A TV series adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” is in development at A24 with Idris Elba attached to star and executive produce, Variety has learned exclusively.
No writer is currently attached to the project, nor is it currently set up at a streaming service or network. Elba will executive produce along with Gina Carter under their recently-launched 22Summers production banner. David Oyelowo and Amanda N’Duka will executive produce via Yoruba Saxon. Ben Forkner, Dayo Ogunyemi and Achebe Masterworks also serve as executive producers. A24 is the studio.
The official description of “Things Fall Apart” states it is the “story of Okonkwo (Elba), one of literature’s most iconic characters—a fearless African warrior and leader who is resolute about preserving his people and culture. As British colonizers disrupt his world, Okonkwo’s struggle to maintain power and tradition spirals into a heart-wrenching confrontation. His fierce resolve, a...
No writer is currently attached to the project, nor is it currently set up at a streaming service or network. Elba will executive produce along with Gina Carter under their recently-launched 22Summers production banner. David Oyelowo and Amanda N’Duka will executive produce via Yoruba Saxon. Ben Forkner, Dayo Ogunyemi and Achebe Masterworks also serve as executive producers. A24 is the studio.
The official description of “Things Fall Apart” states it is the “story of Okonkwo (Elba), one of literature’s most iconic characters—a fearless African warrior and leader who is resolute about preserving his people and culture. As British colonizers disrupt his world, Okonkwo’s struggle to maintain power and tradition spirals into a heart-wrenching confrontation. His fierce resolve, a...
- 9/26/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Diddy took center stage at the 2014 Golden Globe Awards alongside Usher and Kate Beckinsale to present the awards for two prestigious categories. He was arguably over the top while presenting Best Score to Alex Ebert, and later Best Original Song to U2. While Sean Combs was all in the party mood, U2 frontman Bono wasn’t having any of it.
Diddy in the music video of Another One of Me | Credits: Bad Boy
Their awkward hug where Bono was visibly annoyed was one of the most discussed moments in that edition of the Golden Globes. U2 and Bono were on stage to receive the award for the song Ordinary Love from Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom. It was a pretty touching moment for them which the disgraced hip-hop mogul should’ve caught on.
Diddy and Bono Shared An Awkward Hug At The Golden Globes 2014 Bono | Credits: Ulrica Törning, licensed under...
Diddy in the music video of Another One of Me | Credits: Bad Boy
Their awkward hug where Bono was visibly annoyed was one of the most discussed moments in that edition of the Golden Globes. U2 and Bono were on stage to receive the award for the song Ordinary Love from Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom. It was a pretty touching moment for them which the disgraced hip-hop mogul should’ve caught on.
Diddy and Bono Shared An Awkward Hug At The Golden Globes 2014 Bono | Credits: Ulrica Törning, licensed under...
- 9/21/2024
- by Hashim Asraff
- FandomWire
Exclusive: Serendipity Point Films (Eastern Promises) and January Media, along with their Greek partner Filmiki Productions, are underway in Athens, Greece, on feature Maya & Samar.
Directed by Anita Doron, best known for scripting Oscar-nominated The Breadwinner, and written by Tamara Faith Berger (Lie With Me), the film stars Nicolette Pearse (Maybe It’s You) and Amanda Babaei Vieira (Störung).
Pic is produced by Serendipity’s Robert Lantos, known for movies including Sunshine, Barney’s Version and Eastern Promises, and January’s Julia Rosenberg (Charlotte). Laura Lanktree (Crimes Of The Future), Steve Solomos (The Shrouds) and Filmiki’s Nikolas Alavanos (When We Were Sisters) are co-producers.
Distant Horizon’s Anant Singh (Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom) is an executive producer. Vvs’s Harry Grivakis, Ernie Grivakis, Javi Hernandez, and Claire Peace-McConnell are co-executive producers.
The film shoots in Athens, Greece, and Toronto, Canada, with production set to wrap in October 2024. Vvs will release...
Directed by Anita Doron, best known for scripting Oscar-nominated The Breadwinner, and written by Tamara Faith Berger (Lie With Me), the film stars Nicolette Pearse (Maybe It’s You) and Amanda Babaei Vieira (Störung).
Pic is produced by Serendipity’s Robert Lantos, known for movies including Sunshine, Barney’s Version and Eastern Promises, and January’s Julia Rosenberg (Charlotte). Laura Lanktree (Crimes Of The Future), Steve Solomos (The Shrouds) and Filmiki’s Nikolas Alavanos (When We Were Sisters) are co-producers.
Distant Horizon’s Anant Singh (Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom) is an executive producer. Vvs’s Harry Grivakis, Ernie Grivakis, Javi Hernandez, and Claire Peace-McConnell are co-executive producers.
The film shoots in Athens, Greece, and Toronto, Canada, with production set to wrap in October 2024. Vvs will release...
- 9/20/2024
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: With just over two months to go before the kick-off of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris this July, South Africa’s Distant Horizon will be touching down in Cannes with two documentaries celebrating France’s historic links with the games.
The films Pierre de Coubertin: An Olympic Life and Paris 1924 are both in the final stages of post-production.
Pierre de Coubertin: An Olympic Life follows the life of the French educator and historian who resurrected the ancient Olympic Games in 1896 and is widely acknowledged as the founder of the Modern Olympics.
He was President of the International Olympic Committee (Ioc) until the end of the Paris 1924 Olympic Games. The film is told through the eyes of Lauren Rembi, the Olympic Fencing Champion who is likely to participate in Paris 2024.
Distant Horizon says the film will shed light on the story of de Courbertin which is relatively unknown around the world,...
The films Pierre de Coubertin: An Olympic Life and Paris 1924 are both in the final stages of post-production.
Pierre de Coubertin: An Olympic Life follows the life of the French educator and historian who resurrected the ancient Olympic Games in 1896 and is widely acknowledged as the founder of the Modern Olympics.
He was President of the International Olympic Committee (Ioc) until the end of the Paris 1924 Olympic Games. The film is told through the eyes of Lauren Rembi, the Olympic Fencing Champion who is likely to participate in Paris 2024.
Distant Horizon says the film will shed light on the story of de Courbertin which is relatively unknown around the world,...
- 5/9/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Global Screen, the Munich-based international sales outfit, has boarded worldwide sales on “The Trek,” the upcoming first feature from leading South African cinematographer and director Meekaaeel Adam. The film is a horror-Western, in which starvation, suspicion and madness plague a family as they cross the Kalahari Desert under the eyes of primeval spirits.
“The Trek” is set in 1846, when a Dutch-Afrikaans family and their British travel companion set off on a challenging journey through the Kalahari Desert. Along the way, they meet Atshumao, a stoic man of the Khoen people, one of Southern Africa’s original indigenous, nomadic population groups.
Despite Atshumao’s warning, the group attempts a shortcut through the unforgiving landscape, unaware that this will lead them to cross paths with two ancestral spirits – who will settle a centuries-old dispute by betting on the family’s lives. The group of travelers is soon plagued by misfortune, tragedy, thirst,...
“The Trek” is set in 1846, when a Dutch-Afrikaans family and their British travel companion set off on a challenging journey through the Kalahari Desert. Along the way, they meet Atshumao, a stoic man of the Khoen people, one of Southern Africa’s original indigenous, nomadic population groups.
Despite Atshumao’s warning, the group attempts a shortcut through the unforgiving landscape, unaware that this will lead them to cross paths with two ancestral spirits – who will settle a centuries-old dispute by betting on the family’s lives. The group of travelers is soon plagued by misfortune, tragedy, thirst,...
- 4/30/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Academy Award nominee Bill Nighy and rising teen actor Roman Griffin Davis are set to co-star in road movie 500 Miles from BAFTA Award-winning director Morgan Matthews.
Beta Cinema has acquired international sales rights to the drama – produced by Origin Pictures, Port Pictures and Minnow Films – and will launch sales at the EFM.
Nighy will co-star as the grandfather of a young runaway played by Davis, who made history in 2019 as the youngest ever Golden Globe nominee for his performance in Taika Waititi’s World War II satire Jojo Rabbit. Recent credits for Nighy include Living, for which he was Oscar nominated in the lead actor category last year.
Road movie 500 Miles follows a broken family forced to come together when sixteen-year-old Finn (Davis) and his live-wire younger brother Charlie run away from trouble at home in England to reach their estranged grandfather (Nighy) on Ireland’s stunning and wild west coast.
Beta Cinema has acquired international sales rights to the drama – produced by Origin Pictures, Port Pictures and Minnow Films – and will launch sales at the EFM.
Nighy will co-star as the grandfather of a young runaway played by Davis, who made history in 2019 as the youngest ever Golden Globe nominee for his performance in Taika Waititi’s World War II satire Jojo Rabbit. Recent credits for Nighy include Living, for which he was Oscar nominated in the lead actor category last year.
Road movie 500 Miles follows a broken family forced to come together when sixteen-year-old Finn (Davis) and his live-wire younger brother Charlie run away from trouble at home in England to reach their estranged grandfather (Nighy) on Ireland’s stunning and wild west coast.
- 2/9/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
In Kenneth Branagh's 2011 fantasy clunker "Thor," Chris Hemsworth plays an extraterrestrial once worshiped on Earth as the Norse God of Thunder. Thor and his retinue traverse the galaxy using a carefully protected device called the Bifröst, a.k.a. the Rainbow Bridge, which can zap travelers anywhere in the galaxy instantaneously within a massive laser beam. The Bifröst is protected and controlled by a powerful armored guard/engineer named Heimdall, a hulking hunk decked out in gold and leather and sporting eerie golden eyes. Those golden eyes allow Heimdall to see great distances and into other realms.
Heimdall was played by actor Idris Elba, who would go on to play the character in five additional Marvel Cinematic Universe pictures.
Elba, as many know, first broke into the public eye for his role on the hit HBO series "The Wire" in 2002. Since then, Elba has become a proper movie and TV star,...
Heimdall was played by actor Idris Elba, who would go on to play the character in five additional Marvel Cinematic Universe pictures.
Elba, as many know, first broke into the public eye for his role on the hit HBO series "The Wire" in 2002. Since then, Elba has become a proper movie and TV star,...
- 12/10/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Whether it’s as an R&b singer, a professional kickboxer, or a world class DJ (mixing under the name DJ Big Driis), Idris Elba has become quite the renaissance man. And, oh we almost forgot, he’s also an award-winning actor.
From his first major gig in a 1995 episode of “Absolutely Fabulous,” Elba began his celebrated career working steadily on television, work which lead to two iconic roles — as drug dealer Stringer Bell on HBO’s “The Wire” and as dogged police detective John Luther in BBC’s “Luther,” which earned Elba both the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards, as well as four Primetime Emmy nominations. He reprised the role in a 2023 Netflix feature film, “Luther: The Fallen Sun.”
Elba soon moved over to films, first making a splash with audiences around the world with his 2013 biopic “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom,” for which he received another Golden Globe nomination.
From his first major gig in a 1995 episode of “Absolutely Fabulous,” Elba began his celebrated career working steadily on television, work which lead to two iconic roles — as drug dealer Stringer Bell on HBO’s “The Wire” and as dogged police detective John Luther in BBC’s “Luther,” which earned Elba both the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards, as well as four Primetime Emmy nominations. He reprised the role in a 2023 Netflix feature film, “Luther: The Fallen Sun.”
Elba soon moved over to films, first making a splash with audiences around the world with his 2013 biopic “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom,” for which he received another Golden Globe nomination.
- 9/1/2023
- by Tom O'Brien, Misty Holland and Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
Los Angeles, July 13 (Ians) Actor Idris Elba, best known for his roles in ‘Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom’, ‘The Suicide Squad’ and the popular British crime-thriller show ‘Luther’, has recently spoken on the prospects of doing a second ‘Luther’ film after ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’, telling people to keep their fingers crossed.
According to The Sun, the actor said that while he loves the character and is very happy about how well the movie performed, he’d like to give it some breathing room before making another one so while he is excited for where the character can go, he toldfanstokeeptheirfingerscrossed.
He had also earlier said: “I’m hoping to make another one. I love Luther. I love that character, and I love where I can possibly take him, as a story and as a character.”
Picking off from the end of ‘Luther’, ‘The Fallen Sun’ movietellsthe story of a now disgraced and dishonoured,...
According to The Sun, the actor said that while he loves the character and is very happy about how well the movie performed, he’d like to give it some breathing room before making another one so while he is excited for where the character can go, he toldfanstokeeptheirfingerscrossed.
He had also earlier said: “I’m hoping to make another one. I love Luther. I love that character, and I love where I can possibly take him, as a story and as a character.”
Picking off from the end of ‘Luther’, ‘The Fallen Sun’ movietellsthe story of a now disgraced and dishonoured,...
- 7/13/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
The James Bond character has had many superstars eager to fill its shoes, including Idris Elba. The respected actor has often received massive fan support for the role. But he wondered if certain audiences wanted him to be Bond for the wrong reasons.
Idris Elba felt it would be off-putting if fans wanted him to be James Bond for this reason Idris Elba | Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
Elba usually finds his name attached to the James Bond character in one way or another. Even after Daniel Craig was secured as the character, Elba was still touted as a possible successor for the franchise. The actor was well aware of this seemingly overwhelming fan support he’d had for being the next Bond. And he once felt that if fans had the power of film studios, he might have been cast.
“I keep getting asked about James Bond, and that surprises me,...
Idris Elba felt it would be off-putting if fans wanted him to be James Bond for this reason Idris Elba | Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
Elba usually finds his name attached to the James Bond character in one way or another. Even after Daniel Craig was secured as the character, Elba was still touted as a possible successor for the franchise. The actor was well aware of this seemingly overwhelming fan support he’d had for being the next Bond. And he once felt that if fans had the power of film studios, he might have been cast.
“I keep getting asked about James Bond, and that surprises me,...
- 6/8/2023
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Idris Elba started his career on British television with small bit roles before his breakout role as Stringer Bell in the critically acclaimed HBO television series The Wire.
This led to numerous roles in feature films including 28 Weeks Later; Guy Richies RocknRolla, Beasts of No Nation, and Pacific Rim, including his portrayal of Nelson Mandela in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom and as Heimdall in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Thor series.
Elba has also received numerous accolades for his role as Dci John Luther in the series Luther, including four Screen Actors Guild Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and two NAACP Image Awards.
Scroll through the gallery for stills from Idris Elbas Film and Television career.
This led to numerous roles in feature films including 28 Weeks Later; Guy Richies RocknRolla, Beasts of No Nation, and Pacific Rim, including his portrayal of Nelson Mandela in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom and as Heimdall in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Thor series.
Elba has also received numerous accolades for his role as Dci John Luther in the series Luther, including four Screen Actors Guild Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and two NAACP Image Awards.
Scroll through the gallery for stills from Idris Elbas Film and Television career.
- 5/19/2023
- by The Deadline Team
- Deadline Film + TV
Whether it’s as an R&b singer, a professional kickboxer, or a world class DJ (mixing under the name DJ Big Driis), Idris Elba has become quite the renaissance man. And, oh we almost forgot, he’s also an award-winning actor.
From his first major gig in a 1995 episode of “Absolutely Fabulous,” Elba began his celebrated career working steadily on television, work which lead to two iconic roles — as drug dealer Stringer Bell on HBO’s “The Wire” and as dogged police detective John Luther in BBC’s “Luther,” which earned Elba both the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards, as well as four Primetime Emmy nominations. He reprises the role in a 2023 Netflix feature film, “Luther: The Fallen Sun.”
SEENetflix Top 10 (Week of March 6): ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’ tops the English language film charts
Elba soon moved over to films, first making a splash with audiences...
From his first major gig in a 1995 episode of “Absolutely Fabulous,” Elba began his celebrated career working steadily on television, work which lead to two iconic roles — as drug dealer Stringer Bell on HBO’s “The Wire” and as dogged police detective John Luther in BBC’s “Luther,” which earned Elba both the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards, as well as four Primetime Emmy nominations. He reprises the role in a 2023 Netflix feature film, “Luther: The Fallen Sun.”
SEENetflix Top 10 (Week of March 6): ‘Luther: The Fallen Sun’ tops the English language film charts
Elba soon moved over to films, first making a splash with audiences...
- 4/18/2023
- by Tom O'Brien
- Gold Derby
Idris Elba and African media mogul Mo Abudu are joining forces to launch a film and TV joint venture that will back new projects and up-and-coming talent from Africa and the African diaspora.
The partnership between Elba’s Green Door Pictures and Abudu’s EbonyLife Media, announced Thursday, aims to “empower and uplift talent from Africa and the Diaspora” by backing a development slate of film and TV projects and, by supporting up-and-coming creatives and executives from those communities, to “build capacity and foster authentic representation” in the international industry, to give “stories from Africa and its Diaspora” the same “level of attention and respect as other cultures and communities.”
Elba and Abudu said their production slate would focus on “authentic, Afro-centric stories” that can resonate with audiences around the world. Projects, ranging from feature films to series for television or streaming partners, will be set up as co-productions between...
The partnership between Elba’s Green Door Pictures and Abudu’s EbonyLife Media, announced Thursday, aims to “empower and uplift talent from Africa and the Diaspora” by backing a development slate of film and TV projects and, by supporting up-and-coming creatives and executives from those communities, to “build capacity and foster authentic representation” in the international industry, to give “stories from Africa and its Diaspora” the same “level of attention and respect as other cultures and communities.”
Elba and Abudu said their production slate would focus on “authentic, Afro-centric stories” that can resonate with audiences around the world. Projects, ranging from feature films to series for television or streaming partners, will be set up as co-productions between...
- 3/16/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
There's no question that Idris Elba is an icon. The handsome British actor is widely beloved for his starring role as the titular detective in "Luther," and he's taken the gig back on for the film "Luther: The Fallen Sun," which premiered on Netflix on March 10.
Elba is also known for his starring role in "The Wire," which ran from 2002 to 2004. He's also appeared in "The Office," "Thor," "Suicide Squad," and many other blockbusters and popular shows. Additionally, he played Nelson Mandela in "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom," which netted him two Golden Globe nominations in 2014, and also won a Golden Globe for best actor in a limited series in 2012 for his performance in "Luther" - and that's just to name a few of his accomplishments.
Additionally, Elba often makes a good impression on red carpets and in interviews, and tends to charm even the biggest stars - he actually...
Elba is also known for his starring role in "The Wire," which ran from 2002 to 2004. He's also appeared in "The Office," "Thor," "Suicide Squad," and many other blockbusters and popular shows. Additionally, he played Nelson Mandela in "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom," which netted him two Golden Globe nominations in 2014, and also won a Golden Globe for best actor in a limited series in 2012 for his performance in "Luther" - and that's just to name a few of his accomplishments.
Additionally, Elba often makes a good impression on red carpets and in interviews, and tends to charm even the biggest stars - he actually...
- 3/11/2023
- by Maria Mercedes Lara
- Popsugar.com
Idris Elba is reflecting on growing up in a socioeconomic background where doing well meant just staying out of jail.
While sitting down in New York City for a One-on-One with Et Canada’s Carlos Bustamante, the multi-faceted Golden Globe winner discussed his legacy, sharing how he wants to forge a path for regular people to push their limits and follow their dreams.
Read More: Idris Elba On James Bond: ‘I’m Not Going To Be That Guy’
“I don’t think I ever grew up with a compulsion to be recognized by everyone, [but] I think that was what happened,” admits Elba. “But I do know that the people who influenced me left an impact on the world. Great thinkers, great people, politicians.”
Elba cites Nelson Mandela, whom he portrayed in 2013’s “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”, as someone who truly “left a legacy on the world”.
“I think ultimately,...
While sitting down in New York City for a One-on-One with Et Canada’s Carlos Bustamante, the multi-faceted Golden Globe winner discussed his legacy, sharing how he wants to forge a path for regular people to push their limits and follow their dreams.
Read More: Idris Elba On James Bond: ‘I’m Not Going To Be That Guy’
“I don’t think I ever grew up with a compulsion to be recognized by everyone, [but] I think that was what happened,” admits Elba. “But I do know that the people who influenced me left an impact on the world. Great thinkers, great people, politicians.”
Elba cites Nelson Mandela, whom he portrayed in 2013’s “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”, as someone who truly “left a legacy on the world”.
“I think ultimately,...
- 3/10/2023
- by Sarah Curran
- ET Canada
If you've ever watched the red carpet at the Academy Awards there's a phrase you've probably heard over and over again, and for quite a few decades: "It's an honor just to be nominated."
And to be fair, it most certainly is. Although the Oscars were invented to bust unions, not reward artistic quality, at their best it's a gesture of support for a filmmaker from their peers. To be singled out by the other hard-working artisans in your branch as worthy of awards consideration as an actor, director, writer, cinematographer, sound designer et al is a great big feather in one's cap.
But it's a feather that can, and has been, plucked out. It's uncommon but the Academy Awards have vetoed quite a few nominations in the past — three times in the 2010s alone — in situations that stirred up controversy or, in some of the more technical or niche categories,...
And to be fair, it most certainly is. Although the Oscars were invented to bust unions, not reward artistic quality, at their best it's a gesture of support for a filmmaker from their peers. To be singled out by the other hard-working artisans in your branch as worthy of awards consideration as an actor, director, writer, cinematographer, sound designer et al is a great big feather in one's cap.
But it's a feather that can, and has been, plucked out. It's uncommon but the Academy Awards have vetoed quite a few nominations in the past — three times in the 2010s alone — in situations that stirred up controversy or, in some of the more technical or niche categories,...
- 2/1/2023
- by William Bibbiani
- Slash Film
Naomie Harris and Natalie Dormer are teaming up to star in “The Wasp,” a psychological thriller based on Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s play of the same name.
“Moonlight” Oscar nominee Harris and “Game of Thrones” actor Dormer will play Heather and Carla, who meet up for tea after not having spoken in several years. Heather presents a shocking proposition that will change their lives forever.
Guillem Morales (“Inside No. 9”) will direct, with Malcolm writing the screenplay for producer XYZ Films.
Also Read:
‘House of the Dragon’ Opening Credits Opt for ‘Game of Thrones’ Theme Over New Music (Video)
Nate Bolotin and Maxime Cottray will produce for XYZ Films. James Harris and Leonora Darby of Tea Shop Productions, Sean Sorensen of Royal Viking Entertainment, and Matthew B. Schmidt of Paradise City Films will also produce. XYZ is financing in association with Ipr.Vc, and will handle worldwide sales at the upcoming Toronto Film Festival.
“Moonlight” Oscar nominee Harris and “Game of Thrones” actor Dormer will play Heather and Carla, who meet up for tea after not having spoken in several years. Heather presents a shocking proposition that will change their lives forever.
Guillem Morales (“Inside No. 9”) will direct, with Malcolm writing the screenplay for producer XYZ Films.
Also Read:
‘House of the Dragon’ Opening Credits Opt for ‘Game of Thrones’ Theme Over New Music (Video)
Nate Bolotin and Maxime Cottray will produce for XYZ Films. James Harris and Leonora Darby of Tea Shop Productions, Sean Sorensen of Royal Viking Entertainment, and Matthew B. Schmidt of Paradise City Films will also produce. XYZ is financing in association with Ipr.Vc, and will handle worldwide sales at the upcoming Toronto Film Festival.
- 9/1/2022
- by Harper Lambert
- The Wrap
Exclusive: The Outlaws star Charles Babalola is set to headline Showtime’s King Shaka, (fka Shaka: King of the Zulu Nation), executive produced by Antoine Fuqua.
Babalola will play the title role in the epic drama series, centered around one man’s personal journey from stigmatized childhood to warrior king, which hails from writers Olu Odebunmi and Tolu Awosika, Propagate, Fuqua Films and CBS Studios. Production kicks off next month in the historic KwaZulu-Natal (Kzn) South Africa province, the birthplace of King Shaka, and will be fully shot in South Africa for a 2023 debut on Showtime.
Also cast as series regulars in King Shaka are Aïssa Maïga (The Fear Index) as Nandi, Shaka’s devoted mother who will sacrifice everything to fulfill her son’s destiny; and Thando Dlomo (The Woman King) as Pampatha, a herder who finds her fate forever entwined with Shaka’s. Thapelo Mokoena (Bulletproof) will guest star as Gendeyana,...
Babalola will play the title role in the epic drama series, centered around one man’s personal journey from stigmatized childhood to warrior king, which hails from writers Olu Odebunmi and Tolu Awosika, Propagate, Fuqua Films and CBS Studios. Production kicks off next month in the historic KwaZulu-Natal (Kzn) South Africa province, the birthplace of King Shaka, and will be fully shot in South Africa for a 2023 debut on Showtime.
Also cast as series regulars in King Shaka are Aïssa Maïga (The Fear Index) as Nandi, Shaka’s devoted mother who will sacrifice everything to fulfill her son’s destiny; and Thando Dlomo (The Woman King) as Pampatha, a herder who finds her fate forever entwined with Shaka’s. Thapelo Mokoena (Bulletproof) will guest star as Gendeyana,...
- 8/25/2022
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Amsterdam-based Fortissimo Films has acquired international rights to UK-China co-production Untamed and is showing early footage to buyers in Cannes.
The drama will revolve around the true story of Zhu Shenghao, the first person to translate nearly all of Shakespeare’s works into Chinese in the 1930s, who died aged just 32 from tuberculosis.
It will be set in three time frames: the 1930s; 16th century England as a young playwright struggles to stage his play; and modern-day China where a rising director struggles for funding for his film about Shenghao and Shakespeare. Angus Yellowlees will play Shakespeare.
The UK section...
The drama will revolve around the true story of Zhu Shenghao, the first person to translate nearly all of Shakespeare’s works into Chinese in the 1930s, who died aged just 32 from tuberculosis.
It will be set in three time frames: the 1930s; 16th century England as a young playwright struggles to stage his play; and modern-day China where a rising director struggles for funding for his film about Shenghao and Shakespeare. Angus Yellowlees will play Shakespeare.
The UK section...
- 5/17/2022
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
With a new month upon us, that means Netflix is saying farewell to some favorite films in their library for the time being. And this month, there’s an unusual amount of good movies leaving Netflix. If you’re wondering what to watch before it’s gone, we’ve got a handy guide.
Fans of period dramas and family films, in particular, may find themselves with a lot to catch up on before it leaves Netflix. In the former category, films like “Howard’s End,” “Lawless,” “A River Runs Through It,” “Bright Star,” and “Braveheart” are all expiring in March.
But the Kids and Family section is taking a particularly big hit this month. Animated departures include “Kung Fu Panda,” “Despicable Me” and “Despicable Me 2,” “Happy Feet Two,” a handful of “Pokemon!” movies and series, and meme culture favorite “Bee Movie.” There are also several live-action family classics leaving Netflix in March as well,...
Fans of period dramas and family films, in particular, may find themselves with a lot to catch up on before it leaves Netflix. In the former category, films like “Howard’s End,” “Lawless,” “A River Runs Through It,” “Bright Star,” and “Braveheart” are all expiring in March.
But the Kids and Family section is taking a particularly big hit this month. Animated departures include “Kung Fu Panda,” “Despicable Me” and “Despicable Me 2,” “Happy Feet Two,” a handful of “Pokemon!” movies and series, and meme culture favorite “Bee Movie.” There are also several live-action family classics leaving Netflix in March as well,...
- 2/27/2022
- by Haleigh Foutch
- The Wrap
Round up the usual suspects. The insular Academy music branch is known for leaning into their regulars (see 12-time nominee Diane Warren’s shortlisted song for Sundance indie “Four Good Days”) as well as unexpected surprises (Amazon’s shortlisted Idina Menzel song “Dream Girl” from “Cinderella”). Needless to say, Menzel has been to the Oscars before, belting out “Let It Go,” Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez’ Oscar winner from “Frozen.”
The Academy music branch also tends to fall for global pop stars who might turn up to perform at the Oscar kudocast. Inevitably, music stars scored shortlist slots, including for the second year in a row H.E.R., who sings “Automatic Woman” in Halle Berry’s directorial debut “Bruised” (Netflix). Another Netflix contender is Ariana Grande and Kid Cudi’s “Just Look Up” from “Don’t Look Up.” Ireland’s two-time song nominees Bono and U2 wrote and performed “Your Song Saved...
The Academy music branch also tends to fall for global pop stars who might turn up to perform at the Oscar kudocast. Inevitably, music stars scored shortlist slots, including for the second year in a row H.E.R., who sings “Automatic Woman” in Halle Berry’s directorial debut “Bruised” (Netflix). Another Netflix contender is Ariana Grande and Kid Cudi’s “Just Look Up” from “Don’t Look Up.” Ireland’s two-time song nominees Bono and U2 wrote and performed “Your Song Saved...
- 12/22/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Round up the usual suspects. The insular Academy music branch is known for leaning into their regulars (see 12-time nominee Diane Warren’s shortlisted song for Sundance indie “Four Good Days”) as well as unexpected surprises (Amazon’s shortlisted Idina Menzel song “Dream Girl” from “Cinderella”). Needless to say, Menzel has been to the Oscars before, belting out “Let It Go,” Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez’ Oscar winner from “Frozen.”
The Academy music branch also tends to fall for global pop stars who might turn up to perform at the Oscar kudocast. Inevitably, music stars scored shortlist slots, including for the second year in a row H.E.R., who sings “Automatic Woman” in Halle Berry’s directorial debut “Bruised” (Netflix). Another Netflix contender is Ariana Grande and Kid Cudi’s “Just Look Up” from “Don’t Look Up.” Ireland’s two-time song nominees Bono and U2 wrote and performed “Your Song Saved...
The Academy music branch also tends to fall for global pop stars who might turn up to perform at the Oscar kudocast. Inevitably, music stars scored shortlist slots, including for the second year in a row H.E.R., who sings “Automatic Woman” in Halle Berry’s directorial debut “Bruised” (Netflix). Another Netflix contender is Ariana Grande and Kid Cudi’s “Just Look Up” from “Don’t Look Up.” Ireland’s two-time song nominees Bono and U2 wrote and performed “Your Song Saved...
- 12/22/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has whittled its Original Song Oscar category to 15 songs that made the shortlist Tuesday, with a Grammy-loaded roster of talent bolstering the field.
Among the notable performers on the 15-song shortlist are music power couple Beyoncé and Jay-Z, the former with “Be Alive” from Warner Bros’ King Richard and the latter with with “Guns Go Bang” from Netflix’s Western The Harder They Fall. The pair have 51 Grammys between them and would be the rare husband-wife competition if both made the final nominations list when they come out in February.
Also in the mix is U2, which is vying for a third Oscar nomination with “Your Song Saved My Life” from Illumination’s Sing 2, Ariana Grande & Kid Cudi (from Don’t Look Up), Brian Wilson from the documentary Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road, Idina Menzel from Cinderella, Sza’s version of “The Anonymous Ones” from Dear Evan Hanson, and H.E.R. and Halle Berry’s “Automatic Woman” from Bruised. And of course Diane Warren, who is vying for her 13th Oscar nomination, is on the shortlist with “Somehow You Do,” sung by Reba McEntire for the indie Four Good Days.
A total of 84 songs were eligible in the category this year.
Below is the full shortlist, with final nominations will be announced February 8 ahead of the ceremony March 27 at the Dolby Theatre.
Music (Original Song)
“So May We Start?” from Annette
“Down To Joy” from Belfast
“Right Where I Belong” from Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road
“Automatic Woman” from Bruised
“Dream Girl” from Cinderella
“Beyond The Shore” from Coda
“The Anonymous Ones” from Dear Evan Hansen
“Just Look Up” from Don’t Look Up
“Dos Oruguitas” from Encanto
“Somehow You Do” from Four Good Days
“Guns Go Bang” from The Harder They Fall
“Be Alive” from King Richard
“No Time To Die” from No Time to Die
“Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)” from Respect
“Your Song Saved My Life” from Sing 2...
Among the notable performers on the 15-song shortlist are music power couple Beyoncé and Jay-Z, the former with “Be Alive” from Warner Bros’ King Richard and the latter with with “Guns Go Bang” from Netflix’s Western The Harder They Fall. The pair have 51 Grammys between them and would be the rare husband-wife competition if both made the final nominations list when they come out in February.
Also in the mix is U2, which is vying for a third Oscar nomination with “Your Song Saved My Life” from Illumination’s Sing 2, Ariana Grande & Kid Cudi (from Don’t Look Up), Brian Wilson from the documentary Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road, Idina Menzel from Cinderella, Sza’s version of “The Anonymous Ones” from Dear Evan Hanson, and H.E.R. and Halle Berry’s “Automatic Woman” from Bruised. And of course Diane Warren, who is vying for her 13th Oscar nomination, is on the shortlist with “Somehow You Do,” sung by Reba McEntire for the indie Four Good Days.
A total of 84 songs were eligible in the category this year.
Below is the full shortlist, with final nominations will be announced February 8 ahead of the ceremony March 27 at the Dolby Theatre.
Music (Original Song)
“So May We Start?” from Annette
“Down To Joy” from Belfast
“Right Where I Belong” from Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road
“Automatic Woman” from Bruised
“Dream Girl” from Cinderella
“Beyond The Shore” from Coda
“The Anonymous Ones” from Dear Evan Hansen
“Just Look Up” from Don’t Look Up
“Dos Oruguitas” from Encanto
“Somehow You Do” from Four Good Days
“Guns Go Bang” from The Harder They Fall
“Be Alive” from King Richard
“No Time To Die” from No Time to Die
“Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)” from Respect
“Your Song Saved My Life” from Sing 2...
- 12/21/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
After teasing it on social media earlier in the week, U2 has released the full-length “Your Song Saved My Life,” an original song the group and recorded for “Sing 2,” an animated musical set to hit theaters Dec. 22.
Although the new song doesn’t represent any vast jump in genre, U2 fans will recognize it as a departure from the group’s usual style, starting off with a gospel-pop style piano and elevating into orchestral accompaniment before wrapping up with a falsetto chorus and not many guitars in sight.
Several U2 catalog songs, including “Joshua Tree” favorites and “Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of,” also appear in the movie, which has Bono taking on a lead voice role for the first time, envisioned as a lion. His character, Clay Calloway, is a legendary rock star who’s lived in seclusion since a tragedy 15 years earlier, and...
Although the new song doesn’t represent any vast jump in genre, U2 fans will recognize it as a departure from the group’s usual style, starting off with a gospel-pop style piano and elevating into orchestral accompaniment before wrapping up with a falsetto chorus and not many guitars in sight.
Several U2 catalog songs, including “Joshua Tree” favorites and “Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of,” also appear in the movie, which has Bono taking on a lead voice role for the first time, envisioned as a lion. His character, Clay Calloway, is a legendary rock star who’s lived in seclusion since a tragedy 15 years earlier, and...
- 11/4/2021
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
U2 lead singer Bono, Pharrell Williams and singer Halsey are joining the chorus of Sing 2, as they will voice lead roles in the Illumination/Universal sequel to the 2016 hit. Bobby Cannavale, Black Panther’s Letitia Wright, Eric Andre and Chelsea Peretti have also signed to star, joining reprising stars Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johannsson, Taron Egerton, Tori Kelly and Nick Kroll. Pic will be ready for theatrical holiday release a year from now.
While Bono and U2’s music has provided a backdrop to films from Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom to Gangs of New York, this will be his first time voicing a character and singing in an animated film. It reunited Williams with Illumination; his tune “Happy” was a soundtrack tune that helped draw blockbuster grosses for Despicable Me 2.
“Sing 2 transcends the animation genre, immersing audiences in a fully realized world populated by complex characters,...
While Bono and U2’s music has provided a backdrop to films from Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom to Gangs of New York, this will be his first time voicing a character and singing in an animated film. It reunited Williams with Illumination; his tune “Happy” was a soundtrack tune that helped draw blockbuster grosses for Despicable Me 2.
“Sing 2 transcends the animation genre, immersing audiences in a fully realized world populated by complex characters,...
- 12/21/2020
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
From its 2018 launch in Johannesburg as an industry event rooted in the local community, the Africa Rising Intl. Film Festival (Ariff) has sought to promote diversity and inclusion in the South African biz, where Black, female, and LGBTQ filmmakers too often struggle to gain a foothold, and white and male executives still hold a disproportionate amount of power.
“From an access point of view, we don’t have access in terms of the full value chain of the industry,” says Ariff co-chair and president Lala Tuku. “Women and young people, queer members of our society, they are still being marginalized.”
Giving emerging voices a platform is one of the festival’s foundational pillars, and something that Tuku says “is very close to home.” As a young, Black woman looking to break into the industry two decades ago, Tuku says she found few mentors from a similar background who were able to guide her career path.
“From an access point of view, we don’t have access in terms of the full value chain of the industry,” says Ariff co-chair and president Lala Tuku. “Women and young people, queer members of our society, they are still being marginalized.”
Giving emerging voices a platform is one of the festival’s foundational pillars, and something that Tuku says “is very close to home.” As a young, Black woman looking to break into the industry two decades ago, Tuku says she found few mentors from a similar background who were able to guide her career path.
- 12/1/2020
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Acclaimed British actor, writer and producer Idris Elba will receive a BAFTA Special Award for his creative contribution to television and his commitment to championing diversity and new talent in the industry.
The Special Award is one of the British Academy’s highest honors, with previous recipients for television including Nicola Shindler, Clare Balding, John Motson, Henry Normal, Nick Fraser, Lenny Henry, Delia Smith and Cilla Black.
Elba’s breakout came in HBO’s “The Wire” and he shot to international fame with his starring role in hit BBC drama “Luther,” for which he won a Golden Globe and scored several Primetime Emmy and BAFTA nominations. Last year, Elba starred in and executive produced the fifth season of “Luther.” Sky’s “In The Long Run,” created by and starring Elba, inspired by his own experiences, is back soon for a third season.
He founded production company Green Door Pictures in 2013 with a focus on inclusion,...
The Special Award is one of the British Academy’s highest honors, with previous recipients for television including Nicola Shindler, Clare Balding, John Motson, Henry Normal, Nick Fraser, Lenny Henry, Delia Smith and Cilla Black.
Elba’s breakout came in HBO’s “The Wire” and he shot to international fame with his starring role in hit BBC drama “Luther,” for which he won a Golden Globe and scored several Primetime Emmy and BAFTA nominations. Last year, Elba starred in and executive produced the fifth season of “Luther.” Sky’s “In The Long Run,” created by and starring Elba, inspired by his own experiences, is back soon for a third season.
He founded production company Green Door Pictures in 2013 with a focus on inclusion,...
- 7/20/2020
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Idris Elba is set to be honored at the upcoming BAFTA TV Awards.
The Luther star, who rose to prominence as Stringer Bell in The Wire, will receive the BAFTA Special Award, one of the British Academy's highest honors, for creative contribution to television.
Alongside his other notable roles, which away from the small screen have included Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Thor, Beasts of No Nation and Molly's Game, Elba has also used his influence to push for further diversity in the industry. In 2016 he challenged British parliament on the matter and later used his production company Green Door ...
The Luther star, who rose to prominence as Stringer Bell in The Wire, will receive the BAFTA Special Award, one of the British Academy's highest honors, for creative contribution to television.
Alongside his other notable roles, which away from the small screen have included Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Thor, Beasts of No Nation and Molly's Game, Elba has also used his influence to push for further diversity in the industry. In 2016 he challenged British parliament on the matter and later used his production company Green Door ...
- 7/20/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Moonyeenn Lee, a legendary South African casting director and agent who cast films such as “Blood Diamond,” “Hotel Rwanda” and “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom,” died Saturday due to complications caused by the coronavirus in Johannesburg. She was 76.
Lee’s passing was confirmed by a representative in Johannesburg and announced on a Facebook page for her agency Moonyeenn Lee & Associates (Mla).
Lee was renowned in her native South Africa and boasted 47 years in the film industry, earning a lifetime achievement award named for Lionel Ngakane from the South African Film & Television Awards in 2017. She was also the first South African member of AMPAS and the Television Academy.
Also Read: Haruma Miura, Japanese Actor and Star of 'Attack on Titan,' Dies of Apparent Suicide at 30
Lee was also one of South Africa’s best-known agents through her company Moonyeenn Lee & Associates (Mla). In 2003, Lee was nominated to the National...
Lee’s passing was confirmed by a representative in Johannesburg and announced on a Facebook page for her agency Moonyeenn Lee & Associates (Mla).
Lee was renowned in her native South Africa and boasted 47 years in the film industry, earning a lifetime achievement award named for Lionel Ngakane from the South African Film & Television Awards in 2017. She was also the first South African member of AMPAS and the Television Academy.
Also Read: Haruma Miura, Japanese Actor and Star of 'Attack on Titan,' Dies of Apparent Suicide at 30
Lee was also one of South Africa’s best-known agents through her company Moonyeenn Lee & Associates (Mla). In 2003, Lee was nominated to the National...
- 7/20/2020
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Moonyeenn Lee, the acclaimed South African agent and casting director who cast films such as the foreign-language Oscar winner “Tsotsi” and Oscar-nominated “Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom,” died in Johannesburg on Saturday due to coronavirus-related complications. She was 76.
Lee’s company, Moonyeenn Lee & Associates, announced the news in a statement on its Facebook page on Sunday. “It is with great sadness that we announce the death of the legendary South African agent and casting director, Moonyeenn Lee,” reads the statement.
“Moonyeenn’s passion for South African stories and local talent was well known. Over the years, she would travel around the world introducing producers and directors to South African actors. She would always do everything in her power to convince them to rather cast local actors over foreign actors. Her dedication eventually paid off as many international productions trusted her to cast locally.”
It continued: “Moonyeenn helped shape the lives of many actors,...
Lee’s company, Moonyeenn Lee & Associates, announced the news in a statement on its Facebook page on Sunday. “It is with great sadness that we announce the death of the legendary South African agent and casting director, Moonyeenn Lee,” reads the statement.
“Moonyeenn’s passion for South African stories and local talent was well known. Over the years, she would travel around the world introducing producers and directors to South African actors. She would always do everything in her power to convince them to rather cast local actors over foreign actors. Her dedication eventually paid off as many international productions trusted her to cast locally.”
It continued: “Moonyeenn helped shape the lives of many actors,...
- 7/20/2020
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
South African industry veteran cast films including ‘Tsotsi’, ‘Blood Diamond’ and ‘Hotel Rwanda’.
Renowned South African casting director and agent Moonyeenn Lee has died aged 76, following complications from coronavirus.
The industry veteran, who was Emmy-nominated for her work on Hulu series The Looming Tower and the 2016 adaptation of Roots, died in Johannesburg on July 18.
Lee was born in Johannesburg in 1944 and worked on the casting of films including Oscar-winner Tsotsi, Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, Hotel Rwanda, Blood Diamond, and Eye In The Sky.
More recently, she was the casting director on Sundance award-winner This Is Not A Burial, It’s A Resurrection.
Renowned South African casting director and agent Moonyeenn Lee has died aged 76, following complications from coronavirus.
The industry veteran, who was Emmy-nominated for her work on Hulu series The Looming Tower and the 2016 adaptation of Roots, died in Johannesburg on July 18.
Lee was born in Johannesburg in 1944 and worked on the casting of films including Oscar-winner Tsotsi, Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, Hotel Rwanda, Blood Diamond, and Eye In The Sky.
More recently, she was the casting director on Sundance award-winner This Is Not A Burial, It’s A Resurrection.
- 7/20/2020
- by 1100453¦Michael Rosser¦9¦
- ScreenDaily
Veteran South African casting director and agent Moonyeenn Lee has died aged 76 in Johannesburg, following complications from the coronavirus.
Lee worked for almost five decades in the industry, building a formidable and illustrious career working on movies including The Bang Bang Club, Disgrace, Oscar-winner Tsotsi, Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, Machine Gun Preacher, Hotel Rwanda, Blood Diamond, Eye In The Sky, Mandela And De Klerk, Life, Above All and Black Panther.
She also carried out local casting on series including Homeland, The Prisoner, Warrior and The Hot Zone. She received Primetime Emmy nominations for Roots and The Looming Tower.
According to Lee’s associates she became the first South African member of both the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Television Academy.
In 2003, Lee was nominated to the National Executive Committee of the Independent Producer’s Organisation and to the Film Board of Create South Africa. In the same year,...
Lee worked for almost five decades in the industry, building a formidable and illustrious career working on movies including The Bang Bang Club, Disgrace, Oscar-winner Tsotsi, Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, Machine Gun Preacher, Hotel Rwanda, Blood Diamond, Eye In The Sky, Mandela And De Klerk, Life, Above All and Black Panther.
She also carried out local casting on series including Homeland, The Prisoner, Warrior and The Hot Zone. She received Primetime Emmy nominations for Roots and The Looming Tower.
According to Lee’s associates she became the first South African member of both the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Television Academy.
In 2003, Lee was nominated to the National Executive Committee of the Independent Producer’s Organisation and to the Film Board of Create South Africa. In the same year,...
- 7/20/2020
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Green Door will produce features and series for Apple TV+.
Apple has struck a first-look deal with UK actor and producer Idris Elba.
Under the agreement, the Luther star will produce series and feature films for SVoD service Apple TV+ through his independent company Green Door Pictures.
Apple has struck several such agreements as it competes with the likes of Amazon, HBO Max and Netflix. It has been keen on British talent, signing an exclusive deal with Sharon Horgan in December 2019 and another with Us-based filmmaker Simon Kinberg earlier in the year.
It recently hired BBC docs chief Alison Kirkham...
Apple has struck a first-look deal with UK actor and producer Idris Elba.
Under the agreement, the Luther star will produce series and feature films for SVoD service Apple TV+ through his independent company Green Door Pictures.
Apple has struck several such agreements as it competes with the likes of Amazon, HBO Max and Netflix. It has been keen on British talent, signing an exclusive deal with Sharon Horgan in December 2019 and another with Us-based filmmaker Simon Kinberg earlier in the year.
It recently hired BBC docs chief Alison Kirkham...
- 7/13/2020
- by 1101334¦Jesse Whittock Broadcast¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
Idris Elba and his Green Door Pictures production company have signed a first-look deal at Apple, Variety has learned. Under the deal, Elba and Green Door will produce both series and features for Apple’s streaming platform, Apple TV Plus.
Elba is an actor, producer, director, and musician. He is known for his starring roles in films like “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw,” “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom,” “Beasts of No Nation,” and multiple films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the character Heimdall. He also starred in the critically-acclaimed BBC series “Luther,” which earned him a Golden Globe Award and multiple Emmy nominations, as well as HBO’s “The Wire.”
Elba founded Green Door in 2013. The company’s credits include the comedy “In The Long Run,” created by and featuring Elba as part of an ensemble cast. The company also produced Elba’s Netflix comedy series “Turn Up Charlie.
Elba is an actor, producer, director, and musician. He is known for his starring roles in films like “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw,” “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom,” “Beasts of No Nation,” and multiple films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the character Heimdall. He also starred in the critically-acclaimed BBC series “Luther,” which earned him a Golden Globe Award and multiple Emmy nominations, as well as HBO’s “The Wire.”
Elba founded Green Door in 2013. The company’s credits include the comedy “In The Long Run,” created by and featuring Elba as part of an ensemble cast. The company also produced Elba’s Netflix comedy series “Turn Up Charlie.
- 7/13/2020
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
For over two decades, Alex Heffes has been a rock solid composer, turning in work that crosses genres, be it Academy Award winning fare like The Last King of Scotland or Inside Job, as well as his own Golden Globe nominated score for Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. With Heffes in contention for some Emmy Award love for the Apple TV+ documentary The Elephant Queen, it was a pleasure to hop on the phone a few days ago with him about talk a bit about music, the doc, and what it’s like to try and compose during isolation and the Covid-19 quarantine. Below you will find my chat with Alex Heffes. It’s a pretty interesting one, especially in terms of hearing about how he looks to find the sounds that compliment the visuals of his projects. In particular with The Elephant Queen, his score really resonates, allowing you...
- 7/5/2020
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
Oscars Academy Class of 2020: Natasha Lyonne and 11 More Stars We’re Shocked Weren’t Already Members
It’s become a tradition every year when the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences invites its new members that we pour through the list of stars and Hollywood legends and look in amazement at how many big names were somehow not already part of the Oscars club.
This year, the Academy invited 819 new members, including a 2020 class that’s 45% women, 36% underrepresented ethnic/racial communities and 49% international from 68 countries.
The diversity is always welcome, and the Academy has done loads in recent years to attempt to diversify its ranks. In fact, we count 10 different actors and below-the-line crew members involved with the Best Picture winner “Parasite” joining the Academy this year. And other emerging stars like Awkwafina, Zendaya, Zazie Beetz, Brian Tyree Henry, Cynthia Erivo and more are all among those who will vote on the upcoming Oscars.
Also Read: Oscars Finally Give Agents the Vote
But then there...
This year, the Academy invited 819 new members, including a 2020 class that’s 45% women, 36% underrepresented ethnic/racial communities and 49% international from 68 countries.
The diversity is always welcome, and the Academy has done loads in recent years to attempt to diversify its ranks. In fact, we count 10 different actors and below-the-line crew members involved with the Best Picture winner “Parasite” joining the Academy this year. And other emerging stars like Awkwafina, Zendaya, Zazie Beetz, Brian Tyree Henry, Cynthia Erivo and more are all among those who will vote on the upcoming Oscars.
Also Read: Oscars Finally Give Agents the Vote
But then there...
- 6/30/2020
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Editor’s note: Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, veteran South African producer Anant Singh, whose films include Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom and 2004 Oscar nominee Yesterday, has penned an open letter on the 44th anniversary of the historic student uprising in Soweto, South Africa. The anti-Apartheid uprising was a series of demonstrations led by black students, many of them children, in response to the introduction of Afrikaans as the main language in local schools. The protests were met with fierce police brutality and it is estimated that hundreds died. Below is Singh’s letter.
Black Lives Matter
‘The last 20 days since the slaying of George Floyd in the USA has been a revelation, with an outpouring of humanity all around the world, a solidarity that is long overdue.
As a South African, I reflect on my life as part of the oppressed majority that endured the harshness of legislated racism: apartheid.
Black Lives Matter
‘The last 20 days since the slaying of George Floyd in the USA has been a revelation, with an outpouring of humanity all around the world, a solidarity that is long overdue.
As a South African, I reflect on my life as part of the oppressed majority that endured the harshness of legislated racism: apartheid.
- 6/16/2020
- by Anant Singh
- Deadline Film + TV
Ron Howard has signed up to helm ‘Thirteen Lives’, to tell the real-life story of the 2018 Thai cave rescue.
The story focuses on the real-life story of the boy’s football team from Thailand who became trapped in a cave for more than two weeks when heavy rains partially flooded the cave, blocking their way out.
All twelve of the boys were rescued along with their 25-year-old coach, though the effort claimed the life of a retired Thai Navy Seal, Saman Kunan, who ran out of air while saving the kids. Another rescue diver died a year and a half later as a result of a blood infection contracted during the rescue.
‘Gladiator’ scribe William Nicholson will pen the script. As with most of Howard’s drama’s the tone they will try and set is that of a ‘High Stakes’ filled with unbearable suspense, one that matches up with...
The story focuses on the real-life story of the boy’s football team from Thailand who became trapped in a cave for more than two weeks when heavy rains partially flooded the cave, blocking their way out.
All twelve of the boys were rescued along with their 25-year-old coach, though the effort claimed the life of a retired Thai Navy Seal, Saman Kunan, who ran out of air while saving the kids. Another rescue diver died a year and a half later as a result of a blood infection contracted during the rescue.
‘Gladiator’ scribe William Nicholson will pen the script. As with most of Howard’s drama’s the tone they will try and set is that of a ‘High Stakes’ filled with unbearable suspense, one that matches up with...
- 5/1/2020
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Netflix is in production on its fifth original out of Africa, South African dance drama “Jiva!”
Produced by Cape Town-based Blue Ice Africa, “Jiva!” follows talented street dancer Ntombi who slowly realizes dancing may be a ticket out of her dead-end job, family drama and turbulent love life.
Busisiwe Ntintili, of The Ntintili Factory, is creator and showrunner of “Jiva!” The award-winning writer, director and producer is responsible for one of South Africa’s highest rated television shows, the Peabody Award-winning drama “Intersexions” and hit movie “Happiness is a Four Letter Word.”
The series is directed by Scottnes L. Smith (“Hear Me Move”), Mandla Dube (“Kalushi”) and Mmambatho Montsho (“Emoyeni”).
Meanwhile, the cast includes break-out star Noxolo Dlamini playing the lead, Candice Modiselle (“Generations”), Sne Mbatha (“So You Think You Can Dance”), Stella Dlangalala (“Funny People Africa”) and veteran actor Tony Kgoroge.
Executive producers on the drama include Busisiwe Ntintili,...
Produced by Cape Town-based Blue Ice Africa, “Jiva!” follows talented street dancer Ntombi who slowly realizes dancing may be a ticket out of her dead-end job, family drama and turbulent love life.
Busisiwe Ntintili, of The Ntintili Factory, is creator and showrunner of “Jiva!” The award-winning writer, director and producer is responsible for one of South Africa’s highest rated television shows, the Peabody Award-winning drama “Intersexions” and hit movie “Happiness is a Four Letter Word.”
The series is directed by Scottnes L. Smith (“Hear Me Move”), Mandla Dube (“Kalushi”) and Mmambatho Montsho (“Emoyeni”).
Meanwhile, the cast includes break-out star Noxolo Dlamini playing the lead, Candice Modiselle (“Generations”), Sne Mbatha (“So You Think You Can Dance”), Stella Dlangalala (“Funny People Africa”) and veteran actor Tony Kgoroge.
Executive producers on the drama include Busisiwe Ntintili,...
- 4/30/2020
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Landlocked by South Africa on all sides, the kingdom of Lesotho is a place of high skies, wide landscapes and narrow prospects for its two million inhabitants: a set of dimensions somehow captured in every exquisitely constructed, square-cut frame of “This Is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection.” A haunted, unsentimental paean to land and its physical containment of community and ancestry — all endangered by nominally progressive infrastructure — this arresting third feature from Lesotho-born writer-director Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese is as classical in theme as it is adventurous in presentation. Toggling between earthy naturalism and suspended dream atmospherics as fluently as its life-weary 80-year-old protagonist (the superb Mary Twala Mhlongo) skims the real and spiritual realms, it’s the kind of myth-rooted, avant-garde Southern African storytelling that rarely cracks the international festival circuit.
An appearance in Sundance’s international competition — where it netted a special jury prize for “visionary filmmaking...
An appearance in Sundance’s international competition — where it netted a special jury prize for “visionary filmmaking...
- 2/7/2020
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
Taylor Swift and Andrew Lloyd Webber didn’t make the cut for their original song “Beautiful Ghosts” from “Cats” when the motion picture academy announced its shortlist for songwriters. And the reviews for the film have been, shall we say, not great. But Swift could still get her revenge at the Golden Globes, where she and Webber did earn a nom for “Ghosts.” And this isn’t the first time the Hollywood Foreign Press has nominated her, so this may be the time they decide to give her the win.
The country ingenue-turned-pop superstar has been nominated twice before at the Globes. First she contended for “Safe and Sound,” which she co-wrote with The Civil Wars and T-Bone Burnett for the film “The Hunger Games” (2012). She ended up winning a Grammy for that composition, but the Globe went to Adele‘s “Skyfall,” which went on to win the Oscar too.
The country ingenue-turned-pop superstar has been nominated twice before at the Globes. First she contended for “Safe and Sound,” which she co-wrote with The Civil Wars and T-Bone Burnett for the film “The Hunger Games” (2012). She ended up winning a Grammy for that composition, but the Globe went to Adele‘s “Skyfall,” which went on to win the Oscar too.
- 12/24/2019
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Husband-and-wife songwriting duo Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez have two Best Original Song Oscars, but they’ve yet to win a Golden Globe. Will the third time be the charm?
The pair, who wrote every song on the “Frozen II” soundtrack, is nominated for “Into the Unknown,” the lead single performed by Elsa (Idina Menzel) in the sequel that’s positioned to be the next “Let It Go.” “Let It Go,” of course, was a huge earworm, winning an Oscar and two Grammys for the Lopezes, but they lost the Golden Globe to U2‘s “Ordinary Love” from “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” (2013).
The Lopezes contended two years ago with “Remember Me” from “Coco” (2017), for which they claimed another Oscar, making Robert the first person to achieve a double Egot. But again, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association didn’t bite; the Globe went to the anthemic “This Is Me” from “The Greatest Showman.
The pair, who wrote every song on the “Frozen II” soundtrack, is nominated for “Into the Unknown,” the lead single performed by Elsa (Idina Menzel) in the sequel that’s positioned to be the next “Let It Go.” “Let It Go,” of course, was a huge earworm, winning an Oscar and two Grammys for the Lopezes, but they lost the Golden Globe to U2‘s “Ordinary Love” from “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” (2013).
The Lopezes contended two years ago with “Remember Me” from “Coco” (2017), for which they claimed another Oscar, making Robert the first person to achieve a double Egot. But again, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association didn’t bite; the Globe went to the anthemic “This Is Me” from “The Greatest Showman.
- 12/18/2019
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
It’s next to impossible for a documentary score to be Oscar-nominated alongside the dozens of fictional narratives entered each year. But it did happen, just once: In 1975, composer Gerald Fried was nominated for his music for “Birds Do It, Bees Do It,” a documentary on the mating habits of animals.
Fried, now 91, perhaps best-known for his Emmy-winning score for “Roots,” recalls his surprise at the nomination. He believes that his fresh use of the relatively new synthesizer sounds, along with more traditional orchestra, was probably the reason his colleagues noticed and approved.
No doc score before or since has been nominated. Yet music for documentaries is being taken more seriously than ever before, going by the number of award-season screenings and even live-to-picture concert performances.
“Documentary films have really come of age cinematically,” says composer Jeff Beal, who conducted his score for “The Biggest Little Farm” on Dec. 4 at Los Angeles’ Wiltern Theater,...
Fried, now 91, perhaps best-known for his Emmy-winning score for “Roots,” recalls his surprise at the nomination. He believes that his fresh use of the relatively new synthesizer sounds, along with more traditional orchestra, was probably the reason his colleagues noticed and approved.
No doc score before or since has been nominated. Yet music for documentaries is being taken more seriously than ever before, going by the number of award-season screenings and even live-to-picture concert performances.
“Documentary films have really come of age cinematically,” says composer Jeff Beal, who conducted his score for “The Biggest Little Farm” on Dec. 4 at Los Angeles’ Wiltern Theater,...
- 12/7/2019
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom producer Anant Singh has acquired rights to produce a limited series based on Roger Kahn’s best-selling classic sports novel, The Boys Of Summer. Discussions are underway to attach a writer and production partner.
The book, originally published in 1972, tells the story of the golden years of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Kahn chronicles the lives of the legendary line-up of Pee Wee Reese, Preacher Roe, Gil Hodges, Duke Snider, Billy Cox, Carl Furillo, Jackie Robinson and Ro Campanella in the years leading up to, and following, the team’s historic triumph against the New York Yankees in the 1955 World Series.
South Africa-based Singh says, “My friend, the late Wall Street financier, Ted Forstmann, who was passionate about the book, introduced me to the remarkable story of The Boys Of Summer. I knew nothing about baseball, but when I read the book, I immediately saw his vision for a film.
The book, originally published in 1972, tells the story of the golden years of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Kahn chronicles the lives of the legendary line-up of Pee Wee Reese, Preacher Roe, Gil Hodges, Duke Snider, Billy Cox, Carl Furillo, Jackie Robinson and Ro Campanella in the years leading up to, and following, the team’s historic triumph against the New York Yankees in the 1955 World Series.
South Africa-based Singh says, “My friend, the late Wall Street financier, Ted Forstmann, who was passionate about the book, introduced me to the remarkable story of The Boys Of Summer. I knew nothing about baseball, but when I read the book, I immediately saw his vision for a film.
- 10/30/2019
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Naomie Harris has been cast in the upcoming HBO-Sky Studios co-production “The Third Day.” In addition, Philippa Lowthorpe has boarded the series to direct the second half of the show’s six episodes.
In the first half of the series, titled “Summer” and directed by Marc Munden, Sam (Jude Law) is drawn to a mysterious island off the British coast where he encounters a group of islanders set on preserving their traditions at any cost. In the second half, “Winter,” Helen (Harris), a strong-willed outsider, comes to the island seeking answers, but her arrival precipitates a fractious battle to decide its fate.
Harris received an Academy Award and Golden Globe nomination for her supporting role in the 2016 film “Moonlight.” She is currently in production on the James Bond film “No Time to Die,” reprising the role of Eve Moneypenny for the third time. Her other recent film credits include “Mowgli,...
In the first half of the series, titled “Summer” and directed by Marc Munden, Sam (Jude Law) is drawn to a mysterious island off the British coast where he encounters a group of islanders set on preserving their traditions at any cost. In the second half, “Winter,” Helen (Harris), a strong-willed outsider, comes to the island seeking answers, but her arrival precipitates a fractious battle to decide its fate.
Harris received an Academy Award and Golden Globe nomination for her supporting role in the 2016 film “Moonlight.” She is currently in production on the James Bond film “No Time to Die,” reprising the role of Eve Moneypenny for the third time. Her other recent film credits include “Mowgli,...
- 8/28/2019
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
MTV and Sean “Diddy” Combs are reuniting to reboot the reality competition series “Making the Band.” The show is slated to premiere in 2020. Its return was prompted by a tweet Diddy recently posted suggesting it was time for a comeback.
Originally featuring the creation of early 2000s boy band O-Town, Diddy took over the franchise in 2002. The concept was true to the original: to put together a singing group via an audition process while simultaneously filming the finalists’ lives. The 2.0 version resulted in forming Danity Kane, Day26, Da Band and Donnie Klang.
Said Diddy: “MTV and I are back together again!! ‘Making the Band’ is coming back bigger, bolder and more cutting edge. Mtb on MTV was the pioneer of reality TV. We’re going to bring that supernatural energy back to the format and bring the world it’s next global superstars.”
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I’ve made my decision…...
Originally featuring the creation of early 2000s boy band O-Town, Diddy took over the franchise in 2002. The concept was true to the original: to put together a singing group via an audition process while simultaneously filming the finalists’ lives. The 2.0 version resulted in forming Danity Kane, Day26, Da Band and Donnie Klang.
Said Diddy: “MTV and I are back together again!! ‘Making the Band’ is coming back bigger, bolder and more cutting edge. Mtb on MTV was the pioneer of reality TV. We’re going to bring that supernatural energy back to the format and bring the world it’s next global superstars.”
View this post on Instagram
I’ve made my decision…...
- 7/15/2019
- by Variety Staff
- Variety Film + TV
In the age of peak TV, actors, writers, directors and producers, and subsequently their managers and agents, are open for business in any medium, and that new attitude shows in awards nominations, especially when it comes to the Golden Globe acting fields.
Amy Adams and Regina King scored nominations in both film and TV categories for the 2019 awards, while many actors who normally work in film are now being feted for their TV roles.
The Golden Globes voters are proving to be platform-agnostic now, a relatively new trend that seems to have begun in earnest in 2014 when small-screen stars such as Idris Elba, who had earned plaudits from the Globes for Brit series “Luther,” easily jumped into the big-screen awards mix with “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.” From there, Steve Carell (known and perennially Globe-nominated for his work on NBC’s “The Office”) cracked the golden ceiling and grabbed a...
Amy Adams and Regina King scored nominations in both film and TV categories for the 2019 awards, while many actors who normally work in film are now being feted for their TV roles.
The Golden Globes voters are proving to be platform-agnostic now, a relatively new trend that seems to have begun in earnest in 2014 when small-screen stars such as Idris Elba, who had earned plaudits from the Globes for Brit series “Luther,” easily jumped into the big-screen awards mix with “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.” From there, Steve Carell (known and perennially Globe-nominated for his work on NBC’s “The Office”) cracked the golden ceiling and grabbed a...
- 12/12/2018
- by Danielle Turchiano and Carole Horst
- Variety Film + TV
Author: Zehra Phelan
To celebrate the forthcoming UK premiere and release of Blood & Glory, we have to honour of exclusively launching the trailer for the film.
Written and directed by Sean Else (Platteland; ‘n Man Soos My Pa), Blood & Glory may be a fictional story but it takes its inspiration from events that unfolded during the Anglo-Boer war in South Africa in 1901.
The cast is made of both British and South African actors that include Charlotte Salt (Beowulf; The Tudors), Patrick Connolly (Inferno; Crushed), Nick Cornwall (Blood Loyal; Retribution) and Josh Myers (Rise of the Footsoldier III; The Sweeney) for the British contingent and Stian Bam (Veraaiers) who plays Morkel, Bok van Blerk (Platteland; Vrou Soek Boer) and acclaimed South African talent Grant Swanby (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom; Invictus; The Fall) fighting for the South African contingent.
Also in trailers – The first teaser for Mary Poppins Returns arrives!
Director...
To celebrate the forthcoming UK premiere and release of Blood & Glory, we have to honour of exclusively launching the trailer for the film.
Written and directed by Sean Else (Platteland; ‘n Man Soos My Pa), Blood & Glory may be a fictional story but it takes its inspiration from events that unfolded during the Anglo-Boer war in South Africa in 1901.
The cast is made of both British and South African actors that include Charlotte Salt (Beowulf; The Tudors), Patrick Connolly (Inferno; Crushed), Nick Cornwall (Blood Loyal; Retribution) and Josh Myers (Rise of the Footsoldier III; The Sweeney) for the British contingent and Stian Bam (Veraaiers) who plays Morkel, Bok van Blerk (Platteland; Vrou Soek Boer) and acclaimed South African talent Grant Swanby (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom; Invictus; The Fall) fighting for the South African contingent.
Also in trailers – The first teaser for Mary Poppins Returns arrives!
Director...
- 3/5/2018
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
“Remember Me” from “Coco” is the favorite to win the Best Original Song Oscar, but it needs to watch out for “This Is Me” from “The Greatest Showman” — not just because it’s a huge hit and NBC is using it as its Winter Olympics soundtrack, but because it’s the Golden Globe champ. Before you scream “The Globes and Oscars never pick the same song winner!”, know that they have agreed the past three years and their split choices are a relatively new phenomenon.
The Globes gave out its first song award to the title track from “Town Without Pity” (1961) — the Oscars went with “Moon River” from “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” — but didn’t start handing out the prize annually until three years later. The Globes and Oscars matched only once that decade, for “The Windmills of Your Mind” from “The Thomas Crown Affair” (1968).
See Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez...
The Globes gave out its first song award to the title track from “Town Without Pity” (1961) — the Oscars went with “Moon River” from “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” — but didn’t start handing out the prize annually until three years later. The Globes and Oscars matched only once that decade, for “The Windmills of Your Mind” from “The Thomas Crown Affair” (1968).
See Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez...
- 2/16/2018
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Hold onto your butts, for the Graboids are back with a vengeance.
Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell, the sixth installment in the cult horror-comedy series, has been pegged for a direct-to-video release on May 1st. And Universal and Entertainment Weekly have unearthed the first trailer to prove it.
Embedded above, this first-look promo is heavy on action and light on sound, as there appears to be no dialogue to speak of. EW’s post has since been pulled offline, so chances are the outlet will release a corrected version later in the day. We will, as always, update this post the moment a new trailer is available, but for now, let’s take a look at those cast members about to experience a cold day in Hell.
Front and center are Michael Gross and Jamie Kennedy, who reprise their roles as Burt Gummer and Travis Welker, respectively, while there...
Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell, the sixth installment in the cult horror-comedy series, has been pegged for a direct-to-video release on May 1st. And Universal and Entertainment Weekly have unearthed the first trailer to prove it.
Embedded above, this first-look promo is heavy on action and light on sound, as there appears to be no dialogue to speak of. EW’s post has since been pulled offline, so chances are the outlet will release a corrected version later in the day. We will, as always, update this post the moment a new trailer is available, but for now, let’s take a look at those cast members about to experience a cold day in Hell.
Front and center are Michael Gross and Jamie Kennedy, who reprise their roles as Burt Gummer and Travis Welker, respectively, while there...
- 2/6/2018
- by Michael Briers
- We Got This Covered
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