John Legend is writing the score to a stage adaptation of the 1959 film Imitation of Life.
The musical, which is in development and aiming for Broadway, features a book by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage (Sweat, Ruined) and direction by Liesl Tommy, who directed Danai Gurira’s Eclipsed on Broadway. The production held a private industry reading at the end of April.
Universal Theatrical Group and Get Lifted Film Co, a production company led by Legend, as well as producer Mike Jackson and Friends at Work CEO Ty Stiklorius, are producing the musical.
Imitation of Life, which originated as a 1933 novel written by Fannie Hurst, follows Delilah Johnston, a Black woman and mother living in Atlantic City in the 1920s with her daughter Peola, who passes as white. Johnston forms a friendship and business partnership with Bea Pullman, a white woman who is a widow, and must navigate the...
The musical, which is in development and aiming for Broadway, features a book by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage (Sweat, Ruined) and direction by Liesl Tommy, who directed Danai Gurira’s Eclipsed on Broadway. The production held a private industry reading at the end of April.
Universal Theatrical Group and Get Lifted Film Co, a production company led by Legend, as well as producer Mike Jackson and Friends at Work CEO Ty Stiklorius, are producing the musical.
Imitation of Life, which originated as a 1933 novel written by Fannie Hurst, follows Delilah Johnston, a Black woman and mother living in Atlantic City in the 1920s with her daughter Peola, who passes as white. Johnston forms a friendship and business partnership with Bea Pullman, a white woman who is a widow, and must navigate the...
- 6/26/2023
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A stage musical adaptation of the Fannie Hurst novel Imitation of Life and its film versions is under development at Universal Theatrical Group, with Lynn Nottage writing the book and John Legend handling the music and lyrics. Liesl Tommy is attached to direct.
Following a private industry reading that took place April 24-28 in New York City, Universal Theatrical Group — the live theater division of Universal Pictures — announced the further development of the project today.
Liesl Tommy
Imitation of Life will be produced for the stage by Universal Theatrical Group and Get Lifted Film Co. The musical is being developed for Broadway.
The novel originally was published in 1933, with Universal Pictures producing two film adaptations — the first directed by John Stahl in 1934 and starring Claudette Colbert and Louise Beavers, and the second in 1959, with stars Lana Turner and Juanita Moore directed by Douglas Sirk. The 1934 film was Oscar-nominated, and the...
Following a private industry reading that took place April 24-28 in New York City, Universal Theatrical Group — the live theater division of Universal Pictures — announced the further development of the project today.
Liesl Tommy
Imitation of Life will be produced for the stage by Universal Theatrical Group and Get Lifted Film Co. The musical is being developed for Broadway.
The novel originally was published in 1933, with Universal Pictures producing two film adaptations — the first directed by John Stahl in 1934 and starring Claudette Colbert and Louise Beavers, and the second in 1959, with stars Lana Turner and Juanita Moore directed by Douglas Sirk. The 1934 film was Oscar-nominated, and the...
- 6/26/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: 2x Academy Award nominee Mary J. Blige (Mudbound) is set to star alongside Tulsa King‘s Jay Will in the upcoming drama Rob Peace. Through her banner Blue Butterfly, she’ll also exec produce the pic, written and directed by Chiwetel Ejiofor, which is now in production.
Based on Jeff Hobbs’ best-selling biography The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League, the film follows a young man who grew up in a crime-ridden section of Newark, NY and later graduated from Yale with degrees in molecular biophysics and biochemistry earned on scholarship. Peace led a dual life living in the insular world of academia and as a lab researcher of cancer and infectious diseases, while at the same time making six figures from the sale of marijuana. He was killed in a drug-related shooting in 2011.
Blige will play Rob’s mother,...
Based on Jeff Hobbs’ best-selling biography The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League, the film follows a young man who grew up in a crime-ridden section of Newark, NY and later graduated from Yale with degrees in molecular biophysics and biochemistry earned on scholarship. Peace led a dual life living in the insular world of academia and as a lab researcher of cancer and infectious diseases, while at the same time making six figures from the sale of marijuana. He was killed in a drug-related shooting in 2011.
Blige will play Rob’s mother,...
- 2/9/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: As Trevor Noah puts The Daily Show behind him, his production company has made a number of executive changes on the television side.
Noah’s Day Zero Productions has hired Chloe Ifshin as VP of Scripted Television and Eugene Han as Head of Unscripted Development.
It comes after the departures of Devon Quinn and Ashley Dizon and as its television slate is ramping up with projects such as The Turning Point for MSNBC, For All Humankind for Discovery+, and Kid of the Year for Nickelodeon.
The company is also developing a scripted series adaptation of Kiese Laymon’s novel Long Division.
Quinn, a former Marvel TV exec, was previously SVP, Television, overseeing live-action and animated TV development and production. Deadline understands that he has joined Amazon and is believed to be working on global spy drama Citadel.
Dizon was formerly VP, Development at the company. She is joining Universal Television...
Noah’s Day Zero Productions has hired Chloe Ifshin as VP of Scripted Television and Eugene Han as Head of Unscripted Development.
It comes after the departures of Devon Quinn and Ashley Dizon and as its television slate is ramping up with projects such as The Turning Point for MSNBC, For All Humankind for Discovery+, and Kid of the Year for Nickelodeon.
The company is also developing a scripted series adaptation of Kiese Laymon’s novel Long Division.
Quinn, a former Marvel TV exec, was previously SVP, Television, overseeing live-action and animated TV development and production. Deadline understands that he has joined Amazon and is believed to be working on global spy drama Citadel.
Dizon was formerly VP, Development at the company. She is joining Universal Television...
- 1/31/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Here it is, your moment of zen. Wait, that was the other guy…Trevor Noah has announced he will leave The Daily Show after seven years, concluding his hosting gig after many turbulent world events.
On the show Thursday night, Trevor Noah delivered a special message at the end of the show, telling his viewers, “We’ve laughed together, we’ve cried together…But after seven years, I feel like it’s time.”
No exact date has been given for Trevor Noah’s departure from Comedy Central’s The Daily Show. Expectedly, no successor has been named.
Trevor Noah expressed genuine gratitude to his audience and viewers at home calling his time hosting the show “genuinely wild” and “one of my greatest challenges.” As for his reasons for leaving the desk, Noah noted he wanted to get back into standup, in addition to traveling more. He concluded his speech with,...
On the show Thursday night, Trevor Noah delivered a special message at the end of the show, telling his viewers, “We’ve laughed together, we’ve cried together…But after seven years, I feel like it’s time.”
No exact date has been given for Trevor Noah’s departure from Comedy Central’s The Daily Show. Expectedly, no successor has been named.
Trevor Noah expressed genuine gratitude to his audience and viewers at home calling his time hosting the show “genuinely wild” and “one of my greatest challenges.” As for his reasons for leaving the desk, Noah noted he wanted to get back into standup, in addition to traveling more. He concluded his speech with,...
- 9/30/2022
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Exclusive: Madeleine George, playwright and writer on Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, has been newly selected as the 2021 recipient of the Hermitage Major Theater Award, a national jury-selected prize that offers one of the largest non-profit theater commissions in the country.
George will receive a cash prize of 35,000, as well as a residency at the Hermitage in Sarasota County, Florida, as well as a developmental workshop in a major arts capital such as New York, Chicago, or London in the fall of 2023.
“I was surprised and thrilled to get the news about the Hermitage Major Theater Award,” said George in a statement. “It’s such an honor to be joining in the Hermitage’s awe-inspiring family of artists, and I’m excited to have resources and time to put towards my commissioned play, which has been on my mind for a while and which I’m eager to share with the world.
George will receive a cash prize of 35,000, as well as a residency at the Hermitage in Sarasota County, Florida, as well as a developmental workshop in a major arts capital such as New York, Chicago, or London in the fall of 2023.
“I was surprised and thrilled to get the news about the Hermitage Major Theater Award,” said George in a statement. “It’s such an honor to be joining in the Hermitage’s awe-inspiring family of artists, and I’m excited to have resources and time to put towards my commissioned play, which has been on my mind for a while and which I’m eager to share with the world.
- 9/7/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The movie Respect, a biographical musical drama, premiered in 2021 to primarily positive acclaim. The movie was directed by Liesl Tommy, who previously worked on projects like Eclipsed, and was written by screenwriter Tracey Scott Wilson. Respect depicts the problematic life of legendary songstress Aretha Franklin, whose rise to fame and fortune was complicated by her harsh personal life. Critiques of the film had been generally positive, with most people praising the film’s direction and its casting. A review by the Sydney Morning Herald wrote: “The film soars whenever the music takes over, as it does for large chunks of the action.
Meet The Cast Of “Respect”...
Meet The Cast Of “Respect”...
- 8/29/2022
- by A.E. Oats
- TVovermind.com
Exclusive: DeWanda Wise is set to join the ensemble cast of Chris Pine’s directorial debut Poolman. She joins a cast that already includes Pine, Annette Bening, Danny DeVito and Jennifer Jason Leigh.
Stuart Ford’s AGC Studios is fully financing the project, which it launched at EFM earlier this year. CAA Media Finance is co-representing the film’s domestic rights with AGC.
Pine directs from a script he co-write with Ian Gotler. Pine plays Darren Barrenman, a hapless dreamer and would be philosopher who spends his days looking after the pool of the Tahitian Tiki apartment block in sunny Los Angeles and crashing city council meetings with his neighbors Jack and Diane (DeVito and Bening). When Barrenman uncovers the greatest water heist in LA history since Chinatown he makes uneasy alliances with a beautiful and connected femme fatale while following every lead he can with corrupt city officials, burned...
Stuart Ford’s AGC Studios is fully financing the project, which it launched at EFM earlier this year. CAA Media Finance is co-representing the film’s domestic rights with AGC.
Pine directs from a script he co-write with Ian Gotler. Pine plays Darren Barrenman, a hapless dreamer and would be philosopher who spends his days looking after the pool of the Tahitian Tiki apartment block in sunny Los Angeles and crashing city council meetings with his neighbors Jack and Diane (DeVito and Bening). When Barrenman uncovers the greatest water heist in LA history since Chinatown he makes uneasy alliances with a beautiful and connected femme fatale while following every lead he can with corrupt city officials, burned...
- 7/7/2022
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
“Becoming the director provided me a space to really create my own vision and my own voice in what I wanted to say,” explains director and choreographer Camille A. Brown of “for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf.” When this revival of Ntozake Shange’s landmark play opened Off-Broadway, Brown served only as choreographer. But for the Broadway transfer, she also took over as director. She earned two Tony nominations for her efforts. Watch the exclusive video interview above.
Brown’s dual roles and dual nominations have historic importance. She is the first Black woman to serve as both director and choreographer for a Broadway show in 67 years. The last time this happened was with Katherine Dunham in 1955. Additionally, she and fellow nominee Lileana Blain-Cruz (“The Skin of Our Teeth”) are just the second and third women of color to be nominated for Best Director of a Play.
Brown’s dual roles and dual nominations have historic importance. She is the first Black woman to serve as both director and choreographer for a Broadway show in 67 years. The last time this happened was with Katherine Dunham in 1955. Additionally, she and fellow nominee Lileana Blain-Cruz (“The Skin of Our Teeth”) are just the second and third women of color to be nominated for Best Director of a Play.
- 5/18/2022
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
Exclusive: Hailey Kilgore (Power Book III: Raising Kanan), David Iacono (The Flight Attendant) and Jeremie Harris (Legion) have signed on to star in the noir film Cinnamon, which will stream exclusively on Fox’s free service, Tubi.
The feature currently in production in Atlanta follows a struggling small-town gas station attendant and aspiring (and truly gifted) singer, Jodi Jackson (Kilgore), whose life is sent into a tailspin when there’s a robbery at work. Iacono is playing Jodi’s fiercely devoted hustler boyfriend turned music manager, Eddie, with Harris as James Walker, a young gangster in the drug running business.
Cinnamon is the first movie in production under Tubi’s recently announced film deal with Village Roadshow Pictures to produce multiple films from its “Black Noir Cinema” initiative. Rising filmmaker Bryian Keith Montgomery Jr. is directing from his script, with Oz Scott producing alongside Kevin Garnett via his Content Cartel,...
The feature currently in production in Atlanta follows a struggling small-town gas station attendant and aspiring (and truly gifted) singer, Jodi Jackson (Kilgore), whose life is sent into a tailspin when there’s a robbery at work. Iacono is playing Jodi’s fiercely devoted hustler boyfriend turned music manager, Eddie, with Harris as James Walker, a young gangster in the drug running business.
Cinnamon is the first movie in production under Tubi’s recently announced film deal with Village Roadshow Pictures to produce multiple films from its “Black Noir Cinema” initiative. Rising filmmaker Bryian Keith Montgomery Jr. is directing from his script, with Oz Scott producing alongside Kevin Garnett via his Content Cartel,...
- 3/29/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The “Beauty and the Beast” prequel TV series at Disney+ is on hold indefinitely, an individual with knowledge of the project told TheWrap.
The hold is said to be for creative reasons as well as scheduling issues.
Josh Gad and Luke Evans, who starred in the live-action “Beauty and the Beast” movie, are both executive producing the prequel series in addition to reprising their on-camera roles. And actually, Gad is co-showrunning the show with “Once Upon a Time” bosses Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz.
Other executive producers on the limited series include Liesl Tommy and legendary Disney songwriter Alan Menken. Tommy was set to direct the premiere episode of the ABC Signature series, with Glenn Slater writing the lyrics for the first episode.
Set in the iconic kingdom of “Beauty and the Beast” years before Beast and Belle’s epic romance, the prequel series was set to follow Gaston (Evans...
The hold is said to be for creative reasons as well as scheduling issues.
Josh Gad and Luke Evans, who starred in the live-action “Beauty and the Beast” movie, are both executive producing the prequel series in addition to reprising their on-camera roles. And actually, Gad is co-showrunning the show with “Once Upon a Time” bosses Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz.
Other executive producers on the limited series include Liesl Tommy and legendary Disney songwriter Alan Menken. Tommy was set to direct the premiere episode of the ABC Signature series, with Glenn Slater writing the lyrics for the first episode.
Set in the iconic kingdom of “Beauty and the Beast” years before Beast and Belle’s epic romance, the prequel series was set to follow Gaston (Evans...
- 2/10/2022
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
Disney+’s Beauty and the Beast prequel series will not be moving forward at this time. The decision comes as the lead cast of the eight-episode series had been assembled ahead of the planned summer 2022 shoot in the U.K.
According to sources, the call not to proceed with the show was made for creative reasons, with the scripts and original music not coming together in the direction expected or running behind schedule. With a number of creative elements up in the air and the shoot’s start already pushed from early spring to summer, a decision was made to put the project on hold. Pushing filming further into the fall was not an option because of talent availability and weather concerns, sources said.
Luke Evans and Josh Gad headline the prequel, reprising their roles as Gaston and LeFou. Briana Middleton, Fra Fee and Jelani Alladin also had been cast as leads.
According to sources, the call not to proceed with the show was made for creative reasons, with the scripts and original music not coming together in the direction expected or running behind schedule. With a number of creative elements up in the air and the shoot’s start already pushed from early spring to summer, a decision was made to put the project on hold. Pushing filming further into the fall was not an option because of talent availability and weather concerns, sources said.
Luke Evans and Josh Gad headline the prequel, reprising their roles as Gaston and LeFou. Briana Middleton, Fra Fee and Jelani Alladin also had been cast as leads.
- 2/10/2022
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
The “Beauty and the Beast” prequel series is no longer moving forward as planned at Disney Plus.
According to sources, the live-action musical show is being postponed for an undetermined amount of time due to creative and scheduling issues. The show was meant to begin shooting this summer in Europe, but certain creative elements were not yet ready, which would have delayed shooting. Given the scheduling issues this would cause with the show’s cast as well as weather constraints, it was decided to hold off and revisit the show at a later date.
News of the postponement comes just days after it was announced that Rita Ora was set to join the cast of the show, while Variety exclusively reported that “Hawkeye” alum Fra Fee was joining back in January.
The series was ordered at the streamer in June 2021. It would have seen Luke Evans and Josh Gad reprise...
According to sources, the live-action musical show is being postponed for an undetermined amount of time due to creative and scheduling issues. The show was meant to begin shooting this summer in Europe, but certain creative elements were not yet ready, which would have delayed shooting. Given the scheduling issues this would cause with the show’s cast as well as weather constraints, it was decided to hold off and revisit the show at a later date.
News of the postponement comes just days after it was announced that Rita Ora was set to join the cast of the show, while Variety exclusively reported that “Hawkeye” alum Fra Fee was joining back in January.
The series was ordered at the streamer in June 2021. It would have seen Luke Evans and Josh Gad reprise...
- 2/10/2022
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
The industry is continuing to make gains when it comes to hiring women directors and directors of color, but Hollywood is still a long way off from parity. While last year saw a 15-year high in the share of films directed by people from underrepresented ethnic groups, nearly all of that increase came from male filmmakers. In fact, fewer than 2 percent of all top-grossing directors were women of color in the last decade and a half.
Those are some of the findings from the latest study from the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, which was released Wednesday. Titled “Inclusion in the Director’s Chair: Analysis of Director Gender & Race/Ethnicity Across 1,500 Top Films from 2007 to 2021,” the study reveals that early-pandemic gains in behind-the-scenes equity has continued and that streamers are leading the effort to hire Asian, Black, Latino, and multiracial directors.
The study primarily looked at the highest-grossing theatrically released fictional films from the last 15 years.
Those are some of the findings from the latest study from the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, which was released Wednesday. Titled “Inclusion in the Director’s Chair: Analysis of Director Gender & Race/Ethnicity Across 1,500 Top Films from 2007 to 2021,” the study reveals that early-pandemic gains in behind-the-scenes equity has continued and that streamers are leading the effort to hire Asian, Black, Latino, and multiracial directors.
The study primarily looked at the highest-grossing theatrically released fictional films from the last 15 years.
- 2/9/2022
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
On Tuesday, “The Power of the Dog” director Jane Campion made Oscar history as the first woman to receive two best director nominations.
Campion is nominated in the 2022 directing category opposite Steven Spielberg for “West Side Story,” Kenneth Branagh for “Belfast,” Paul Thomas Anderson for “Licorice Pizza” and Ryusuke Hamaguchi for “Drive My Car.” Her first Oscar nod for directing came in 1994 when she was nominated for “The Piano” at the 66th Academy Awards. She won the Oscar for original screenplay that year.
“It’s both sad but it’s also great that women are punching that glass ceiling out of the way. I really feel things are changing,” Campion told Variety of her directing nomination.
Exactly how much things are changing behind the camera with regard to gender and racial equity has been analyzed by Dr. Stacy Smith and the team at the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative as they release their annual study.
Campion is nominated in the 2022 directing category opposite Steven Spielberg for “West Side Story,” Kenneth Branagh for “Belfast,” Paul Thomas Anderson for “Licorice Pizza” and Ryusuke Hamaguchi for “Drive My Car.” Her first Oscar nod for directing came in 1994 when she was nominated for “The Piano” at the 66th Academy Awards. She won the Oscar for original screenplay that year.
“It’s both sad but it’s also great that women are punching that glass ceiling out of the way. I really feel things are changing,” Campion told Variety of her directing nomination.
Exactly how much things are changing behind the camera with regard to gender and racial equity has been analyzed by Dr. Stacy Smith and the team at the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative as they release their annual study.
- 2/9/2022
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
British pop star Rita Ora is joining Disney+’s Beauty and the Beast prequel series.
Ora, who is best known for pop hits such as Your Song and Anywhere, will play a fugitive with surprising abilities who carries with her a secret that could potentially affect an entire kingdom in the eight-episode limited musical series.
A regular fixture on British musical reality series, Ora has previously starred in Fifty Shades of Grey as well as starring as the Artful Dodger in 2021 feature film Twist.
She joins Luke Evans and Josh Gad, who are reprising their roles as Gaston and LeFou. Briana Middleton, Fra Fee and Jelani Alladin also star.
2022 Disney+ Pilots & Series Orders
Beauty and the Beast was developed and written by Gad and Once Upon a Time creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, with the trio serving as executive producers/co-showrunners.
Set in the iconic kingdom of Beauty and the Beast...
Ora, who is best known for pop hits such as Your Song and Anywhere, will play a fugitive with surprising abilities who carries with her a secret that could potentially affect an entire kingdom in the eight-episode limited musical series.
A regular fixture on British musical reality series, Ora has previously starred in Fifty Shades of Grey as well as starring as the Artful Dodger in 2021 feature film Twist.
She joins Luke Evans and Josh Gad, who are reprising their roles as Gaston and LeFou. Briana Middleton, Fra Fee and Jelani Alladin also star.
2022 Disney+ Pilots & Series Orders
Beauty and the Beast was developed and written by Gad and Once Upon a Time creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, with the trio serving as executive producers/co-showrunners.
Set in the iconic kingdom of Beauty and the Beast...
- 2/7/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Singer/songwriter Rita Ora has joined the cast of Disney Plus’ upcoming ‘Beauty and The Beast’ prequel. The news was announced Monday during Disney Branded Television’s session at the Television Critics Association’s winter press tour.
On the “Beauty and the Beast” (working title) prequel, Ora will star as “a fugitive with surprising abilities who carries with her a secret that could potentially affect an entire kingdom.” She joins a cast that includes Josh Gad, Luke Evans, Briana Middleton, Fra Fee and Jelani Alladin.
Gad also serves as an executive producer and co-showrunner, along with Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz.. The show takes place years before the events of “Beauty and the Beast” and follows Gaston and LeFou as they set off with LeFou’s stepsister, Tilly, after a surprising revelation from her past comes to light.
Ora’s film credits include the “Fifty Shades of Grey” franchise, “Fast & Furious,...
On the “Beauty and the Beast” (working title) prequel, Ora will star as “a fugitive with surprising abilities who carries with her a secret that could potentially affect an entire kingdom.” She joins a cast that includes Josh Gad, Luke Evans, Briana Middleton, Fra Fee and Jelani Alladin.
Gad also serves as an executive producer and co-showrunner, along with Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz.. The show takes place years before the events of “Beauty and the Beast” and follows Gaston and LeFou as they set off with LeFou’s stepsister, Tilly, after a surprising revelation from her past comes to light.
Ora’s film credits include the “Fifty Shades of Grey” franchise, “Fast & Furious,...
- 2/7/2022
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Rita Ora has joined the cast of the Disney+ limited prequel series for “Beauty and the Beast.” The singer-songwriter will play “a fugitive with surprising abilities who carries with her a secret that could potentially affect an entire kingdom,” according to the show’s updated logline.
So, not Belle, if you were holding out hope for that.
Josh Gad and Luke Evans, who starred in the live-action “Beauty and the Beast” movie, are both executive producing the prequel series in addition to reprising their on-camera roles. And actually, Gad is co-showrunning the show with “Once Upon a Time” bosses Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz. Other executive producers on the limited series include Liesl Tommy and legendary Disney songwriter Alan Menken. Tommy will director the premiere episode of the ABC Signature series. Glenn Slater will write the lyrics for the first episode.
Set in the iconic kingdom of “Beauty and the...
So, not Belle, if you were holding out hope for that.
Josh Gad and Luke Evans, who starred in the live-action “Beauty and the Beast” movie, are both executive producing the prequel series in addition to reprising their on-camera roles. And actually, Gad is co-showrunning the show with “Once Upon a Time” bosses Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz. Other executive producers on the limited series include Liesl Tommy and legendary Disney songwriter Alan Menken. Tommy will director the premiere episode of the ABC Signature series. Glenn Slater will write the lyrics for the first episode.
Set in the iconic kingdom of “Beauty and the...
- 2/7/2022
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
Welcome to another episode of Deadline’s Scene 2 Seen Podcast.
Today’s guest is Liesl Tommy, the director and executive producer of the 2021 Aretha Franklin biopic Respect which stars Jennifer Hudson, Forest Whitaker, and Marlon Wayans.
The director has some amazing credits on her resume including The Walking Dead, Insecure, and Queen Sugar just to name a few. With all of her amazing television work, Respect is Tommy’s first feature film which Deadline’s own Pete Hammond remarks is “…The distinct voice of Aretha herself that we see playing over much of the end credits. It is very powerful indeed, but also a reminder of just how brilliantly her casting choice did right by her. This is Jennifer Hudson’s triumph merged with the spirit and guidance from an even greater voice above. Hudson’s performance is an electrifying sight to behold.”
The movie shows Tommy is not only a talented director,...
Today’s guest is Liesl Tommy, the director and executive producer of the 2021 Aretha Franklin biopic Respect which stars Jennifer Hudson, Forest Whitaker, and Marlon Wayans.
The director has some amazing credits on her resume including The Walking Dead, Insecure, and Queen Sugar just to name a few. With all of her amazing television work, Respect is Tommy’s first feature film which Deadline’s own Pete Hammond remarks is “…The distinct voice of Aretha herself that we see playing over much of the end credits. It is very powerful indeed, but also a reminder of just how brilliantly her casting choice did right by her. This is Jennifer Hudson’s triumph merged with the spirit and guidance from an even greater voice above. Hudson’s performance is an electrifying sight to behold.”
The movie shows Tommy is not only a talented director,...
- 2/2/2022
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
After all the talk of a potential Lady Gaga-Kristen Stewart Oscar night showdown, could it be much ado about nothing?
Both actresses have a very vocal and passionate fanbase. Leading up to the Screen Actors Guild awards nominations, many predicted that the two would ultimately be the final two standing in the race for the Oscar statuette. However, that was until Stewart was snubbed for her turn as Princess Diana in Pablo Larraín’s historical fable. Many Gaga stans were elated by Stewart’s miss, seeing it as a clear opening for the performer to carry her “House of Gucci” momentum from a win at the New York Film Critics Circle and to a potential SAG Award, and then eventually the Academy Award.
While both actresses received nominations at the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards, including longlist mentions for the BAFTA Awards, whether pundits and fans want to believe it or not,...
Both actresses have a very vocal and passionate fanbase. Leading up to the Screen Actors Guild awards nominations, many predicted that the two would ultimately be the final two standing in the race for the Oscar statuette. However, that was until Stewart was snubbed for her turn as Princess Diana in Pablo Larraín’s historical fable. Many Gaga stans were elated by Stewart’s miss, seeing it as a clear opening for the performer to carry her “House of Gucci” momentum from a win at the New York Film Critics Circle and to a potential SAG Award, and then eventually the Academy Award.
While both actresses received nominations at the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards, including longlist mentions for the BAFTA Awards, whether pundits and fans want to believe it or not,...
- 1/27/2022
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
A tsunami of buzz and Oscar-telling indicators drop on Thursday, with the major guilds announcing award nominations. The Directors Guild of America (DGA), Writers Guild of America (WGA), Producers Guild of America (PGA) and American Cinema Editors (Ace Eddies) all serve as critical barometers for the Academy Awards, especially in the race for best picture.
DGA has averaged four of their five nominees landing in the Oscars’ best director category, including last year with Aaron Sorkin (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”) getting bumped for Thomas Vinterberg (“Another Round”). The first-time directors’ category, with the exception of Jordan Peele for “Get Out” (2017), has gone on to get a nod at the Academy.
The PGA always provides some big blockbusters and Academy flare, which bodes well for either “No Time to Die” or “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” The WGA has a lot of ineligibilities that won’t provide a strong enough indicator for the screenplay categories.
DGA has averaged four of their five nominees landing in the Oscars’ best director category, including last year with Aaron Sorkin (“The Trial of the Chicago 7”) getting bumped for Thomas Vinterberg (“Another Round”). The first-time directors’ category, with the exception of Jordan Peele for “Get Out” (2017), has gone on to get a nod at the Academy.
The PGA always provides some big blockbusters and Academy flare, which bodes well for either “No Time to Die” or “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” The WGA has a lot of ineligibilities that won’t provide a strong enough indicator for the screenplay categories.
- 1/26/2022
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
The number of feature directorial debuts from 2021 was even more significant than usual, and the Directors Guild of America has the daunting task of narrowing them down to just five. The DGA Awards are set to announce their nominees for the best directing in film and television on January 27, and much of the attention will be on which directors are selected for the First-Time Feature Film category. Could it be one of the most competitive lineups ever?
SEEMaggie Gyllenhaal interview: ‘The Lost Daughter’ writer-director
High-profile contenders include a number of actors like Maggie Gyllenhaal (“The Lost Daughter”), Lin-Manuel Miranda and Rebecca Hall (“Passing”), whose films have all collected a number of nominations from critics groups. All three have been singled out for their distinctive visions and will likely earn nominations here, with other actors-turned-directors like Fran Kranz (“Mass”), Halle Berry (“Bruised”) and Justine Bateman (“Violet”) as more possibilities. Jeymes Samuel,...
SEEMaggie Gyllenhaal interview: ‘The Lost Daughter’ writer-director
High-profile contenders include a number of actors like Maggie Gyllenhaal (“The Lost Daughter”), Lin-Manuel Miranda and Rebecca Hall (“Passing”), whose films have all collected a number of nominations from critics groups. All three have been singled out for their distinctive visions and will likely earn nominations here, with other actors-turned-directors like Fran Kranz (“Mass”), Halle Berry (“Bruised”) and Justine Bateman (“Violet”) as more possibilities. Jeymes Samuel,...
- 1/24/2022
- by Kevin Jacobsen
- Gold Derby
Jennifer Hudson’s name is already written in the Academy Awards history books. At 25, she became the youngest Black woman to ever win an acting Oscar for her turn as Effie White in “Dreamgirls” (2006). She’s also the first to do it for a debut role. Her work in the Aretha Franklin biopic “Respect” has her contending for two possible Oscar nominations: lead actress and original song, for the track “Here I Am (Singing My Way Home),” co-written by Carole King and Jamie Alexander Hartman. Already a Tony Award away from Egot status, she could break another record if she lands those two coveted noms.
Hudson would be the first Black woman to be nominated in three individual categories if she snags both nods. Only three Black women have been recognized in two individual categories: Viola Davis, Whoopi Goldberg (actress and supporting actress) and Oprah Winfrey (supporting actress and best picture). For comparison,...
Hudson would be the first Black woman to be nominated in three individual categories if she snags both nods. Only three Black women have been recognized in two individual categories: Viola Davis, Whoopi Goldberg (actress and supporting actress) and Oprah Winfrey (supporting actress and best picture). For comparison,...
- 1/23/2022
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
“How do we summarize a life that has touched so many people around the world,” acclaimed songwriter Jamie Hartman declares about the original song “Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)” from the Aretha Franklin biopic “Respect.” We talked with Hartman as part of Gold Derby’s special film songwriters “Meet the Experts” Q&a event with key Oscar contenders. Watch our exclusive video interview above.
See Gold Derby interviews with 2022 Oscar contenders
Based on the life of the soul and gospel singing legend, “Respect,” was written by Tracey Scott Wilson and Oscar winner Callie Khouri and directed by Liesl Tommy in her feature directorial debut. Starring Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson as Franklin alongside co-stars Oscar winner Forest Whitaker, Tony winner Audra McDonald, Marlon Wayans, Marc Maron, Tituss Burgess and Mary J. Blige, the biopic follows the first three decades of the singer’s life, from childhood to her ascendancy to international musical stardom.
See Gold Derby interviews with 2022 Oscar contenders
Based on the life of the soul and gospel singing legend, “Respect,” was written by Tracey Scott Wilson and Oscar winner Callie Khouri and directed by Liesl Tommy in her feature directorial debut. Starring Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson as Franklin alongside co-stars Oscar winner Forest Whitaker, Tony winner Audra McDonald, Marlon Wayans, Marc Maron, Tituss Burgess and Mary J. Blige, the biopic follows the first three decades of the singer’s life, from childhood to her ascendancy to international musical stardom.
- 1/21/2022
- by Rob Licuria
- Gold Derby
Exclusive: Jelani Alladin (The Walking Dead: World Beyond) is set as a series regular in Disney+’s upcoming Beauty and the Beast (working title) prequel series, joining previously announced Luke Evans, Josh Gad, Briana Middleton and Fra Fee.
The eight-episode limited musical series, a prequel to the 2017 live-action film, was developed and written by Gad and Once Upon a Time creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, with the trio serving as executive producers/co-showrunners. Tony Award-nominated director Liesl Tommy executive produces and directs the pilot.
Set in the iconic kingdom of Beauty and the Beast years before the Beast and Belle’s epic romance, the series will follow Gaston (Evans) and LeFou (Gad) as they set off with LeFou’s step-sister, Tilly (Middleton), after a surprising revelation from her past comes to light, sending the unlikely trio off on an unexpected journey filled with romance, comedy, and adventure.
The eight-episode limited musical series, a prequel to the 2017 live-action film, was developed and written by Gad and Once Upon a Time creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, with the trio serving as executive producers/co-showrunners. Tony Award-nominated director Liesl Tommy executive produces and directs the pilot.
Set in the iconic kingdom of Beauty and the Beast years before the Beast and Belle’s epic romance, the series will follow Gaston (Evans) and LeFou (Gad) as they set off with LeFou’s step-sister, Tilly (Middleton), after a surprising revelation from her past comes to light, sending the unlikely trio off on an unexpected journey filled with romance, comedy, and adventure.
- 1/20/2022
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Fra Fee is staying in business with Disney Plus with a role in the upcoming “Beauty and the Beast” prequel series, Variety has learned exclusively.
The live-action musical series was ordered at the streamer in June 2021. It stars Luke Evans and Josh Gad, who will reprise the roles of Gaston and LeFou (Louie) respectively from the 2017 live-action “Beauty and the Beast” film. In addition, newcomer Briana Middleton will play Tilly, Louie’s stepsister. Set in the iconic kingdom of “Beauty and the Beast” years before the Beast and Belle’s romance, the series will follow Gaston and LeFou as they set off with Tilly after a surprising revelation from her past comes to light, sending the trio off on an unexpected journey.
Fee will star as Prince Benoit Berlioz, a childhood friend of Tilly’s who has grown into a handsome, charismatic, confident prince.
Fee was most recently seen in...
The live-action musical series was ordered at the streamer in June 2021. It stars Luke Evans and Josh Gad, who will reprise the roles of Gaston and LeFou (Louie) respectively from the 2017 live-action “Beauty and the Beast” film. In addition, newcomer Briana Middleton will play Tilly, Louie’s stepsister. Set in the iconic kingdom of “Beauty and the Beast” years before the Beast and Belle’s romance, the series will follow Gaston and LeFou as they set off with Tilly after a surprising revelation from her past comes to light, sending the trio off on an unexpected journey.
Fee will star as Prince Benoit Berlioz, a childhood friend of Tilly’s who has grown into a handsome, charismatic, confident prince.
Fee was most recently seen in...
- 1/19/2022
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
February 26 show will air live but without audience.
Jeymes Samuel’s western The Harder They Fall has earned 12 nods to lead the field in the 2022 NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) Image Awards nominations with Jennifer Hudson, Will Smith and Rebecca Hall also among the contenders.
The Harder They Fall was nominated on Tuesday (January 18) for outstanding motion picture along with last season’s Oscar contender Judas And The Black Messiah, King Richard, Respect, and The United States vs. Billie Holiday.
The western’s Jonathan Majors is in the running for outstanding actor as are Denzel Washington for The Tragedy Of Macbeth,...
Jeymes Samuel’s western The Harder They Fall has earned 12 nods to lead the field in the 2022 NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) Image Awards nominations with Jennifer Hudson, Will Smith and Rebecca Hall also among the contenders.
The Harder They Fall was nominated on Tuesday (January 18) for outstanding motion picture along with last season’s Oscar contender Judas And The Black Messiah, King Richard, Respect, and The United States vs. Billie Holiday.
The western’s Jonathan Majors is in the running for outstanding actor as are Denzel Washington for The Tragedy Of Macbeth,...
- 1/18/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
“The Harder They Fall,” “Insecure” and H.E.R. lead the pack of film, TV and music nominees for the 53rd NAACP Image Awards, while Jennifer Hudson, Lil Nas X, Megan Thee Stallion, Regina King and Tiffany Haddish will face off for the 2022 Entertainer of the Year prize.
Nominees for the annual award show were announced during a special virtual event hosted by actor and musician Kyla Pratt, “Black-ish” actor Marcus Scribner and singer-songwriter Tinashe on the NAACP’s Instagram account.
“We are thrilled to recognize this year’s nominees, who have all brought dynamic, entertaining, and thought provoking content to our attention through their incredible work in film, television, music and more,” said Karen Boykin-Towns, Image Awards Committee chairman.
Winners will be revealed during the annual ceremony, hosted by seven-time Image Award winner Anthony Anderson, on Feb. 26. The two-hour live TV special begins at 8:00 p.m. Et/Pt on BET.
Nominees for the annual award show were announced during a special virtual event hosted by actor and musician Kyla Pratt, “Black-ish” actor Marcus Scribner and singer-songwriter Tinashe on the NAACP’s Instagram account.
“We are thrilled to recognize this year’s nominees, who have all brought dynamic, entertaining, and thought provoking content to our attention through their incredible work in film, television, music and more,” said Karen Boykin-Towns, Image Awards Committee chairman.
Winners will be revealed during the annual ceremony, hosted by seven-time Image Award winner Anthony Anderson, on Feb. 26. The two-hour live TV special begins at 8:00 p.m. Et/Pt on BET.
- 1/18/2022
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Editors note: Deadline’s Read the Screenplay series debuts and celebrates the scripts of films that will be factors in this year’s movie awards race.
When it came to encapsulating the epic life, prodigious talent and seismic impact of the iconic Aretha Franklin, the creative team behind Respect had a massive tapestry from which to draw. But the challenge was exactly which aspects of the Queen of Soul’s enormous legacy should be given sharp focus?
“We wanted to have an arc,” said screenwriter Tracey Scott Wilson, who crafted the story in close collaboration with her longtime collaborator, director Liesl Tommy. “We weren’t trying to create Aretha Franklin as she was, larger than life; we were trying to see how she came to be that. So it was about a 10-year-old girl named Aretha… as opposed to trying to show the world the Aretha they think they know.
When it came to encapsulating the epic life, prodigious talent and seismic impact of the iconic Aretha Franklin, the creative team behind Respect had a massive tapestry from which to draw. But the challenge was exactly which aspects of the Queen of Soul’s enormous legacy should be given sharp focus?
“We wanted to have an arc,” said screenwriter Tracey Scott Wilson, who crafted the story in close collaboration with her longtime collaborator, director Liesl Tommy. “We weren’t trying to create Aretha Franklin as she was, larger than life; we were trying to see how she came to be that. So it was about a 10-year-old girl named Aretha… as opposed to trying to show the world the Aretha they think they know.
- 1/17/2022
- by Scott Huver
- Deadline Film + TV
Variety, in partnership with MGM Studios and United Artists Releasing, is hosting an exclusive digital experience featuring Variety Streaming Room panel videos with the stars and creators behind the critically acclaimed films “No Time to Die”, “House of Gucci,” “Licorice Pizza,” “Respect” and “Cyrano.” New exclusive content will be released weekly on the microsite throughout the month of January.
During the “No Time to Die” panel conversation, star Daniel Craig, producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson and director Cary Joji Fukunaga discuss ushering the franchise into the 21st Century, assembling a diverse, multifaceted cast and bringing to a close a journey that has introduced the world to a new, modern Bond. In Craig’s fifth and final outing as 007, he delivers his most emotionally complex performance yet. The panel also touches on the process of releasing “No Time to Die” during the pandemic, and how the film successfully...
During the “No Time to Die” panel conversation, star Daniel Craig, producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson and director Cary Joji Fukunaga discuss ushering the franchise into the 21st Century, assembling a diverse, multifaceted cast and bringing to a close a journey that has introduced the world to a new, modern Bond. In Craig’s fifth and final outing as 007, he delivers his most emotionally complex performance yet. The panel also touches on the process of releasing “No Time to Die” during the pandemic, and how the film successfully...
- 1/10/2022
- by William Earl
- Variety Film + TV
A column chronicling events and conversations on the awards circuit.
“It feels just like old times,” one awards voter told me at one of the many live events taking place all over town even as the pandemic still rages. The ‘old times’ to which he was referring is what seems like the now ancient 2019 Oscar season which came in just under the wire before the world shut down.
After basically operating the traditional awards season out of our caves last year with a fairly dreary and meh lineup of films and zoom Q&As we could only watch at home, this season is increasingly edging back to the heated campaign of old despite Omicron and Delta variants and all the doomsayers. The quality of the movies may be helping too. “This year there are just so many good movies out there. I am still catching up. We can’t wait to see West Side Story.
“It feels just like old times,” one awards voter told me at one of the many live events taking place all over town even as the pandemic still rages. The ‘old times’ to which he was referring is what seems like the now ancient 2019 Oscar season which came in just under the wire before the world shut down.
After basically operating the traditional awards season out of our caves last year with a fairly dreary and meh lineup of films and zoom Q&As we could only watch at home, this season is increasingly edging back to the heated campaign of old despite Omicron and Delta variants and all the doomsayers. The quality of the movies may be helping too. “This year there are just so many good movies out there. I am still catching up. We can’t wait to see West Side Story.
- 12/10/2021
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
If there was one key ingredient that helped director Liesl Tommy and screenwriter Tracey Scott Wilson navigate their whirlwind journey to bring the Aretha Franklin biopic Respect to the screen on a hyper-accelerated production schedule, it’s the mutual R-e-s-p-e-c-t the longtime collaborators have for each other — and for the Queen of Soul herself.
“I’ve worked with Tracey extensively over the last 15 years,” Tommy says. “She’s a national treasure of a writer, and I knew that she had the personal experience, and the creative skill, to make this a really authentic screenplay.”
Adds ...
“I’ve worked with Tracey extensively over the last 15 years,” Tommy says. “She’s a national treasure of a writer, and I knew that she had the personal experience, and the creative skill, to make this a really authentic screenplay.”
Adds ...
- 12/7/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
If there was one key ingredient that helped director Liesl Tommy and screenwriter Tracey Scott Wilson navigate their whirlwind journey to bring the Aretha Franklin biopic Respect to the screen on a hyper-accelerated production schedule, it’s the mutual R-e-s-p-e-c-t the longtime collaborators have for each other — and for the Queen of Soul herself.
“I’ve worked with Tracey extensively over the last 15 years,” Tommy says. “She’s a national treasure of a writer, and I knew that she had the personal experience, and the creative skill, to make this a really authentic screenplay.”
Adds ...
“I’ve worked with Tracey extensively over the last 15 years,” Tommy says. “She’s a national treasure of a writer, and I knew that she had the personal experience, and the creative skill, to make this a really authentic screenplay.”
Adds ...
- 12/7/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Deadline has launched the streaming site for Contenders Film: New York, its movie awards-season showcase that took place Saturday at the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens. A total of 23 Oscar-buzzed films were on display across the day of panel presentations, a one-stop shop for Academy and guild voters as they sort out their ballots.
Click here for the streaming site.
A24, Amazon, Apple Original Films, Focus Features, MGM/United Artists, Netflix, Neon and Warner Bros spotlighted stars and creatives from their top movies, with panelists including the likes of stars Matt Damon, Mahershala Ali, Dakota Johnson, Amy Schumer, Andre Holland, Richard Jenkins, Ruth Negga, Oscar Isaac, Aunjanue Ellis, Haley Bennett, Alessandro Nivola, Ray Liotta and more.
Among the filmmakers talking part were Janicza Bravo (Zola), David Chase (The Many Saints of Newark), Benjamin Cleary (Swan Song), Asghar Farhadi (A Hero), Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Lost Daughter), Rebecca Hall (Passing...
Click here for the streaming site.
A24, Amazon, Apple Original Films, Focus Features, MGM/United Artists, Netflix, Neon and Warner Bros spotlighted stars and creatives from their top movies, with panelists including the likes of stars Matt Damon, Mahershala Ali, Dakota Johnson, Amy Schumer, Andre Holland, Richard Jenkins, Ruth Negga, Oscar Isaac, Aunjanue Ellis, Haley Bennett, Alessandro Nivola, Ray Liotta and more.
Among the filmmakers talking part were Janicza Bravo (Zola), David Chase (The Many Saints of Newark), Benjamin Cleary (Swan Song), Asghar Farhadi (A Hero), Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Lost Daughter), Rebecca Hall (Passing...
- 12/6/2021
- by The Deadline Team
- Deadline Film + TV
Respect director Liesl Tommy was joined by writer Tracey Scott Wilson, cinematographer Kramer Morgenthau and production designer Ina Mayhew at Deadline’s Contenders: New York award-season event Saturday to discuss their movie about legendary singer Aretha Franklin.
From a screenplay by Wilson, Tommy’s feature directorial debut stars Jennifer Hudson as Franklin and focuses on first two decades of Franklin’s life — from her upbringing as a musical prodigy through the loss of her mother to a rise to stardom that defied the constraints of an abusive marriage and a patriarchal system. Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Audra McDonald, Marc Maron, Tituss Burgess and Mary J. Blige co-star.
“Aretha Franklin, in addition to being a musical genius and a political activist, also had enormous style,” Tommy said on the panel for the film from MGM/United Artists. “I wanted this film to feel like a great big lush classical Hollywood film…...
From a screenplay by Wilson, Tommy’s feature directorial debut stars Jennifer Hudson as Franklin and focuses on first two decades of Franklin’s life — from her upbringing as a musical prodigy through the loss of her mother to a rise to stardom that defied the constraints of an abusive marriage and a patriarchal system. Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Audra McDonald, Marc Maron, Tituss Burgess and Mary J. Blige co-star.
“Aretha Franklin, in addition to being a musical genius and a political activist, also had enormous style,” Tommy said on the panel for the film from MGM/United Artists. “I wanted this film to feel like a great big lush classical Hollywood film…...
- 12/4/2021
- by Ryan Fleming
- Deadline Film + TV
Deadline’s Contenders Film returns to New York this morning with a hybrid in-person and livestreamed showcase at the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, and a lineup of 23 films spotlighting the best motion pictures this awards season has to offer. The in-person event kicks off with a breakfast sponsored by United Artists Releasing at 8 a.m. Et, with panels and livestream coverage kicking off at 9:30 a.m.
Click here to register and watch the livestream.
While last year’s supply of movies during a Covid-embattled awards season may have slimmed down, this year, the studios aren’t holding back. This year’s lineup features films from A24, Amazon, Apple Original Films, Focus Features, MGM/United Artists, Netflix, Neon and Warner Bros, and a roster of panelists that includes stars Matt Damon, Mahershala Ali, Tessa Thompson, Dakota Johnson, Amy Schumer, Andre Holland, Richard Jenkins, Ruth Negga, Oscar Isaac,...
Click here to register and watch the livestream.
While last year’s supply of movies during a Covid-embattled awards season may have slimmed down, this year, the studios aren’t holding back. This year’s lineup features films from A24, Amazon, Apple Original Films, Focus Features, MGM/United Artists, Netflix, Neon and Warner Bros, and a roster of panelists that includes stars Matt Damon, Mahershala Ali, Tessa Thompson, Dakota Johnson, Amy Schumer, Andre Holland, Richard Jenkins, Ruth Negga, Oscar Isaac,...
- 12/4/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Doing justice to a real-life person, as an actor, comes with its own set of pressures. Embodying a cultural icon, however, can be downright overwhelming. When Aretha Franklin personally gave Jennifer Hudson her blessing to portray her in the biopic Respect, the Oscar winner was elated by the vote of confidence. Then reality set in. “Those are huge, huge, huge shoes to fill,” Hudson says. “But if she said I can do this, I’m going to do my best.” Ultimately, the challenges of stepping into Franklin’s rich, complex legacy had a deeply beneficial effect on Hudson: “It inspired me to want to own my voice that much more.”
Deadline: To portray a real-life icon over the course of a lifetime must feel like a huge task. What are the challenges in that?
Jennifer Hudson: Well, first of all, when you consider what she represents to us all—and,...
Deadline: To portray a real-life icon over the course of a lifetime must feel like a huge task. What are the challenges in that?
Jennifer Hudson: Well, first of all, when you consider what she represents to us all—and,...
- 12/3/2021
- by Carita Rizzo
- Deadline Film + TV
Everyone thinks they know, generally, what a director does, but what is something that’s part of the job that that people might not be aware of? For one, what a group effort making a film is, regardless if it’s a narrative feature, animated film or documentary, Matthew Heineman (“The First Wave”), Mike Rianda (“The Mitchells vs. the Machines”), Robert Greene (“Procession”) and Liesl Tommy (“Respect”) share during our Meet the Experts: Film Directors panel. Watch the exclusive group roundtable video above. Click each name to watch that person’s individual interview.
“I think people think, like, Walt Disney just sort of popped up and was like, ‘I got an idea for a picture. It’s ‘Bambi.’ And here’s the beginning, the middle and the end. I did it. Goodbye! I’m Walt Disney,'” Rianda quips. “And the movies end up being so wonderfully collaborative where I...
“I think people think, like, Walt Disney just sort of popped up and was like, ‘I got an idea for a picture. It’s ‘Bambi.’ And here’s the beginning, the middle and the end. I did it. Goodbye! I’m Walt Disney,'” Rianda quips. “And the movies end up being so wonderfully collaborative where I...
- 11/30/2021
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
“Respect” is Liesl Tommy‘s feature film directorial debut, and no, she never thought her first movie would be an Aretha Franklin biopic. “Just squirreling around New York City trying to get on and off subways with a crew, I never imagined that [my first movie] would be a studio film,” Tommy tells Gold Derby at our Meet the Experts: Film Directors panel (watch above).
A theater vet, Tommy had recently transitioned into TV directing — “Insecure,” “The Walking Dead” and “Jessica Jones” are among her credits — when she had a meeting with MGM about directing the film in late 2018. At the time, Jennifer Hudson had already been cast, selected by Franklin herself, to play the singer and there was no script yet. Tommy arrived for what was supposed to be a “casual chat” with a full vision and pitch for what would become “Respect.”
“I was very aware because I directed primarily theater...
A theater vet, Tommy had recently transitioned into TV directing — “Insecure,” “The Walking Dead” and “Jessica Jones” are among her credits — when she had a meeting with MGM about directing the film in late 2018. At the time, Jennifer Hudson had already been cast, selected by Franklin herself, to play the singer and there was no script yet. Tommy arrived for what was supposed to be a “casual chat” with a full vision and pitch for what would become “Respect.”
“I was very aware because I directed primarily theater...
- 11/30/2021
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Other winners included German drama ‘Other Cannibals’ and Lithuania’s ‘Runner’.
Andreas Kleinert’s German drama Dear Thomas has been awarded the Grand Prix at the 2021 Black Nights Film Festival, held in the Estonian capital of Tallinn.
The black-and-white historical biopic follows the struggles of East German author and filmmaker Thomas Brasch, played by Albrecht Schuch who was also named best actor at Black Nights’ closing ceremony on Saturday evening (November 27).
Scroll down for full list of winners
It marks the latest feature of prolific Germany filmmaker Kleinert, known for titles such as Leb Whol, Joseph; Lost Landscape; and Head Under Water,...
Andreas Kleinert’s German drama Dear Thomas has been awarded the Grand Prix at the 2021 Black Nights Film Festival, held in the Estonian capital of Tallinn.
The black-and-white historical biopic follows the struggles of East German author and filmmaker Thomas Brasch, played by Albrecht Schuch who was also named best actor at Black Nights’ closing ceremony on Saturday evening (November 27).
Scroll down for full list of winners
It marks the latest feature of prolific Germany filmmaker Kleinert, known for titles such as Leb Whol, Joseph; Lost Landscape; and Head Under Water,...
- 11/28/2021
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
“The first thing that went through my mind was, ‘I have got to get this right,'” admits Lawrence Davis, the hair department head for the Aretha Franklin biopic “Respect” starring Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson. “Everyone knows who Aretha Franklin is. Just being true to the story and doing her legacy justice [put] pressure on my shoulders. I knew I had to do everything in my power to get this right.” Watch the exclusive video interview with Davis and makeup department head Stevie Martin above.
“Respect” is directed by Liesl Tommy and premiered in Los Angeles on August 8. Along with Hudson, the film also stars Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Audra McDonald, Marc Marron, Tituss Burgess and Mary J. Blige. It chronicles the life of “The Queen of Soul” from age 10 until the recording of her “Amazing Grace” album in 1972.
SEETracey Scott Wilson interview: ‘Respect’ writer
“There was not as much makeup as hair,...
“Respect” is directed by Liesl Tommy and premiered in Los Angeles on August 8. Along with Hudson, the film also stars Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Audra McDonald, Marc Marron, Tituss Burgess and Mary J. Blige. It chronicles the life of “The Queen of Soul” from age 10 until the recording of her “Amazing Grace” album in 1972.
SEETracey Scott Wilson interview: ‘Respect’ writer
“There was not as much makeup as hair,...
- 11/23/2021
- by Denton Davidson
- Gold Derby
The Palm Springs International Film Awards is showing respect to Jennifer Hudson’s turn as Aretha Franklin by honoring her with the Chairman’s Award.
The Oscar winner will be feted during an in-person gala Jan. 6 at the Palm Springs Convention Center, where she’ll be joined by a roster of fellow honorees that includes Jessica Chastain, Jane Campion, Penléope Cruz and Kristen Stewart. The honor for Hudson, for her role in Respect from director Liesl Tommy, follows a 2007 breakthrough award from the festival for her work in Dreamgirls. “In Respect, Jennifer Hudson brings to life Aretha Franklin’s rise from childhood gospel singer to ...
The Oscar winner will be feted during an in-person gala Jan. 6 at the Palm Springs Convention Center, where she’ll be joined by a roster of fellow honorees that includes Jessica Chastain, Jane Campion, Penléope Cruz and Kristen Stewart. The honor for Hudson, for her role in Respect from director Liesl Tommy, follows a 2007 breakthrough award from the festival for her work in Dreamgirls. “In Respect, Jennifer Hudson brings to life Aretha Franklin’s rise from childhood gospel singer to ...
- 11/22/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
The Palm Springs International Film Awards is showing respect to Jennifer Hudson’s turn as Aretha Franklin by honoring her with the Chairman’s Award.
The Oscar winner will be feted during an in-person gala Jan. 6 at the Palm Springs Convention Center, where she’ll be joined by a roster of fellow honorees that includes Jessica Chastain, Jane Campion, Penléope Cruz and Kristen Stewart. The honor for Hudson, for her role in Respect from director Liesl Tommy, follows a 2007 breakthrough award from the festival for her work in Dreamgirls. “In Respect, Jennifer Hudson brings to life Aretha Franklin’s rise from childhood gospel singer to ...
The Oscar winner will be feted during an in-person gala Jan. 6 at the Palm Springs Convention Center, where she’ll be joined by a roster of fellow honorees that includes Jessica Chastain, Jane Campion, Penléope Cruz and Kristen Stewart. The honor for Hudson, for her role in Respect from director Liesl Tommy, follows a 2007 breakthrough award from the festival for her work in Dreamgirls. “In Respect, Jennifer Hudson brings to life Aretha Franklin’s rise from childhood gospel singer to ...
- 11/22/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Honors were given out in more than 30 categories at Wednesday’s 12th annual Hollywood Music in Media Awards, with singer-songwriters like Billie Eilish, H.E.R., Adam Levine and Rufus Wainwright being celebrated in the live webcast as well as composers including Hans Zimmer, Rachel Portman, Alberto Iglesias and Nicholas Britell.
The HMMAs reward songwriters, composers and even performers in fields that include not just film and TV work but everything from video games to commercials to theme park music.
Film nominations are given in multiple genres, which allows for a series of short lists that members of the Academy’s music branch may end up studying as they vote for the Oscars’ much, much shorter lists.
Best score for a feature film went to Britell for his work on Adam McKay’s satirical “Don’t Look Up.” Other score prizes went to Zimmer for “Dune” (sci-fi/fantasy film), Beltrami for “A Quiet Place II...
The HMMAs reward songwriters, composers and even performers in fields that include not just film and TV work but everything from video games to commercials to theme park music.
Film nominations are given in multiple genres, which allows for a series of short lists that members of the Academy’s music branch may end up studying as they vote for the Oscars’ much, much shorter lists.
Best score for a feature film went to Britell for his work on Adam McKay’s satirical “Don’t Look Up.” Other score prizes went to Zimmer for “Dune” (sci-fi/fantasy film), Beltrami for “A Quiet Place II...
- 11/19/2021
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
“When I was brought onto the project by my good friend and colleague, Liesl Tommy, she pitched that it was going to be from age 10 to age 30,” explains Tracey Scott Wilson, the screenwriter for the Aretha Franklin biopic, “Respect,” starring Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson. “Having that frame before I started was instrumental in me accepting the job. I knew that 20 years was a manageable amount of time. The idea of taking her on way into her 70s is just too daunting.”
“Respect” chronicles the rise of Franklin from a young singer in her father’s church to the Queen of Soul’s live recording of her most successful album, “Amazing Grace.” For Wilson, getting to know Franklin’s personal story “before she became the grand diva” was one of the biggest joys of working on the film. “Seeing her become that Queen of Soul involves a lot of humor,” she describes.
“Respect” chronicles the rise of Franklin from a young singer in her father’s church to the Queen of Soul’s live recording of her most successful album, “Amazing Grace.” For Wilson, getting to know Franklin’s personal story “before she became the grand diva” was one of the biggest joys of working on the film. “Seeing her become that Queen of Soul involves a lot of humor,” she describes.
- 11/17/2021
- by Denton Davidson
- Gold Derby
Four top film directors will reveal secrets behind their projects when they join Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” Q&a event with 2022 Oscar and guild contenders. Each person from these films will participate in two video discussions to premiere on Monday, November 22, at 5:00 p.m. Pt; 8:00 p.m. Et. We’ll have a one-on-one with our senior editor Joyce Eng and a roundtable chat with all of the group together.
RSVP today to this specific event by clicking here to book your reservation. Or click here to RSVP for our entire ongoing panel series of 17 panels in November and December. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
This “Meet the Experts” panel welcomes the following 2022 awards contenders:
“The First Wave”: Matthew Heineman
Synopsis: A documentary following nurses, doctors, and administrators as they respond to the Covid-19 pandemic.
RSVP today to this specific event by clicking here to book your reservation. Or click here to RSVP for our entire ongoing panel series of 17 panels in November and December. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
This “Meet the Experts” panel welcomes the following 2022 awards contenders:
“The First Wave”: Matthew Heineman
Synopsis: A documentary following nurses, doctors, and administrators as they respond to the Covid-19 pandemic.
- 11/16/2021
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Jennifer Hudson felt that the best way to honor the late soul singing legend Aretha Franklin in the biopic Respect was to deliver as much authenticity in her performance as the Queen of Soul invested in her music.
“How do you even begin to capture or approach someone so massive as Aretha Franklin, that’s so dear to all of us in some way?” a still-marveling Hudson, who was Franklin’s personal choice to portray her in her life story, told Deadline’s Contenders Film: Los Angeles, where she shared a panel with the film’s director Liesl Tommy, costume designer Clint Ramos, hair department head Lawrence Davis and makeup department head Stevie Martin.
“For me, being a fan, from a music perspective — and knowing that, being conscious of it — I felt as though as an actor the only way to approach it would be to approach it in the...
“How do you even begin to capture or approach someone so massive as Aretha Franklin, that’s so dear to all of us in some way?” a still-marveling Hudson, who was Franklin’s personal choice to portray her in her life story, told Deadline’s Contenders Film: Los Angeles, where she shared a panel with the film’s director Liesl Tommy, costume designer Clint Ramos, hair department head Lawrence Davis and makeup department head Stevie Martin.
“For me, being a fan, from a music perspective — and knowing that, being conscious of it — I felt as though as an actor the only way to approach it would be to approach it in the...
- 11/14/2021
- by Scott Huver
- Deadline Film + TV
Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune,” with cinematography by Greig Fraser, Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch,” with cinematography by Robert D. Yeoman, and Ridley Scott’s “The Last Duel,” with cinematography by Dariusz Wolski, are among the movies selected in the main competition section of EnergaCamerimage. The 29th edition of the festival, which focuses on the art of cinematography, runs Nov. 13-20 in Toruń, Poland.
Villeneuve will be the recipient of this year’s Special Camerimage Award for Outstanding Director, with the Oscar-nominated French-Canadian filmmaker attending in person to receive the award and present his film to the audience.
Joel Coen’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth” will also play in competition and will open the festival, with Coen and cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel introducing the film in Toruń in person. Coen and Delbonnel previously worked together on “Tuileries”, “Inside Llewyn Davis” and “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.”
Other titles competing for the festival’s top prize,...
Villeneuve will be the recipient of this year’s Special Camerimage Award for Outstanding Director, with the Oscar-nominated French-Canadian filmmaker attending in person to receive the award and present his film to the audience.
Joel Coen’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth” will also play in competition and will open the festival, with Coen and cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel introducing the film in Toruń in person. Coen and Delbonnel previously worked together on “Tuileries”, “Inside Llewyn Davis” and “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.”
Other titles competing for the festival’s top prize,...
- 10/26/2021
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Kara MacLean has taken on the role of Senior Director at PR and communications agency Organic. She will report to Senior Vice President Kirsty Langsdale, who launched Organic’s Los Angeles office in January 2020. MacLean will work with Langsdale to continue building U.S. business for the London-based agency. Organic recently announced Apac office – Organic Pacific – based in Sydney, Australia.
From those bases, Organic works across the spheres of international publicity, unit production PR, corporate representation, film and TV festival rep, social media and event management.
Prior to Organic, the Canadian-born MacLean had been running her own International PR agency in Los Angeles. She has represented distributors, sales agents and production companies for domestic distribution, international rollout, festival strategy and corporate communications. Clients have included the Inside Out Lgbtqa+ Film Festival in Toronto and New York’s NewFest LGBTQ Film Festival, Ava DuVernay’s company Array, Samuel Goldwyn Films, Magnolia Pictures,...
From those bases, Organic works across the spheres of international publicity, unit production PR, corporate representation, film and TV festival rep, social media and event management.
Prior to Organic, the Canadian-born MacLean had been running her own International PR agency in Los Angeles. She has represented distributors, sales agents and production companies for domestic distribution, international rollout, festival strategy and corporate communications. Clients have included the Inside Out Lgbtqa+ Film Festival in Toronto and New York’s NewFest LGBTQ Film Festival, Ava DuVernay’s company Array, Samuel Goldwyn Films, Magnolia Pictures,...
- 10/22/2021
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
“Jennifer Hudson stuns with her performance” – Brian Truitt, USA Today
Jennifer Hudson Stars In Respect, The Remarkable Biopicand Dazzling Celebration Of Aretha Franklin’S Incredible Legacy – Available To OWN For The First Timewith All New Never-before-seen Extras. Respect Showcases A Spectacular Ensemble Cast Including Forest Whitaker, Mary J. Blige, Marlon Wayans, Marc Maron, Audra McDonald And Tituss Burgess. OWN It On Digital Now Blu-ray And DVD November 9, 2021 From Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM)And Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Experience the cinematic music event of the year featuring Oscar® and Grammy® Award winner and vocal powerhouse Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls) as legendary singer Aretha Franklin in the inspiring true story Respect, available to own for the first time on Digital now and on Blu-ray and DVD November 9, 2021 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Hailed by critics as “electrifying” and “extraordinary”, MGM’s musical biopic gives an authentic inside look at the life and legacy of one of the greatest,...
Jennifer Hudson Stars In Respect, The Remarkable Biopicand Dazzling Celebration Of Aretha Franklin’S Incredible Legacy – Available To OWN For The First Timewith All New Never-before-seen Extras. Respect Showcases A Spectacular Ensemble Cast Including Forest Whitaker, Mary J. Blige, Marlon Wayans, Marc Maron, Audra McDonald And Tituss Burgess. OWN It On Digital Now Blu-ray And DVD November 9, 2021 From Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM)And Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Experience the cinematic music event of the year featuring Oscar® and Grammy® Award winner and vocal powerhouse Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls) as legendary singer Aretha Franklin in the inspiring true story Respect, available to own for the first time on Digital now and on Blu-ray and DVD November 9, 2021 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Hailed by critics as “electrifying” and “extraordinary”, MGM’s musical biopic gives an authentic inside look at the life and legacy of one of the greatest,...
- 10/19/2021
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
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