Harlem is returning for its third season, and four new faces have been added to the cast of the Prime Video series. Kofi Siriboe (Queen Sugar), Logan Browning (Dear White People), Robin Givens (Batwoman), and Gail Bean (Snowfall) have been cast in recurring roles, according to Deadline.
Starring Meagan Good, Grace Byers, Shoniqua Shandai, Jerrie Johnson, and Tyler Leple, the Prime Video comedy-drama follows four female best friends in their thirties as they balance their careers and love-lifes while living in Harlem. The show was created by Tracy Oliver.
Read More…...
Starring Meagan Good, Grace Byers, Shoniqua Shandai, Jerrie Johnson, and Tyler Leple, the Prime Video comedy-drama follows four female best friends in their thirties as they balance their careers and love-lifes while living in Harlem. The show was created by Tracy Oliver.
Read More…...
- 4/4/2024
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Exclusive: Harlem is coming back for Season 3 and fans will see four new faces when the show returns. Kofi Siriboe (Queen Sugar), Logan Browning (Dear White People), Robin Givens (Batwoman) and Gail Bean (Snowfall) have been set in recurring roles.
Siriboe will portray Seth, an MLB player whose confident, charmin, and sweet mannerisms land him a spot in one of the ladies’ hearts. Browning will portray Portia, an edgy and beautiful woman from Ian’s (Tyler Lepley) childhood, whose return to Harlem causes a stir. Givens will portray Jacqueline, Eva’s no-nonsense mother. Bean will portray Given’s daughter Eva, a driven, yet playful, venture capitalist who has started working with Tye (Jerrie Johnson).
From writer Tracy Oliver, Harlem is a comedy following four best girlfriends in Harlem NYC, the mecca of Black culture in America, starring Meagan Good as “Camille,” Grace Byers as “Quinn,” Shoniqua Shandai as “Angie,” Jerrie Johnson as “Tye,...
Siriboe will portray Seth, an MLB player whose confident, charmin, and sweet mannerisms land him a spot in one of the ladies’ hearts. Browning will portray Portia, an edgy and beautiful woman from Ian’s (Tyler Lepley) childhood, whose return to Harlem causes a stir. Givens will portray Jacqueline, Eva’s no-nonsense mother. Bean will portray Given’s daughter Eva, a driven, yet playful, venture capitalist who has started working with Tye (Jerrie Johnson).
From writer Tracy Oliver, Harlem is a comedy following four best girlfriends in Harlem NYC, the mecca of Black culture in America, starring Meagan Good as “Camille,” Grace Byers as “Quinn,” Shoniqua Shandai as “Angie,” Jerrie Johnson as “Tye,...
- 3/27/2024
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Comedy drama Harlem has been renewed for a third series at Amazon Prime, and here are the details.
Writer Tracy Oliver made her name writing a series of comedy features with Black-ish creator Kenya Barris, including 2016 sequel Barbershop: The Next Cut, the wonderful Girls Trip, a film starring Queen Latifah, Regina Hall, Jada Pinkett Smith and Tiffany Haddish, which flew under the radar in 2017 and is well worth seeking out, and 2019’s Little. Oliver most recently penned a television adaptation of First Wives Club, which ran for three series, and last year’s comedy horror The Blackening.
She then went on to create single camera comedy Harlem, which, reports Variety, has just been renewed for a third series at Amazon Prime. While the setup is nothing new – the series follows four friends who met at University in New York, and subsequently have to support each other through the trials and...
Writer Tracy Oliver made her name writing a series of comedy features with Black-ish creator Kenya Barris, including 2016 sequel Barbershop: The Next Cut, the wonderful Girls Trip, a film starring Queen Latifah, Regina Hall, Jada Pinkett Smith and Tiffany Haddish, which flew under the radar in 2017 and is well worth seeking out, and 2019’s Little. Oliver most recently penned a television adaptation of First Wives Club, which ran for three series, and last year’s comedy horror The Blackening.
She then went on to create single camera comedy Harlem, which, reports Variety, has just been renewed for a third series at Amazon Prime. While the setup is nothing new – the series follows four friends who met at University in New York, and subsequently have to support each other through the trials and...
- 12/11/2023
- by Jake Godfrey
- Film Stories
Amazon is returning to Harlem.
The streamer has handed out a third-season renewal to the comedy series starring Meagan Good from creator and executive producer Tracy Oliver.
The pickup comes after season 2 of the New York-set comedy about female friendship debuted in February. The series is a co-production with Universal Television and Amazon Studios.
“Harlem has continued to tell outrageously hilarious stories through the perspective of these uniquely special characters. Fans can look forward to more laughs, wit, and cultural commentary from the brilliant mind of Tracy Oliver and the amazing cast, Meagan, Grace, Jerrie, and Shoniqua,” said Vernon Sanders, head of television at Amazon MGM Studios. “This critically acclaimed series has been embraced by so many and it is a privilege to bring season three to our global Prime Video customers.”
Harlem is exec produced by Oliver (Girls Trip) and Amy Poehler’s Universal Television-based Paper Kite Productions and...
The streamer has handed out a third-season renewal to the comedy series starring Meagan Good from creator and executive producer Tracy Oliver.
The pickup comes after season 2 of the New York-set comedy about female friendship debuted in February. The series is a co-production with Universal Television and Amazon Studios.
“Harlem has continued to tell outrageously hilarious stories through the perspective of these uniquely special characters. Fans can look forward to more laughs, wit, and cultural commentary from the brilliant mind of Tracy Oliver and the amazing cast, Meagan, Grace, Jerrie, and Shoniqua,” said Vernon Sanders, head of television at Amazon MGM Studios. “This critically acclaimed series has been embraced by so many and it is a privilege to bring season three to our global Prime Video customers.”
Harlem is exec produced by Oliver (Girls Trip) and Amy Poehler’s Universal Television-based Paper Kite Productions and...
- 12/6/2023
- by Lesley Goldberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Brunch with the girls is back on!
Prime Video has renewed Harlem — about four friends trying to live their best lives — for Season 3, TVLine has learned.
More from TVLineSquid Game: The Challenge Renewed for Season 2 at NetflixLeverage: Redemption Renewed for Season 3, Makes Move to Prime VideoSo You Think You Can Dance Renewed for Season 18 With a New Judging Panel - Including Nigel Lythgoe (Exclusive)
“The only thing more fun than making Season 2 of Harlem was getting to travel across the country and watch it with our fans!” series creator and writer Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip, The Blackening) said in a statement.
Prime Video has renewed Harlem — about four friends trying to live their best lives — for Season 3, TVLine has learned.
More from TVLineSquid Game: The Challenge Renewed for Season 2 at NetflixLeverage: Redemption Renewed for Season 3, Makes Move to Prime VideoSo You Think You Can Dance Renewed for Season 18 With a New Judging Panel - Including Nigel Lythgoe (Exclusive)
“The only thing more fun than making Season 2 of Harlem was getting to travel across the country and watch it with our fans!” series creator and writer Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip, The Blackening) said in a statement.
- 12/6/2023
- by Keisha Hatchett
- TVLine.com
Amazon Prime Video has renewed “Harlem” for a third season.
From “Girls Trip” and “The Blackening” writer Tracy Oliver, “Harlem” follows four best friends in Harlem — Camille (Meagan Good), Tye (Jerrie Johnson), Quinn (Grace Byers) and Angie (Shonique Shandai) — who navigate new phases of their careers, relationships and big city dreams together.
Season 1 of “Harlem” premiered December of 2021, while Season 2 aired in February of this year.
The series is produced by Amazon MGM Studios and Universal Television in association with Paper Kite Productions. Executive producers include Oliver; Paper Kite’s Amy Poehler and Kim Lessing; 3 Arts’ Dave Becky; Britt Matt; Pharrell Williams; and I Am Other’s Mimi Valdés.
“The only thing more fun than making Season 2 of ‘Harlem’ was getting to travel across the country and watch it with our fans!” said Oliver. “Thanks to everyone who showed up to support and watched it at home! We’re so...
From “Girls Trip” and “The Blackening” writer Tracy Oliver, “Harlem” follows four best friends in Harlem — Camille (Meagan Good), Tye (Jerrie Johnson), Quinn (Grace Byers) and Angie (Shonique Shandai) — who navigate new phases of their careers, relationships and big city dreams together.
Season 1 of “Harlem” premiered December of 2021, while Season 2 aired in February of this year.
The series is produced by Amazon MGM Studios and Universal Television in association with Paper Kite Productions. Executive producers include Oliver; Paper Kite’s Amy Poehler and Kim Lessing; 3 Arts’ Dave Becky; Britt Matt; Pharrell Williams; and I Am Other’s Mimi Valdés.
“The only thing more fun than making Season 2 of ‘Harlem’ was getting to travel across the country and watch it with our fans!” said Oliver. “Thanks to everyone who showed up to support and watched it at home! We’re so...
- 12/6/2023
- by Selome Hailu
- Variety Film + TV
Prime Video has renewed Harlem for a third season.
From writer Tracy Oliver, Harlem is a comedy following four best girlfriends in Harlem NYC, the mecca of Black culture in America, starring Meagan Good as “Camille,” Grace Byers as “Quinn,” Shoniqua Shandai as “Angie,” Jerrie Johnson as “Tye,” and Tyler Lepley as “Ian”.
In Season 2, after blowing up her career and disrupting her love life, Camille had to figure out how to put the pieces back together. Tye tried to figure out how to make meaningful connections while navigating a nasty divorce. Quinn sought out balance as she rode the emotional roller coaster of life, and Angie looked for luck at every turn as she tried to find her place in the world. Together, the women continued to level up into the next phase of their careers, relationships, and big city dreams.
According to the release, Season 3 will return with...
From writer Tracy Oliver, Harlem is a comedy following four best girlfriends in Harlem NYC, the mecca of Black culture in America, starring Meagan Good as “Camille,” Grace Byers as “Quinn,” Shoniqua Shandai as “Angie,” Jerrie Johnson as “Tye,” and Tyler Lepley as “Ian”.
In Season 2, after blowing up her career and disrupting her love life, Camille had to figure out how to put the pieces back together. Tye tried to figure out how to make meaningful connections while navigating a nasty divorce. Quinn sought out balance as she rode the emotional roller coaster of life, and Angie looked for luck at every turn as she tried to find her place in the world. Together, the women continued to level up into the next phase of their careers, relationships, and big city dreams.
According to the release, Season 3 will return with...
- 12/6/2023
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
The new crime thriller comedy feature “The Retirement Plan”, written and directed by Tim Brown, stars Nicolas Cage, Ashley Greene, Jackie Earl Haley, Grace Byers, Ernie Hudson, Lynn Whitfield, Joel David Moore and Thalia Campbell, now streaming on Amazon Prime Video:
‘…’Ashley’and her young daughter ‘Sarah’ must seek out Ashley's estranged widowed father, ‘Matt’, for help when they wind up in the middle of a criminal enterprise that threatens their lives.
‘He is living the life of a retired beach bum in the Cayman Islands when they track him down but are soon found by crime boss ‘Donnie’ and his lieutenant ‘Bobo’.
“And the more time Ashley spends with Matt, she realizes he has a secret past she knew nothing about…”
Click the images to enlarge…...
‘…’Ashley’and her young daughter ‘Sarah’ must seek out Ashley's estranged widowed father, ‘Matt’, for help when they wind up in the middle of a criminal enterprise that threatens their lives.
‘He is living the life of a retired beach bum in the Cayman Islands when they track him down but are soon found by crime boss ‘Donnie’ and his lieutenant ‘Bobo’.
“And the more time Ashley spends with Matt, she realizes he has a secret past she knew nothing about…”
Click the images to enlarge…...
- 12/3/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
When director Tim Story’s horror comedy The Blackening was released back in June, co-writer and star Dewayne Perkins told Variety that he envisioned the film being the start of a franchise, one that could bring back the “same group, sprinkle in some new people. I feel like we’ve got something good, and I love the dynamic, but fresh blood always turns things up a little bit.” Now Variety has confirmed that a sequel to The Blackening is officially in development!
The Blackening didn’t exactly set the box office of fire, earning just $18.5 million… but since the movie had a budget of $3 million (plus another $2 million for marketing), that’s enough for producer MRC and domestic distributor Lionsgate to feel that it’s worth going back to for a sequel. They’re developing the follow-up with Perkins, co-writer Tracy Oliver, and producer E. Brian Dobbins.
Story directed The...
The Blackening didn’t exactly set the box office of fire, earning just $18.5 million… but since the movie had a budget of $3 million (plus another $2 million for marketing), that’s enough for producer MRC and domestic distributor Lionsgate to feel that it’s worth going back to for a sequel. They’re developing the follow-up with Perkins, co-writer Tracy Oliver, and producer E. Brian Dobbins.
Story directed The...
- 11/21/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
After scaring up $18 million in theaters earlier this year, horror-comedy The Blackening is getting a sequel from Lionsgate, Variety has exclusively announced this afternoon.
Variety notes, “producer MRC and domestic distributor Lionsgate have entered into talks with Dewayne Perkins, Tracy Oliver and producer E. Brian Dobbins to develop a follow-up film.”
The first film was made on a production budget of just $5 million, so there’s needless to say lots of potential for this to become a profitable Scary Movie-type horror franchise.
Stay tuned for more on The Blackening 2 as we learn it.
The Blackening, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, centers around a group of Black friends who reunite for a Juneteenth weekend getaway only to find themselves trapped in a remote cabin with a twisted killer. Forced to play by his rules, the friends soon realize this ain’t no motherf****** game.
Directed by Tim Story (Ride Along,...
Variety notes, “producer MRC and domestic distributor Lionsgate have entered into talks with Dewayne Perkins, Tracy Oliver and producer E. Brian Dobbins to develop a follow-up film.”
The first film was made on a production budget of just $5 million, so there’s needless to say lots of potential for this to become a profitable Scary Movie-type horror franchise.
Stay tuned for more on The Blackening 2 as we learn it.
The Blackening, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, centers around a group of Black friends who reunite for a Juneteenth weekend getaway only to find themselves trapped in a remote cabin with a twisted killer. Forced to play by his rules, the friends soon realize this ain’t no motherf****** game.
Directed by Tim Story (Ride Along,...
- 11/20/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
MRC and Lionsgate are developing a sequel to “The Blackening,” the hit horror-comedy from Dewayne Perkins and Tracy Oliver.
After the microbudget production (just $5 million) made more than $18 million at the box office, producer MRC and domestic distributor Lionsgate have entered into talks with Perkins, Oliver and producer E. Brian Dobbins to develop a follow-up film.
Directed by Tim Story and co-written by Perkins and Oliver, “The Blackening” follows a group of college friends who reunite for Juneteenth weekend and are hunted by a killer who asks them to determine who is the Blackest among them — lampooning the common horror movie trope that sees the Black character die first. Perkins initially conceived the story as a sketch for his comedy troupe 3Peat, which developed into a short for Comedy Central, before Oliver reached out to develop it into a feature.
The project premiered in 2022 as a TIFF Midnight Madness selection,...
After the microbudget production (just $5 million) made more than $18 million at the box office, producer MRC and domestic distributor Lionsgate have entered into talks with Perkins, Oliver and producer E. Brian Dobbins to develop a follow-up film.
Directed by Tim Story and co-written by Perkins and Oliver, “The Blackening” follows a group of college friends who reunite for Juneteenth weekend and are hunted by a killer who asks them to determine who is the Blackest among them — lampooning the common horror movie trope that sees the Black character die first. Perkins initially conceived the story as a sketch for his comedy troupe 3Peat, which developed into a short for Comedy Central, before Oliver reached out to develop it into a feature.
The project premiered in 2022 as a TIFF Midnight Madness selection,...
- 11/20/2023
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Between Slotherhouse arriving on Hulu, buddy comedy Shaky Shivers arriving on Screambox, and the theatrical release of Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls, this week belongs to the horror comedy. Horror comedies also happen to make for perfect Halloween viewing, as they frequently offer tricks and treats in the form of laughs and scares. Naturally, this week’s streaming picks are dedicated to horror comedies, emphasizing lesser-seen titles.
Here’s where you can stream them this week.
For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.
Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein – Prime Video
This is the first of many movies in which the comedic pair encounter Universal Monsters, and it’s a delightful mashup all ages can enjoy. Here, Lon Chaney Jr.’s Larry Talbot tries to warn Chick (Bud Abbott) and Wilbur (Lou Costello) that Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi) has arrived in their town with nefarious plans to...
Here’s where you can stream them this week.
For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.
Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein – Prime Video
This is the first of many movies in which the comedic pair encounter Universal Monsters, and it’s a delightful mashup all ages can enjoy. Here, Lon Chaney Jr.’s Larry Talbot tries to warn Chick (Bud Abbott) and Wilbur (Lou Costello) that Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi) has arrived in their town with nefarious plans to...
- 10/16/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Spoiler Alert: This interview contains spoilers from “The Blackening,” now streaming on Starz and available on VOD.
Tracy Oliver is best-known as the co-writer of “Girls Trip” and the creator of “Harlem” and “First Wives Club,” but she’s also quite proficient with numbers. And in terms of the success of her latest film, “The Blackening,” the numbers tell an important tale.
“I don’t think people understand the math of it all,” Oliver says, settling into a plush beige armchair in the lobby of the 1 Hotel South Beach in Miami Beach on a sweltering day in June. “Even my family thought I made more on “Girls Trip” than I actually did.”
Despite the 2017 comedy becoming a massive box office hit — earning more than $140 million worldwide — Oliver didn’t have any backend on the film. “It was considered such a risk when we made it that they weren’t going...
Tracy Oliver is best-known as the co-writer of “Girls Trip” and the creator of “Harlem” and “First Wives Club,” but she’s also quite proficient with numbers. And in terms of the success of her latest film, “The Blackening,” the numbers tell an important tale.
“I don’t think people understand the math of it all,” Oliver says, settling into a plush beige armchair in the lobby of the 1 Hotel South Beach in Miami Beach on a sweltering day in June. “Even my family thought I made more on “Girls Trip” than I actually did.”
Despite the 2017 comedy becoming a massive box office hit — earning more than $140 million worldwide — Oliver didn’t have any backend on the film. “It was considered such a risk when we made it that they weren’t going...
- 10/4/2023
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Ordinarily, curling up for a night of games, laughter, (optional stimulants) and fun with old friends is a perfect recipe for a catch-up. Real friends can always pick up where they left off – no matter how long they’ve been apart – and adding a pack of cards, a super sweet cocktail and some random board games into the mix should guarantee a good time.
Another good way to find out who your real friends are is for a crazed killer to force you to choose which one should die.
Morgan (Yvonne Orji) and Shawn (Jay Pharoah) are excited to set up for their annual Juneteenth celebration with college friends. The cabin in the woods they’ve rented for the occasion is super cute and Morgan’s trusty group bonding activity – her games night set-up – is good to go. Unfortunately so is The Blackening; the offensively ‘retro’ game the couple stumble...
Another good way to find out who your real friends are is for a crazed killer to force you to choose which one should die.
Morgan (Yvonne Orji) and Shawn (Jay Pharoah) are excited to set up for their annual Juneteenth celebration with college friends. The cabin in the woods they’ve rented for the occasion is super cute and Morgan’s trusty group bonding activity – her games night set-up – is good to go. Unfortunately so is The Blackening; the offensively ‘retro’ game the couple stumble...
- 8/23/2023
- by Emily Breen
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The Blackening is a riotous new comedy horror that excels in both of the genres it’s mashing together. With a huge ensemble cast, full of talented comedic performers, we had the pleasure to speak to, well, pretty much all of them, in the global junket.
Below you can watch our entertaining interviews in their entirety, beginning with Dewayne Perkins, X Mayo & Jermaine Fowler. Following that is a second grouped interview, this time consisting of Antoinette Robertson, Sinqua Walls & Grace Byers, We then speak to Jay Pharoah and Melvin Gregg, before ending on the talent behind the lens, speaking to both Tracy Oliver and Tim Story. Enjoy!
Dewayne Perkins, X Mayo & Jermaine Fowler
Antoinette Robertson, Sinqua Walls & Grace Byers
Jay Pharoah & Melvin Gregg
Tracy Oliver & Tim Story
Synopsis
Seven friends go away for the weekend, only to find themselves trapped in a cabin with a killer who has a vendetta.
Below you can watch our entertaining interviews in their entirety, beginning with Dewayne Perkins, X Mayo & Jermaine Fowler. Following that is a second grouped interview, this time consisting of Antoinette Robertson, Sinqua Walls & Grace Byers, We then speak to Jay Pharoah and Melvin Gregg, before ending on the talent behind the lens, speaking to both Tracy Oliver and Tim Story. Enjoy!
Dewayne Perkins, X Mayo & Jermaine Fowler
Antoinette Robertson, Sinqua Walls & Grace Byers
Jay Pharoah & Melvin Gregg
Tracy Oliver & Tim Story
Synopsis
Seven friends go away for the weekend, only to find themselves trapped in a cabin with a killer who has a vendetta.
- 8/22/2023
- by Stefan Pape
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Director Tim Story‘s The Blackening is now available on PVOD ($19.99), and up next the horror-comedy heads to Digital, 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD this month.
The Blackening is available on Digital and On Demand August 15 and 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack (+Blu-ray & Digital), Blu-ray (+DVD & Digital) and DVD August 22 from Lionsgate.
Check out an exclusive clip from the film’s featurettes package below, wherein the cast and crew discuss the house that became the central location in this year’s horror-comedy satire.
“We were lucky enough to find… in Brentwood of all places… this old house has been there probably 100 years. We wanted this house that we were gonna be locked into to have a character of itself. A character that looks spooky at times, but also in the daylight is inviting,” Tim Story explains in the featurette for The Blackening, which you can watch down below.
Directed by Tim Story (Ride Along,...
The Blackening is available on Digital and On Demand August 15 and 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack (+Blu-ray & Digital), Blu-ray (+DVD & Digital) and DVD August 22 from Lionsgate.
Check out an exclusive clip from the film’s featurettes package below, wherein the cast and crew discuss the house that became the central location in this year’s horror-comedy satire.
“We were lucky enough to find… in Brentwood of all places… this old house has been there probably 100 years. We wanted this house that we were gonna be locked into to have a character of itself. A character that looks spooky at times, but also in the daylight is inviting,” Tim Story explains in the featurette for The Blackening, which you can watch down below.
Directed by Tim Story (Ride Along,...
- 8/14/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Falling Forward Films and Productivity Media have launched the trailer for the Nicolas Cage-led action comedy ‘The Retirement Plan.’
When Ashley (Ashley Greene) and her young daughter Sarah (Thalia Campbell) get caught up in a criminal enterprise that puts their lives at risk, she turns to the only person who can help – her estranged and retired beach bum Father Matt (Nicolas Cage).
Their reunion is fleeting as they are soon tracked down by crime boss Donnie (Jackie Earle Haley) and his lieutenant (Ron Perlman). The bad guys get more than they bargained for because Matt is not the wacky character he appears to be.
Written and directed by Tim Brown, Thalia Campbell, Grace Byers, Joel David Moore, and Ernie Hudson co-star.
Also in trailers – “I’m making chocolate, of course…” Trailer served up for ‘Wonka’
The movie has a U.S. release on August 25th.
The post Nicolas Cage...
When Ashley (Ashley Greene) and her young daughter Sarah (Thalia Campbell) get caught up in a criminal enterprise that puts their lives at risk, she turns to the only person who can help – her estranged and retired beach bum Father Matt (Nicolas Cage).
Their reunion is fleeting as they are soon tracked down by crime boss Donnie (Jackie Earle Haley) and his lieutenant (Ron Perlman). The bad guys get more than they bargained for because Matt is not the wacky character he appears to be.
Written and directed by Tim Brown, Thalia Campbell, Grace Byers, Joel David Moore, and Ernie Hudson co-star.
Also in trailers – “I’m making chocolate, of course…” Trailer served up for ‘Wonka’
The movie has a U.S. release on August 25th.
The post Nicolas Cage...
- 7/13/2023
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
"The old guy – he keeps killing everybody!" Falling Forward Films & Productivity Media have revealed an official trailer for The Retirement Plan, a wild action comedy landing in theaters later in August. This doesn't look like it will make any kind of impact, but with Cage rocking a burly beard it might just get some people into theaters. Ashley and her young daughter Sarah must seek out Ashley's estranged father, Matt, for help when they wind up in the middle of a criminal enterprise that threatens their lives. He is now living the life of a retired beach bum in the Cayman Islands when they track him down but are soon found by the crime boss Donnie. The more time she spends with Matt, she realizes he has a secret past she never knew about. Nicolas Cage and Ashley Greene co-star, with Thalia Campbell, Jackie Earle Haley, Ron Perlman, Joel David Moore,...
- 7/12/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Nicolas Cage continues to straddle the line between genius and madness as he now plays a surly grandfather who has acquired a special set of skills in his past career. The infamously eccentric actor has the rare distinction of being self-aware of his online reputation while continually feeding the unintentional comedy with his own personal truth. In an age where Cage can make a movie like The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, which parodies himself, as well as give an acclaimed, understated performance in a film like Pig, there is certainly no predictable trajectory of his already varied career.
Enter The Retirement Plan, which has just released a trailer from Falling Forward and Productivity Media. The film stars Cage as well as Ashley Greene, Ron Perlman, Jackie Earle Haley, Joel David Moore, Grace Byers, and Ernie Hudson.
The synopsis, per Deadline, reads,
In The Retirement Plan, when Ashley (Ashley Greene...
Enter The Retirement Plan, which has just released a trailer from Falling Forward and Productivity Media. The film stars Cage as well as Ashley Greene, Ron Perlman, Jackie Earle Haley, Joel David Moore, Grace Byers, and Ernie Hudson.
The synopsis, per Deadline, reads,
In The Retirement Plan, when Ashley (Ashley Greene...
- 7/12/2023
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
Nicolas Cage plays a retired Caribbean beach bum-turned-assassin in the trailer for The Retirement Plan, an action comedy thriller from writer/director Tim Brown and Falling Forward Films that’s set to hit theaters on Aug. 25.
Cage is Matt, the estranged father of Ashley (Ashley Greene) and her young daughter Sarah (Thalia Campbell), who get entangled in a criminal gang that threatens their lives. Matt, coming to their rescue, is chased down by gang leader Donnie, played by Jackie Earle Haley, and his lieutenant Bobo (Ron Perlman).
To save his family, Matt has to kill a slew of bad guys in a dangerous game of cat and mouse with the criminal gang in hot pursuit. “The old guy. He keeps killing everybody. Everybody!” Bobo exclaims at one point in the trailer.
Soon, Ashley learns her father has a secret past now revealed as he looks to get back to the...
Cage is Matt, the estranged father of Ashley (Ashley Greene) and her young daughter Sarah (Thalia Campbell), who get entangled in a criminal gang that threatens their lives. Matt, coming to their rescue, is chased down by gang leader Donnie, played by Jackie Earle Haley, and his lieutenant Bobo (Ron Perlman).
To save his family, Matt has to kill a slew of bad guys in a dangerous game of cat and mouse with the criminal gang in hot pursuit. “The old guy. He keeps killing everybody. Everybody!” Bobo exclaims at one point in the trailer.
Soon, Ashley learns her father has a secret past now revealed as he looks to get back to the...
- 7/12/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Lionsgate gave director Tim Story’s horror comedy The Blackening a theatrical release on June 16th, with a Premium VOD release following last Friday, July 7th. Now they have announced that a digital release is coming down the line on August 15th, with the 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD release following on August 22nd. The 4K will be released in a combo pack with the Blu-ray, and there will also be a combo pack that contains the Blu-ray, the DVD, and the digital release. Copies are already available for pre-order on Amazon.
Story directed The Blackening from a screenplay by Tracy Oliver and Dewayne Perkins. Inspired by a Perkins-scripted 3Peat comedy sketch that aired on Comedy Central in 2018, the film is about a group of Black friends who go away for the weekend only to find themselves trapped in a cabin with a killer who forces them to play a game with life-or-death consequences.
Story directed The Blackening from a screenplay by Tracy Oliver and Dewayne Perkins. Inspired by a Perkins-scripted 3Peat comedy sketch that aired on Comedy Central in 2018, the film is about a group of Black friends who go away for the weekend only to find themselves trapped in a cabin with a killer who forces them to play a game with life-or-death consequences.
- 7/11/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
After scaring up an estimated $7 million in theaters over Juneteenth weekend, director Tim Story‘s The Blackening is now available on PVOD. Even better? The horror-comedy heads to 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD in August!
The Blackening arrives on Digital August 15 and 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack (+Blu-ray & Digital), Blu-ray (+DVD & Digital), and DVD on August 22 from Lionsgate.
Directed by Tim Story (Ride Along, Think Like A Man, Barbershop) and co-written by Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip, Harlem) and Dewayne Perkins (“The Amber Ruffin Show,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”), The Blackening skewers genre tropes and poses the sardonic question: if the entire cast of a horror movie is Black, who dies first?
Joe Lipsett wrote in his 4-star TIFF review, “While the film isn’t Scream levels of meta, The Blackening fuses social commentary about the Black experience in contemporary America with slasher conventions in a highly entertaining fashion.”
“The humour is successful,...
The Blackening arrives on Digital August 15 and 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack (+Blu-ray & Digital), Blu-ray (+DVD & Digital), and DVD on August 22 from Lionsgate.
Directed by Tim Story (Ride Along, Think Like A Man, Barbershop) and co-written by Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip, Harlem) and Dewayne Perkins (“The Amber Ruffin Show,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”), The Blackening skewers genre tropes and poses the sardonic question: if the entire cast of a horror movie is Black, who dies first?
Joe Lipsett wrote in his 4-star TIFF review, “While the film isn’t Scream levels of meta, The Blackening fuses social commentary about the Black experience in contemporary America with slasher conventions in a highly entertaining fashion.”
“The humour is successful,...
- 7/11/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Cruel Angels Past Sundown: "New Mexico Territory, 1882: She comes to the Klein ranch at sunset, a strange naked pregnant woman dragging a cavalry saber. Annette Klein and her husband have built peace between their marriage and secret relations beyond, but their serenity dies in bloodshed tonight through a cannibalistic demon and a mad preacher.
Annette barely escapes the bloodbath to the nearby town of Low’ s Bend, where she might find safety with a shotgun-toting barkeep, two no-nonsense boarding room ladies, and the gunslinging bounty hunter who’ s captured Annette’ s heart.
But hell is at her heels. If she’ s going to survive until dawn, she’ ll have to forget everything she knows about peace and mercy, and face a hollow malevolence more ancient and ruthless than she’ s ever imagined."
Written by Hailey Piper, Cruel Angels Past Sundown will be available on July 25th from Death’s Head Press!
Annette barely escapes the bloodbath to the nearby town of Low’ s Bend, where she might find safety with a shotgun-toting barkeep, two no-nonsense boarding room ladies, and the gunslinging bounty hunter who’ s captured Annette’ s heart.
But hell is at her heels. If she’ s going to survive until dawn, she’ ll have to forget everything she knows about peace and mercy, and face a hollow malevolence more ancient and ruthless than she’ s ever imagined."
Written by Hailey Piper, Cruel Angels Past Sundown will be available on July 25th from Death’s Head Press!
- 7/7/2023
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Lionsgate gave director Tim Story’s horror comedy The Blackening a theatrical release on June 16th – but if you didn’t catch the movie on the big screen or if you did and want to watch it again in the comfort of your home as soon as possible, we have some good news. The Blackening is set to receive a Premium VOD release on July 7th. Yes, tomorrow!
Story directed The Blackening from a screenplay by Tracy Oliver and Dewayne Perkins. Inspired by a Perkins-scripted 3Peat comedy sketch that aired on Comedy Central in 2018, the film is about a group of Black friends who go away for the weekend only to find themselves trapped in a cabin with a killer who forces them to play a game with life-or-death consequences. The idea asks a reasonable question: since it seems that Black characters are usually the earliest victims in horror films,...
Story directed The Blackening from a screenplay by Tracy Oliver and Dewayne Perkins. Inspired by a Perkins-scripted 3Peat comedy sketch that aired on Comedy Central in 2018, the film is about a group of Black friends who go away for the weekend only to find themselves trapped in a cabin with a killer who forces them to play a game with life-or-death consequences. The idea asks a reasonable question: since it seems that Black characters are usually the earliest victims in horror films,...
- 7/6/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Prepare to head back into the Further this week. The long Fourth of July Weekend means a lighter week ahead for new horror releases, but there’s still plenty to keep you busy. That includes a highly anticipated horror sequel arriving in theaters this week and a home release for one of the year’s funniest horror comedies.
Here’s all the new horror releasing July 3– July 7, 2023!
For daily reminders about new horror releases, be sure to follow @HorrorCalendar.
Alice Maio Mackay’s acclaimed slasher film Bad Girl Boogey released on digital platforms July 4 with a DVD release on July 11.
“Bad Girl Boogey follows Angel, whose mother was brutally murdered one Halloween night when blood was shed by a deranged killer wearing a parasitic mask cursed with black magic and bigotry. Sixteen years later, when Angel’s best friend is slaughtered by a killer with the same mask, they must overcome their personal struggles,...
Here’s all the new horror releasing July 3– July 7, 2023!
For daily reminders about new horror releases, be sure to follow @HorrorCalendar.
Alice Maio Mackay’s acclaimed slasher film Bad Girl Boogey released on digital platforms July 4 with a DVD release on July 11.
“Bad Girl Boogey follows Angel, whose mother was brutally murdered one Halloween night when blood was shed by a deranged killer wearing a parasitic mask cursed with black magic and bigotry. Sixteen years later, when Angel’s best friend is slaughtered by a killer with the same mask, they must overcome their personal struggles,...
- 7/5/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
After scaring up an estimated $7 million in theaters over Juneteenth weekend, director Tim Story‘s The Blackening is now headed home to Premium Video On Demand outlets this Friday, July 7, Bloody Disgusting has learned.
The Blackening, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, centers around a group of Black friends who reunite for a Juneteenth weekend getaway only to find themselves trapped in a remote cabin with a twisted killer. Forced to play by his rules, the friends soon realize this ain’t no motherf****** game.
Directed by Tim Story (Ride Along, Think Like A Man, Barbershop) and co-written by Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip, Harlem) and Dewayne Perkins (“The Amber Ruffin Show,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”), The Blackening skewers genre tropes and poses the sardonic question: if the entire cast of a horror movie is Black, who dies first?
Joe Lipsett wrote in his 4-star TIFF review, “While the film isn’t Scream levels of meta,...
The Blackening, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, centers around a group of Black friends who reunite for a Juneteenth weekend getaway only to find themselves trapped in a remote cabin with a twisted killer. Forced to play by his rules, the friends soon realize this ain’t no motherf****** game.
Directed by Tim Story (Ride Along, Think Like A Man, Barbershop) and co-written by Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip, Harlem) and Dewayne Perkins (“The Amber Ruffin Show,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”), The Blackening skewers genre tropes and poses the sardonic question: if the entire cast of a horror movie is Black, who dies first?
Joe Lipsett wrote in his 4-star TIFF review, “While the film isn’t Scream levels of meta,...
- 7/5/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Spoiler Alert: This interview contains spoilers from “The Blackening,” now playing in theaters.
Dewayne Perkins is living his dream — though the $8 million box office tally for “The Blackening” wasn’t something he actually dreamed was possible.
The microbudget (just $5 million) horror-comedy, co-written by and starring Perkins, follows a group of college friends who reunite to celebrate Juneteenth at a cabin in the woods, only to be hunted by a killer. But in a genre where the Black character usually dies first, what happens when all the characters are Black?
Perkins conceived the idea in 2016 as a sketch for his Chicago-based comedy troupe 3Peat. When it aired as a short on Comedy Central in 2018, the clip went viral and got the attention of Tracy Oliver, who — hot off the $140 million box office success of 2017’s “Girls Trip” — called with the idea that they could expand “The Blackening” into a feature film.
Dewayne Perkins is living his dream — though the $8 million box office tally for “The Blackening” wasn’t something he actually dreamed was possible.
The microbudget (just $5 million) horror-comedy, co-written by and starring Perkins, follows a group of college friends who reunite to celebrate Juneteenth at a cabin in the woods, only to be hunted by a killer. But in a genre where the Black character usually dies first, what happens when all the characters are Black?
Perkins conceived the idea in 2016 as a sketch for his Chicago-based comedy troupe 3Peat. When it aired as a short on Comedy Central in 2018, the clip went viral and got the attention of Tracy Oliver, who — hot off the $140 million box office success of 2017’s “Girls Trip” — called with the idea that they could expand “The Blackening” into a feature film.
- 6/24/2023
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
The Blackening is a potent blend of comedy, and thrills that parodies and challenges the genre’s tropes, specifically those around a mostly Black cast. Under the direction of Tim Story and script by Tracy Oliver, and Dewayne Perkins, the film pays homage to some iconic horror franchises like Scream, Friday the 13th, and Saw with a bit of Cabin In The Woods sprinkled in for some extra razzle dazzle. In the midst of the chaotic hijinks, the narrative centers Black American culture and all of its complexities. The film also stars Perkins, Jermaine Fowler, Antoinette Robertson, Dewayne Perkins, Sinqua Walls, Grace Byers, X Mayo, Melvin Gregg, with Yvonne Orji, and Jay Pharoah.
Things start at a cabin in the woods like most horror movies these days. Morgan (Orji) and Shawn (Pharoah), a couple who are a part of a group of college friends reuniting after 10 years. The plan is...
Things start at a cabin in the woods like most horror movies these days. Morgan (Orji) and Shawn (Pharoah), a couple who are a part of a group of college friends reuniting after 10 years. The plan is...
- 6/21/2023
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
The Blackening star Grace Byers didn’t just take on the tired trope of Black characters dying prematurely in horror movies. Her no-nonsense character, Allison, also challenged the idea that Blackness can be measured.
The Tim Story-directed horror-comedy revolves around a group of college friends who reunite for some fun at a remote cabin, but things quickly go awry when they become the target of a masked killer and his menacing board game, The Blackening. Eventually, Byers’ character suggests that the group split up, and this approach is yet another horror trope that rarely works out well for everyone. Recognizing this pattern, the college friends immediately criticize Allison’s judgment, attributing it to the white side of her biracial identity. (The friend group ultimately heeded Allison’s advice.)
The Pennsylvania-born, Cayman Islands-raised Byers is also biracial, so she understands exactly what her character is going through when her identity is constantly called into question.
The Tim Story-directed horror-comedy revolves around a group of college friends who reunite for some fun at a remote cabin, but things quickly go awry when they become the target of a masked killer and his menacing board game, The Blackening. Eventually, Byers’ character suggests that the group split up, and this approach is yet another horror trope that rarely works out well for everyone. Recognizing this pattern, the college friends immediately criticize Allison’s judgment, attributing it to the white side of her biracial identity. (The friend group ultimately heeded Allison’s advice.)
The Pennsylvania-born, Cayman Islands-raised Byers is also biracial, so she understands exactly what her character is going through when her identity is constantly called into question.
- 6/21/2023
- by Brian Davids
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
While the comparison is inevitable, it is certainly a bit unfair to compare Tim Story‘s The Blackening to Jordan Peele‘s Get Out. Both are horror comedies starring black characters and attempt to be both entertaining while also providing social commentary on black identity.
While both films obviously have different goals and approaches, it makes sense as to why the two films are being compared. However, while the comparison may be a bit unfair, it is also not unjustifiable either because in terms of being both a horror film and a comedy, Get Out is the superior film that manages to be both more entertaining and socially purposeful in a way that The Blackening fails to achieve.
Everything about The Blackening is incredibly surface level from its comedy to the social commentary about black identity to its obvious satire on the tropes pertaining to black characters in horror films and everything in between.
While both films obviously have different goals and approaches, it makes sense as to why the two films are being compared. However, while the comparison may be a bit unfair, it is also not unjustifiable either because in terms of being both a horror film and a comedy, Get Out is the superior film that manages to be both more entertaining and socially purposeful in a way that The Blackening fails to achieve.
Everything about The Blackening is incredibly surface level from its comedy to the social commentary about black identity to its obvious satire on the tropes pertaining to black characters in horror films and everything in between.
- 6/20/2023
- by Timothy Lee
- Uinterview
Lionsgate’s horror-comedy The Blackening was released into theaters for the long Juneteenth weekend, and Lionsgate is surely celebrating the film’s box office performance today.
Playing in 1,775 theaters across the country, The Blackening‘s 5-day total thus far is an estimated $7 million, which includes nearly $1 million from Thursday night previews.
The Blackening opened in sixth place at the crowded box office in its debut weekend, behind much larger studio blockbusters including The Flash, Elemental, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, and The Little Mermaid. The good news for The Blackening is that the film’s production budget was just $5 million, which should allow for Lionsgate to start making box office profits real soon. The low budget horror-comedy was set up for success, whereas a mega budget film like DC’s The Flash was set up to fail.
That’s the beauty of the horror genre, as...
Playing in 1,775 theaters across the country, The Blackening‘s 5-day total thus far is an estimated $7 million, which includes nearly $1 million from Thursday night previews.
The Blackening opened in sixth place at the crowded box office in its debut weekend, behind much larger studio blockbusters including The Flash, Elemental, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, and The Little Mermaid. The good news for The Blackening is that the film’s production budget was just $5 million, which should allow for Lionsgate to start making box office profits real soon. The low budget horror-comedy was set up for success, whereas a mega budget film like DC’s The Flash was set up to fail.
That’s the beauty of the horror genre, as...
- 6/20/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio film reviews for the new releases “The Blackening,” a tart horror/comedy directed by Tim Story and the mystery comedy/romance “Maggie Moores(s), directed by John Slattery. Both In theaters since June 16th.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
“The Blackening” makes fun of the trope that the African-American character is often the first to die in horror movies by placing an all-Black group of friends in the proverbial cabin in the woods, during the Juneteenth weekend. There are confronted by a masked killer who demands that they rank their “degree of blackness” so that he can determine the correct order in which to kill them, and the cabin dwellers must rely on a combination of street smarts and their own knowledge of black history and horror films to survive.
”The Blackening” is in theaters since June 16th. Featuring Dewayne Perkins, Grace Byers, Jermaine Fowler, Melvin Gregg,...
Rating: 4.0/5.0
“The Blackening” makes fun of the trope that the African-American character is often the first to die in horror movies by placing an all-Black group of friends in the proverbial cabin in the woods, during the Juneteenth weekend. There are confronted by a masked killer who demands that they rank their “degree of blackness” so that he can determine the correct order in which to kill them, and the cabin dwellers must rely on a combination of street smarts and their own knowledge of black history and horror films to survive.
”The Blackening” is in theaters since June 16th. Featuring Dewayne Perkins, Grace Byers, Jermaine Fowler, Melvin Gregg,...
- 6/19/2023
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Antoinette Robertson “never felt able” to watch horror movies.The 29-year-old actress stars alongside the likes of Melvin Gregg and Grace Byers in the upcoming movie ‘The Blackening’ – which sees seven friends trapped in a cabin with a killer – but felt when she was growing up that black people were “never valued” in the genre of horror. She told The Hollywood Reporter: “To be perfectly honest, because people of color — and black people specifically — weren’t valued in the horror space, it never made me feel like it was a space I wanted to veer towards. But I also had some pretty cruel cousins that liked to scare me a lot. So it put me in a world where I was a little bit of a fraidy cat, and I stayed away from the genre anyway.”The ‘Block Party’ star went on to add that it was in high...
- 6/19/2023
- by Jordan Beck
- Bang Showbiz
Spider-Man: Across The Spider Verse nearing $300m; Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts crossing $100m.
Updated: There was a lot riding on Warner Bros/DC’s The Flash and Disney/Pixar’s Elemental at the North American holiday weekend box office although the fact that both disappointed will not come as great surprise to Hollywood.
Both tentpoles were challenged. In the case of The Flash, a $200m-plus Ezra Miller headliner, it opened top of the charts on an estimated $55.1m over three days and earned $64.2m through Monday over the four-day Juneteenth federal holiday weekend.
The film had been tracking to...
Updated: There was a lot riding on Warner Bros/DC’s The Flash and Disney/Pixar’s Elemental at the North American holiday weekend box office although the fact that both disappointed will not come as great surprise to Hollywood.
Both tentpoles were challenged. In the case of The Flash, a $200m-plus Ezra Miller headliner, it opened top of the charts on an estimated $55.1m over three days and earned $64.2m through Monday over the four-day Juneteenth federal holiday weekend.
The film had been tracking to...
- 6/18/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
As a child, The Blackening star Antoinette Robertson was easily scared by horror movies, but it wasn’t until she got older that she realized the genre was scaring her off for a whole different reason.
Written by Dewayne Perkins and Tracy Oliver, the Tim Story-directed The Blackening is a horror-comedy that expands on Perkins’ 2018 short, parodying the age-old trope that Black characters are the first to die in horror films. Robertson plays Lisa, an ambitious lawyer who reunites with her college friends for a weekend getaway at a remote cabin. And despite some personal drama involving her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Nnamdi (Sinqua Walls), Lisa must step up to help save her friends from a masked killer, who’s ensnared them into playing a dangerous board game called The Blackening.
For Robertson, The Blackening was especially meaningful because she and her fellow collaborators were able to bring a bit...
Written by Dewayne Perkins and Tracy Oliver, the Tim Story-directed The Blackening is a horror-comedy that expands on Perkins’ 2018 short, parodying the age-old trope that Black characters are the first to die in horror films. Robertson plays Lisa, an ambitious lawyer who reunites with her college friends for a weekend getaway at a remote cabin. And despite some personal drama involving her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Nnamdi (Sinqua Walls), Lisa must step up to help save her friends from a masked killer, who’s ensnared them into playing a dangerous board game called The Blackening.
For Robertson, The Blackening was especially meaningful because she and her fellow collaborators were able to bring a bit...
- 6/18/2023
- by Brian Davids
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Blackening will go on. A California judge today denied a request for a temporary restraining order to delay the horror comedy’s release after saying the plaintiffs in a lawsuit against Lionsgate failed to make their case.
In her ruling (read it here), United States District Court for the Central District of California, Judge Dale S. Fischer of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California said Zahara Ariel and Jaryah Bobo “have not demonstrated any substantial likelihood of success on the merits.” They were trying to block today’s release of the pic, claiming that it infringes on their copyrights a screenplay, Southern Education, and a card game called Black Card Revoked.
“Plaintiffs present little to no detail regarding either the game or the screenplay, and there is no reason to believe that the expression of ideas in either has been copied in the making of the film,...
In her ruling (read it here), United States District Court for the Central District of California, Judge Dale S. Fischer of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California said Zahara Ariel and Jaryah Bobo “have not demonstrated any substantial likelihood of success on the merits.” They were trying to block today’s release of the pic, claiming that it infringes on their copyrights a screenplay, Southern Education, and a card game called Black Card Revoked.
“Plaintiffs present little to no detail regarding either the game or the screenplay, and there is no reason to believe that the expression of ideas in either has been copied in the making of the film,...
- 6/16/2023
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including red carpets for Asteroid City, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, The Flash and Secret Invasion.
The Flash premiere
Ezra Miller made their long-anticipated return on Monday at The Flash premiere in Los Angeles, joined by director Andy Muschietti and co-stars Ben Affleck, Sasha Calle, Kiersey Clemons and Michael Shannon.
Andy Muschietti and Ezra Miller Antje Traue, Michael Shannon and Sasha Calle Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck
Extraction 2 premiere
Chris Hemsworth joined director Sam Hargrave and producer Anthony Russo at the New York premiere of their Netflix action film sequel.
Anthony Russo, Chris Hemsworth and Sam Hargrave
Chanel Tribeca Festival Artists Dinner
Chanel hosted the 16th annual Tribeca Festival Artists Dinner at Balthazar on Monday, honoring the artists who have contributed original artwork to the festival’s award-winning filmmakers.
The Flash premiere
Ezra Miller made their long-anticipated return on Monday at The Flash premiere in Los Angeles, joined by director Andy Muschietti and co-stars Ben Affleck, Sasha Calle, Kiersey Clemons and Michael Shannon.
Andy Muschietti and Ezra Miller Antje Traue, Michael Shannon and Sasha Calle Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck
Extraction 2 premiere
Chris Hemsworth joined director Sam Hargrave and producer Anthony Russo at the New York premiere of their Netflix action film sequel.
Anthony Russo, Chris Hemsworth and Sam Hargrave
Chanel Tribeca Festival Artists Dinner
Chanel hosted the 16th annual Tribeca Festival Artists Dinner at Balthazar on Monday, honoring the artists who have contributed original artwork to the festival’s award-winning filmmakers.
- 6/16/2023
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
"The Blackening" is finally changing the narrative for Black characters in the horror space - and it's about damn time.
The Tim Story-directed horror-comedy mashup, cowritten by Tracy Oliver and Dewayne Perkins, reunites a group of friends - portrayed by Perkins, Grace Byers, Jermaine Fowler, Melvin Gregg, X Mayo, Antoinette Robertson, Sinqua Walls, Jay Pharoah, and Yvonne Orji - for a Juneteenth cabin trip gone horribly (and gorily) wrong, as they all find themselves trapped playing a deadly game with a deranged killer on the loose. While the scenario may sound familiar, it's unlike anything audiences - especially Black audiences - have ever seen before.
With its comedic moments, satirical elements, and hero-esque endgame, "The Blackening" is rare compared to traditional horror stories where Black characters don't get to control their own fate, much less survive until the end of a movie. So the cast consider it an honor...
The Tim Story-directed horror-comedy mashup, cowritten by Tracy Oliver and Dewayne Perkins, reunites a group of friends - portrayed by Perkins, Grace Byers, Jermaine Fowler, Melvin Gregg, X Mayo, Antoinette Robertson, Sinqua Walls, Jay Pharoah, and Yvonne Orji - for a Juneteenth cabin trip gone horribly (and gorily) wrong, as they all find themselves trapped playing a deadly game with a deranged killer on the loose. While the scenario may sound familiar, it's unlike anything audiences - especially Black audiences - have ever seen before.
With its comedic moments, satirical elements, and hero-esque endgame, "The Blackening" is rare compared to traditional horror stories where Black characters don't get to control their own fate, much less survive until the end of a movie. So the cast consider it an honor...
- 6/16/2023
- by Njera Perkins
- Popsugar.com
“Elemental,” an opposites-attract love story set in a world of, well, elements, began its domestic box office jaunt with $2.4 million in Thursday previews. With merely decent reviews (75% fresh and 6.5/10 on Rotten Tomatoes) and little being sold beyond “Hey, it’s the next Pixar film!”), the Peter Sohn-directed flick could struggle to match the $29 million Fri-Sun debut (amid a $39 million Wed-Sun launch) of “Toy Story” back in 1995, let alone the over/under $39 million Fri-Sun debuts of “The Good Dinosaur” in 2015 and “Onward” (which opened a week before Covid shut down the world) in 2020.
Just running the numbers, if “Elemental” legs over the weekend like “Lightyear” ($51 million from a $5.2 million Thursday), it’ll open with just $23.5 million by Sunday night. Being more optimistic, however unlikely, if “Elemental” legs like “Cars 3” ($53 million/$2.6 million), well, then it opens with $49 million and you can ignore the next few paragraphs of doom-n-gloom.
Elemental trailer
Generally speaking,...
Just running the numbers, if “Elemental” legs over the weekend like “Lightyear” ($51 million from a $5.2 million Thursday), it’ll open with just $23.5 million by Sunday night. Being more optimistic, however unlikely, if “Elemental” legs like “Cars 3” ($53 million/$2.6 million), well, then it opens with $49 million and you can ignore the next few paragraphs of doom-n-gloom.
Elemental trailer
Generally speaking,...
- 6/16/2023
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
Antoinette Robertson as Lisa, Grace Byers as Allison, Jermaine Fowler as Clifton and Dewayne Perkins as Dewayne in The Blackening. Photo Credit: Glen Wilson. Courtesy of Lionsgate
A group of college friends gather at a cabin in the woods, for a weekend reunion of sorts. What could go wrong? Well, we know what could go wrong, but the twist in the comedy-horror film The Blackening is the all-black cast and the comedy-horror film’s determined satiric skewering of that old horror film knack for killing off the Black character first. But like the film’s tagline says, they can’t all die first.
In fact, The Blackening leans much more into satiric comedy than horror, having fun with every little horror trope, not just the racist ones. But it does whittle down the group of friends as it goes and provides some jump scares. On one level, the humor is...
A group of college friends gather at a cabin in the woods, for a weekend reunion of sorts. What could go wrong? Well, we know what could go wrong, but the twist in the comedy-horror film The Blackening is the all-black cast and the comedy-horror film’s determined satiric skewering of that old horror film knack for killing off the Black character first. But like the film’s tagline says, they can’t all die first.
In fact, The Blackening leans much more into satiric comedy than horror, having fun with every little horror trope, not just the racist ones. But it does whittle down the group of friends as it goes and provides some jump scares. On one level, the humor is...
- 6/16/2023
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
One of the most offensive tropes in horror movies is that the Black characters die first. Tim Story's upcoming horror comedy, "The Blackening," sets out to find out what happens when all the characters are Black. "We can't all die first," the film's tagline reads. The movie, which hits theaters on June 16, focuses on a group of Black friends staying at a remote cabin in the woods who are targeted by a masked killer on Juneteenth weekend. In order to stay alive, the group must play a game called "The Blackening" that makes them question their own and each other's Blackness. As part of their first task, the group must sacrifice who they think is the "Blackest," which leads to chaos as the friends argue over who's deserving of the title.
The premise of the film was based on a 2018 short film of the same name by 3Peat. In a 2022 interview with Collider,...
The premise of the film was based on a 2018 short film of the same name by 3Peat. In a 2022 interview with Collider,...
- 6/15/2023
- by Michele Mendez
- Popsugar.com
So much has happened in mainstream horror since Jordan Peele released Get Out that it would be understandable if you felt uneasy about The Blackening, a slasher thriller directed by Tim Story (Barbershop). Peele’s feature debut subjected us to a wave — or maybe a better word is tsunami — of copycats and derivatives. They were labeled “social horror,” written furiously about, sometimes critically praised, commercially erratic and left to collect dust.
They quickly became their own kind of joke, a sign of desperate times. These films aspired to Peele’s Get Out but lacked its humor and its smarts. Their narratives were a Mad Libs-esque exercise of transgressions against Black Americans: They were about racist legal codes, police brutality, microaggressions on campus and macroaggressions everywhere. In a frantic rush to tell us something about ourselves, these flicks rarely said anything at all.
The Blackening is not like those other...
They quickly became their own kind of joke, a sign of desperate times. These films aspired to Peele’s Get Out but lacked its humor and its smarts. Their narratives were a Mad Libs-esque exercise of transgressions against Black Americans: They were about racist legal codes, police brutality, microaggressions on campus and macroaggressions everywhere. In a frantic rush to tell us something about ourselves, these flicks rarely said anything at all.
The Blackening is not like those other...
- 6/15/2023
- by Lovia Gyarkye
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Plot: Seven Black friends go away for the weekend and end up trapped in a cabin with a killer who has a vendetta. Will their street smarts and knowledge of horror movies help them stay alive? Probably not.
Review: I absolutely love the concept of The Blackening. As a lover of the Scream franchise, I love a film that dissects the genre’s tropes. While this is considerably more comedy than horror, I still hoped there would be clever dissections. And there are definitely moments like that, but they’re less prominent than I’d hoped. In fact, there are long stretches where it seems like the film forgets to be a satire.
This is the story of a group of college friends getting back together for their 10-year reunion to celebrate Juneteenth. The friends feel believable, and their dynamics, while stereotypical, feel true to life. This was my first...
Review: I absolutely love the concept of The Blackening. As a lover of the Scream franchise, I love a film that dissects the genre’s tropes. While this is considerably more comedy than horror, I still hoped there would be clever dissections. And there are definitely moments like that, but they’re less prominent than I’d hoped. In fact, there are long stretches where it seems like the film forgets to be a satire.
This is the story of a group of college friends getting back together for their 10-year reunion to celebrate Juneteenth. The friends feel believable, and their dynamics, while stereotypical, feel true to life. This was my first...
- 6/15/2023
- by Tyler Nichols
- JoBlo.com
One of the year’s most infectious horror comedies, The Blackening, arrives in theaters this Friday, June 16, 2023.
The Blackening centers around a group of Black friends who reunite for a Juneteenth weekend getaway only to find themselves trapped in a remote cabin with a twisted killer. Forced to play by his rules, the friends soon realize this ain’t no motherf****** game.
Directed by Tim Story (Ride Along, Think Like A Man, Barbershop) and co-written by Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip, Harlem) and Dewayne Perkins (“The Amber Ruffin Show,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”), The Blackening skewers genre tropes and poses the sarcastic question: if the entire cast of a horror movie is Black, who dies first?
The Blackening stars Antoinette Robertson, Dewayne Perkins, Sinqua Walls, Grace Byers, X Mayo, Melvin Gregg, Jermaine Fowler, Yvonne Orji, and Jay Pharoah.
Melvin Gregg as King, Grace Byers as Allison, Antoinette Robertson as Lisa, Sinqua Walls as Nnamdi,...
The Blackening centers around a group of Black friends who reunite for a Juneteenth weekend getaway only to find themselves trapped in a remote cabin with a twisted killer. Forced to play by his rules, the friends soon realize this ain’t no motherf****** game.
Directed by Tim Story (Ride Along, Think Like A Man, Barbershop) and co-written by Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip, Harlem) and Dewayne Perkins (“The Amber Ruffin Show,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”), The Blackening skewers genre tropes and poses the sarcastic question: if the entire cast of a horror movie is Black, who dies first?
The Blackening stars Antoinette Robertson, Dewayne Perkins, Sinqua Walls, Grace Byers, X Mayo, Melvin Gregg, Jermaine Fowler, Yvonne Orji, and Jay Pharoah.
Melvin Gregg as King, Grace Byers as Allison, Antoinette Robertson as Lisa, Sinqua Walls as Nnamdi,...
- 6/14/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Box office preview: ‘The Flash,’ ‘Elemental,’ ‘The Blackening’ will keep the summer movie love going
After strong releases to kick off the month of June, three more wide releases will try to split up any potential business to give the summer box office a boost. This weekend should also benefit from Father’s Day on Sunday and the Juneteenth government holiday on Monday. Read on for Gold Derby’s box office preview.
The widest release of the weekend is Warner Bros’ “The Flash,” starring Ezra Miller and more, which ties some of Zack Snyder‘s Dceu movies into the upcoming plans by James Gunn, or so it’s been said. The movie has been plagued with problems almost going back to Miller’s casting for Snyder’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” in 2016, which includes various writers and directors coming on board and then leaving. The movie was also delayed a few times due to Covid, and then last year, Miller (who uses they...
The widest release of the weekend is Warner Bros’ “The Flash,” starring Ezra Miller and more, which ties some of Zack Snyder‘s Dceu movies into the upcoming plans by James Gunn, or so it’s been said. The movie has been plagued with problems almost going back to Miller’s casting for Snyder’s “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” in 2016, which includes various writers and directors coming on board and then leaving. The movie was also delayed a few times due to Covid, and then last year, Miller (who uses they...
- 6/14/2023
- by Edward Douglas
- Gold Derby
From left: Melvin Gregg, Grace Byers, Antoinette Robertson, Sinqua Walls, Jermaine Fowler, Dewayne Perkins, Xochitl Mayo in The BlackeningPhoto: Lionsgate
A satire that begins with its title, The Blackening relentlessly “uses humor, irony, exaggeration, to expose and criticize stupidity.” That is, of course, the Oxford dictionary definition of the word...
A satire that begins with its title, The Blackening relentlessly “uses humor, irony, exaggeration, to expose and criticize stupidity.” That is, of course, the Oxford dictionary definition of the word...
- 6/14/2023
- by Timothy Cogshell
- avclub.com
“The Blackening” is a slasher movie that’s also a slapdash enjoyable social satire. That the satire turns out to be sharper than the scares isn’t a problem — it’s all part of the film’s slovenly demonic party atmosphere. The set-up, which feels like a “Friday the 13th” sequel by way of “Bodies Bodies Bodies,” reunites nine old college chums to celebrate Juneteenth weekend in a big roomy house they’ve rented near the woods.
As Tina Turner’s cover of “I Can’t Stand the Rain” spins on the turntable, the first two to arrive, Morgan (Yvonne Orji) and Shawn (Jay Pharaoh), find their way to the basement game room, which has shelves of old board games, an ancient TV set, a Ouija board, and a prominently displayed game called The Blackening. Taking the box cover off, they discover, to their horror, that there’s a plastic...
As Tina Turner’s cover of “I Can’t Stand the Rain” spins on the turntable, the first two to arrive, Morgan (Yvonne Orji) and Shawn (Jay Pharaoh), find their way to the basement game room, which has shelves of old board games, an ancient TV set, a Ouija board, and a prominently displayed game called The Blackening. Taking the box cover off, they discover, to their horror, that there’s a plastic...
- 6/14/2023
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Lionsgate’s horror-comedy The Blackening is releasing in theaters on June 16, 2023, for Juneteenth weekend, and tickets for the witty film are available now.
The Blackening, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, centers around a group of Black friends who reunite for a Juneteenth weekend getaway only to find themselves trapped in a remote cabin with a twisted killer. Forced to play by his rules, the friends soon realize this ain’t no motherf****** game.
Directed by Tim Story (Ride Along, Think Like A Man, Barbershop) and co-written by Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip, Harlem) and Dewayne Perkins (“The Amber Ruffin Show,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”), The Blackening skewers genre tropes and poses the sarcastic question: if the entire cast of a horror movie is Black, who dies first?
The Blackening stars Antoinette Robertson, Dewayne Perkins, Sinqua Walls, Grace Byers, X Mayo, Melvin Gregg, Jermaine Fowler, Yvonne Orji, and Jay Pharoah.
Ahead of the film’s release,...
The Blackening, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, centers around a group of Black friends who reunite for a Juneteenth weekend getaway only to find themselves trapped in a remote cabin with a twisted killer. Forced to play by his rules, the friends soon realize this ain’t no motherf****** game.
Directed by Tim Story (Ride Along, Think Like A Man, Barbershop) and co-written by Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip, Harlem) and Dewayne Perkins (“The Amber Ruffin Show,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”), The Blackening skewers genre tropes and poses the sarcastic question: if the entire cast of a horror movie is Black, who dies first?
The Blackening stars Antoinette Robertson, Dewayne Perkins, Sinqua Walls, Grace Byers, X Mayo, Melvin Gregg, Jermaine Fowler, Yvonne Orji, and Jay Pharoah.
Ahead of the film’s release,...
- 6/13/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Chicago – The poster says, “We Can’t All Die First,” referring of course to the killer/slasher film that regularly murders the black member of friend group first. The film is “The Blackening” and it came from the mind of co-writer and featured actor Dewayne Perkins, who conceived of the idea initially as a sketch.
The film interrogates the trope that the African-American character is often the first to die in horror movies by placing an all-Black group of friends at a cabin in the woods, where they are confronted with a masked killer who demands that they rank their degrees of blackness so that he can determine the correct order in which to kill them, and must rely on a combination of street smarts and their own knowledge of horror film tropes to survive.
Dewayne Perkins of ‘The Blackening’
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com
Dewayne Perkins is Chicago born and raised,...
The film interrogates the trope that the African-American character is often the first to die in horror movies by placing an all-Black group of friends at a cabin in the woods, where they are confronted with a masked killer who demands that they rank their degrees of blackness so that he can determine the correct order in which to kill them, and must rely on a combination of street smarts and their own knowledge of horror film tropes to survive.
Dewayne Perkins of ‘The Blackening’
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com
Dewayne Perkins is Chicago born and raised,...
- 6/12/2023
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Melvin Gregg, Grace Byers, Antoinette Robertson, Sinqua Walls, Jermaine Fowler, Dewayne Perkins, and Xochitl Mayo in The Blackening.Photo: Glen Wilson/Lionsgate
The thing about sleeper hits is that they’re hard to predict. By definition, they’re supposed to catch us by surprise. But sometimes there are signs that a little movie—like,...
The thing about sleeper hits is that they’re hard to predict. By definition, they’re supposed to catch us by surprise. But sometimes there are signs that a little movie—like,...
- 6/12/2023
- by Cindy White
- avclub.com
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