Motion Picture: Chadwick Boseman Documentary Released for Limited Time, Will Smith’s ‘Emancipation’ Pulls Production From Georgia
Lucy Liu - Cindy Ord
Action: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom rocked the BAFTA’s Opening Night 2021 Ceremony by taking home both Costume Design and Makeup and Hairstyling, making it the only two-time winner in the BAFTA’s below-the-line categories this year. Winners of the above-the-line categories include His House writer/director Remi Weekes for Outstanding Debut, Soul composers Pete Doctor and Dana Murray for Original Score, and actress Bukky Bakray for EE Rising Star.
New Line has announced Lucy Liu’s addition to the cast of DC’s Shazam! Fury of the Gods features, playing the villainous daughter of Atlas, Kalypso. A sequel to the 2019 film, Fury of the Gods also stars Helen Mirren, Asher Angel, Zachary Levi, and breakout star Rachel Zegler in a key role undisclosed at this time.
Tiffany Haddish - Amy Sussman/KCA2021
Comedy: Stage 6 Films recently acquired Here Today, the brainchild of comedians Tiffany Haddish and Billy Crystal. The dramedy, about an unlikely friendship between a seasoned comedy writer (Crystal) and New York songstress (Haddish), is co-written by Crystal and fellow SNL alum Alan Zweibel, with a cast featuring Penn Badgley, Laura Benanti, and character actor Nyambi Nyambi. The projected release date is May 7, 2021.
Ramy Youssef - Getty Images
Drama: Actor/producer Will Smith and director/producer Antoine Fuqua have pulled production from their upcoming pre-Civil War drama Emancipation out of Georgia due to the restrictive voting legislation passed by the state earlier this month. “We cannot in good conscience provide economic support to a government that enacts regressive voting laws,” Smith and Fuqua said in a joint statement. Set to begin production on June 21, Emancipation follows Smith as a fugitive slave on a crushing journey from Louisiana to the north.
Titular Ramy star Ramy Youssef is currently in talks to join the cast of Poor Things, director Yorgos Lanthimos’ latest project. An adaptation, Poor Thing” is a Victorian-era tale about a young woman revived via electricity by a deranged scientist. Past collaborator with Lanthimos, Emma Stone, is already attached to the picture, with Willem Dafoe showing interest in the feature as well. The film is produced by Searchlight and Film4.
The Birth of a Nation director Nate Parker’s sophomore feature American Skin has recently landed its long-awaited debut on BET+, nearly two years after its initial premiere at the 2019 Venice Film Festival. Written by and starring Parker, American Skin tells the story of a Black Iraq War veteran who seeks justice after the acquittal of the police officer that killed his teenage son. The film also stars Omari Hardwick, Theo Rossi, Beau Knapp, and Sierra Capri.
Documentary: Streaming for 30 days only, the Netflix produced documentary Chadwick Boseman: Portrait of an Artist takes a closer look at the inner workings of the late, great star through interviews with some of his closest peers and collaborators, including Viola Davis, Spike Lee, Denzel Washington, and Phylicia Rashad, among others. Global streaming availability of Chadwick Boseman: Portrait of an Artist beings April 17 on Netflix.
Apple Original Films is pressing GO on the upcoming Louis Armstrong documentary Black & Blues, exploring the life and legacy of the Jazz titan as well as his personal involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. The documentary is produced by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer of Imagine Documentaries and directed by Emmy nominee Sacha Jenkins.
Dev patel - Barcroft Media
Industry Update: It’s been a sad year for theater lovers. The historic Arclight Cinema in Hollywood has closed for good, owner Pacific Theatres announced this month, as well as every Southern California location – resulting in a loss of over 300 screens around the Los Angeles area. Though despairing to many Angelenos, plenty of individuals hope that a new corporation or generous industry doner may swoop in and save the Hollywood landmark, though nothing has been reported at this time.
Slumdog Millionaire star Dev Patel recently signed a first-look film deal with ShivHans Pictures, a sort of reunion after the company’s collaboration with Patel on his 2018 film Hotel Mumbai. Patel is currently in postproduction for his feature directorial debut, Monkey Man, recently acquired by Netflix.
