emmett (Cedric Joe) is brutally murdered in the Jim Crow South. Unwilling to let Emmett’s murder disappear from the headlines, Mamie chooses to bear her pain on the world stage, emerging as an activist for justice and igniting the Civil Rights movement as we know it today.
The series also features Glynn Turman, Chris Joy, Julia McDermott, Carter Jenkins, Tonya Pinkins, Ray Fisher and Timothy Hutton.
Women of the Movement...
- 10/21/2021
- by Alexandra Del Rosario
- Deadline Film + TV
ABC announced that “Women of the Movement,” the upcoming limited series based on the true story of Mamie Till-Mobley, will premiere on Jan. 6 at 8 p.m. The six-episode series will air in three parts for three consecutive weeks.
Adrienne Warren stars as Mamie, the mother of Emmett Till (Cedric Joe), who was brutally lynched in 1955 in the Jim Crow South. The series sees Mamie risk her life seeking justice for Emmett, keeping his name and murder in the news and igniting the Civil Rights movement. Tonya Pinkins plays Mamie’s mother Alma Carthan; Ray Fisher plays Gene Mobley, Mamie’s husband who was a father figure to Emmett; Glynn Turman plays Mose Wright, Mamie’s uncle; Chris Coy and Carter Jenkins play Emmett’s murderers J.W. Milam and Roy Bryant, respectively, and Julia McDermott plays Carolyn Bryant, the white woman Emmett was falsely accused of sexually harassing.
“My son, he’s a good boy,...
Adrienne Warren stars as Mamie, the mother of Emmett Till (Cedric Joe), who was brutally lynched in 1955 in the Jim Crow South. The series sees Mamie risk her life seeking justice for Emmett, keeping his name and murder in the news and igniting the Civil Rights movement. Tonya Pinkins plays Mamie’s mother Alma Carthan; Ray Fisher plays Gene Mobley, Mamie’s husband who was a father figure to Emmett; Glynn Turman plays Mose Wright, Mamie’s uncle; Chris Coy and Carter Jenkins play Emmett’s murderers J.W. Milam and Roy Bryant, respectively, and Julia McDermott plays Carolyn Bryant, the white woman Emmett was falsely accused of sexually harassing.
“My son, he’s a good boy,...
- 10/21/2021
- by Selome Hailu
- Variety Film + TV
“Black Cake,” a family drama-murder mystery series from Oprah Winfrey and ABC’s “Women of the Movement” creator Marissa Jo Cerar, has been ordered to series at Hulu, TheWrap has learned.
The show, which is based on the upcoming book of the same name by Charmaine Wilkerson, will be written by Cerar, who will also serve as showrunner.
Here’s the official description for the “Black Cake” novel, courtesy of publisher Penguin Random House:
In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett’s death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a traditional Caribbean black cake, made from a family recipe with a long history, and a voice recording. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder. The heartbreaking journey Eleanor unfolds, the secrets she still holds back, and the mystery of a long-lost child,...
The show, which is based on the upcoming book of the same name by Charmaine Wilkerson, will be written by Cerar, who will also serve as showrunner.
Here’s the official description for the “Black Cake” novel, courtesy of publisher Penguin Random House:
In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett’s death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a traditional Caribbean black cake, made from a family recipe with a long history, and a voice recording. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder. The heartbreaking journey Eleanor unfolds, the secrets she still holds back, and the mystery of a long-lost child,...
- 9/22/2021
- by Jennifer Maas
- The Wrap
Exclusive: After a heated bidding war, Hulu has landed the drama Black Cake, from Women of the Movement creator Marissa Jo Cerar, Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films and Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment with a series order.
Based on the upcoming book by Charmaine Wilkerson, Black Cake is a family drama wrapped in a murder mystery with a diverse cast of characters and a global setting. The story takes place in Jamaica, Rome, Scotland, England and Southern California.
Cerar, who played a key part in putting the project together, will write the adaptation as part of her overall deal with Kapital and will serve as showrunner on the series, which spans decades.
In the late 1960s, a runaway bride named Covey disappears into the surf off the coast of Jamaica and is feared drowned or a fugitive on the run for her husband’s murder. Fifty years later in California,...
Based on the upcoming book by Charmaine Wilkerson, Black Cake is a family drama wrapped in a murder mystery with a diverse cast of characters and a global setting. The story takes place in Jamaica, Rome, Scotland, England and Southern California.
Cerar, who played a key part in putting the project together, will write the adaptation as part of her overall deal with Kapital and will serve as showrunner on the series, which spans decades.
In the late 1960s, a runaway bride named Covey disappears into the surf off the coast of Jamaica and is feared drowned or a fugitive on the run for her husband’s murder. Fifty years later in California,...
- 9/22/2021
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.