Nov. 30, 1982, marks the anniversary of the undisputed King of Pop’s monumental album Thriller. So it is no surprise that Thriller 40, a documentary that profiles and illuminates MJ’s artistic accomplishments added to an uptick in his streaming stats.
Thriller 40, which premiered on Dec. 2nd on Showtime, takes a deep dive into his music and massive influence on the industry at large and not as much into the complications of who Michael Jackson was as a person.
Thriller was easily one of Michael Jackson’s most impactful album projects ever released.
Produced by legendary music producer Quincy Jones, it is considered a culture-shifting body of work, created by Jones and MJ.
Fast forward to now and just last week, three of Jackson’s albums eased into top spots on Billboard’s Top R&B Albums chart. Keep in mind the coveted chart only allows for 25 slots. As expected with the marketing of the documentary and other publicized fanfare, Thriller took a peaked at No. 6 for the week ending on Dec. 2, according to Luminate.
It looks like Thriller is still a masterpiece, and now experiencing the story behind the art is renewing all the excitement for one of Michael Jackson’s greatest achievements.
Netflix released the first trailer for Griselda, the highly anticipated crime series based on the notorious drug kingpin. Sofía Vergara stars in the lead role as Griselda. Vergara will also serve as series executive producer.
Alongside Vergara, the cast includes Alberto Guerra, Christian Tappan, Martín Rodríguez, Juliana Aidén Martinez, and Vanessa Ferlito. Directing duties for all episodes are being helmed by Andrés Baiz (The Hidden Face). The series was created by Eric Newman, Doug Miro, Ingrid Escajeda, and Carlo Bernard. Escajeda and Miro are the series’ showrunners.
The trailer shows Carolina Giraldo, professionally known as reggaeton star and pop artist Karol G, who hails from Colombia. Karol G will play Carla’s character as this huge role marks her acting debut. Carla, is a close friend and confidant of Griselda, who arrives in Miami from Medellín, Colombia, with other sex workers. She will play a vital role in the Netflix series.
Netflix dropped the official series description: GRISELDA is inspired by the life of the savvy and ambitious Griselda Blanco, who created one of the most profitable cartels in history. In 1970s-80s Miami, Blanco’s lethal blend of unsuspected savagery and charm helped her expertly navigate between business and family, leading her to become widely known as “the Godmother.”
We can expect the series to premiere on Jan. 25, 2024.
Netflix is set to premiere a groundbreakaing documentary, Kevin Hart & Chris Rock: Headliners Only, on Dec. 12th. In this unprecedented film, comedy legends Kevin Hart and Chris Rock take viewers behind the scenes, offering an intimate look at their lives, early struggles, triumphs, and enduring brotherhood.
Directed by Rashidi Harper and produced by Hartbeat, CR Enterprises, and The 51B, the documentary promises exclusive insights into the two comedic titans’ dynamic careers and personal journeys. With firsthand accounts from Hart and Rock, Headliners Only is a rare opportunity for fans to witness the shared experiences that have shaped these iconic entertainers.
Executive-produced by Thai Randolph, Jeff Clanagan, Mike Stein, Dave Becky, and Kevin Healey, the documentary is poised to be a must-watch for comedy enthusiasts and those intrigued by the fascinating stories behind the laughter.
If you’re not in the holiday spirit, check out these exclusive character posters from Prime Video’s Candy Cane Lane, starring none other than Eddie Murphy and Tracee Ellis Ross.
The posters give a glimpse of the movie’s stars in addition to Murphy and Ellis Ross, there’s Thaddeus J. Mixson, Genneya Walton and Madison Thomas.
As reported by Blavity, Candy Cane Lane stars Murphy back into his familiar comedy swagger as a happy go lucky dad whose grandest life dream is to make sure his house is the best-decorated home in his community. After his deal with the devil, ironically an elf played by Jillian Bell, places his family and entire neighborhood in a state of chaos.
Check out the official Prime Video description:
Eddie Murphy stars in this holiday comedy adventure about a man on a mission to win his neighborhood’s annual Christmas home decoration contest. After Chris (Eddie Murphy) inadvertently makes a deal with a mischievous elf named Pepper (Jillian Bell) to better his chances of winning, she casts a magic spell that brings the 12 Days of Christmas to life, and wreaks havoc on the whole town. At the risk of ruining the holidays for his family, Chris, his wife Carol (Tracee Ellis Ross), and their three children must race against the clock to break Pepper’s spell, battle deviously magical characters, and save Christmas for everyone.
Candy Cane Lane also stars Robin Thede, Chris Redd, Ken Marino, Nick Offerman, Anjelah Johnson-Reyes, Lombardo Boyar, D.C. Young Fly, Danielle Pinnock, Timothy Simons, Riki Lindhome and Stephen Tobolwsky.
The backstory on the development of the film is based on screenwriter Kelly Younger’s life memories of the realCandy Cane Lane in El Segundo, CA a town near LAX in Los Angeles County. Directed by Reginald Hudlin and produced by Brian Grazer, the film reunites the filmmaker team behind Boomerang, Murphy’s hit ’90s comedy. Murphy, Karen Lunder and Charisse Hewitt-Webster, also serve as producers while Doug Merrifield will executive produce.
Candy Cane Lane premieres on Dec 1, exclusively on Prime Video.
TriStar Pictures and Legendary Pictures have released the latest trailer for The Book of Clarence. The film is written and directed by Jeymes Samuel and tells the story of Clarence, a streetwise but down-on-his-luck individual, striving to secure a better life for his family while grappling to free himself from debt.
The synopsis reads:
From visionary filmmaker Jeymes Samuel, The Book of Clarence is a bold new take on the timeless Hollywood era Biblical epic. Streetwise but struggling, Clarence (LaKeith Stanfield) is trying to find a better life for himself and his family, make himself worthy to the woman he loves, and prove that he’s not a nobody. Captivated by the power and glory of the rising Messiah and His apostles, he risks everything to carve his own path to a divine life, a journey through which he finds redemption and faith, power and knowledge. The Book of Clarence Official Soundtrack features new music by Jeymes Samuel, JAY-Z, Lil Wayne, Kid Cudi and more.
The film stars LaKeith Stanfield, Omar Sy, Anna Diop, RJ Cyler, David Oyelowo, Michael Ward, Alfre Woodard, Teyana Taylor, Caleb McLaughlin, Eric Kofi-Abrefa, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, with James McAvoy and Benedict Cumberbatch. The film is produced by Jeymes Samuel, Shawn Carter, James Lassiter, and Tendo Nagenda. Garrett Grant is the executive producer.
From Variety, Michael B. Jordan is returning to the director’s chair. Hollywood producer Irwin Winkler,of famed “Rocky” and successful “Creed” franchises, recently revealed the fourth film is in development with Jordan poised to direct in this latest spinoff of the iconic “Rocky” film series.
Jordan’s first shot at directing was for “Creed III,” where he returned in his role leading role as heavyweight champion, Adonis Creed. Jonathan Majors starred opposite Jordan as Damian Anderson, the antagonist who faced off against Creed in the ring. “Creed III,” hit theaters in March, and landed with a knockout punch, setting an opening weekend record for the franchise with a strong debut of $58 million. Notably, the first three movies of the franchise combined for over $663 million worldwide.
In the first two “Creed” films, Sylvester Stallone starred alongside Jordan as Rocky Balboa, mentoring Adonis, the son of his former rival turned best friend Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers). “Creed 3” was the first installment in the series sans Stallone.
Variety reported in March Jordan and Amazon were in talks for both a film and television series expanding the “Creed” universe. Although details were not known, sources indicated that Prime Video may be a home to the franchise after Amazon’s acquisition of MGM.
Deadline first reported the news of “Creed 4,” with a clip on X (formerly Twitter) of Winkler announcing the film.
Winkler said “We’re planning to do ‘Creed 4’ right now — it’s in the works — and we think we have a really good story, a really good plot because of the strike, like everybody else,”
“Probably a year from now we’re going for pre-production.”
At Deadline’s Contenders Film: Los Angeles event, Winkler further mentioned the undeniable success of the “Rocky” franchise, which opened the door wide open for the “Creed” spinoff.
“Michael and the creative team had the beautiful vision from the start to create a wholly new and different experience for this movie,” Winkler said. “It had to be firmly cemented in what we all [know] the ‘Creed’ and ‘Rocky’ movies for… it had to have great action, boxing, but we also really examined what kind of movie we were making.”
He went on to add “And a lot of that, those early days with Michael were spent crafting how we were looking at the Damian character, which is why I think everyone responded to the depth, not only on the page, but also on the screen. You spend half the movie having deep sympathy for him and understanding his vulnerability.”
Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell, the comedic duo known for their iconic Nickelodeon roles, are set to reprise their famous burger-flipping characters in the long-awaited Good Burger sequel, releasing this Wednesday. The pair, who first met as teenagers on All That in 1994 and later starred in Kenan & Kel and Good Burger, drifted apart as adults. Now, 26 years later, they are excited to bring back the beloved characters that became a cultural phenomenon.
The journey of Thompson and Mitchell is not just a cinematic reunion but a testament to enduring friendship. Despite the challenges of adulthood, their brotherhood remains a cornerstone, ensuring the Good Burger sequel is not only a comedic delight but also a celebration of a friendship that has stood the test of time.
“It was just kind of seeking an individual establishment because we were children when we met and then we grew into adults,” Thompson tells PEOPLE about strained friendship. “We had yet to kind of discover what our adult life was like without work being involved.”
Good Burger 2’s Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell Open Up About ‘Brotherhood’ After Drifting Apart (Exclusive) https://t.co/VsYQ8xmQp6
Recently, Kel Mitchell has been thanking his fans and friends for prayers after an unspecified illness. The message comes ahead of reprising the role of Ed in Good Burgers 2.
Hitting Instagram, Mitchell wrote: “Grateful for the flood of prayers and positive vibes that surrounded me during a genuinely frightening time. That scare was real, but so was the support. With the grace of God and the skill of the medical team, I’m now on the road to recovery at home, embraced by the love of my family. Your kindness has been a lifeline, and I can’t thank you enough. Much love to each of you. .”
The official trailer for Good Burger 2 is now available. Set for premiere on Paramount+, the sequel shows Ed (Kel Mitchell) and Dexter (Kenan Thompson) battling against a corporate giant who is looking to replace the staff members of the iconic franchise with robots. Joining Mitchell and Thompson in the series is Lil Rel Howery in the film that hits online today (Nov. 22).
The film’s logline reads:
Dexter Reed (Thompson) is down on his luck after another one of his inventions fails. Ed (Mitchell) welcomes Dex back to Good Burger with open arms and gives him his old job back. With a new crew working at Good Burger, Dex devises a plan to get back on his feet but unfortunately puts the fate of Good Burger at risk once again.
“I can’t believe it’s been a little over 25 years since great customer service was born at Good Burger!” Thompson said in a statement. “Being a part of something so many generations of people have come to love has made me so proud and now to be back where it all began working on the sequel is surreal! Love performing with my brother Kel and can’t wait to show the fans what these characters have been up to since we last saw them.”
Mitchell added, “Ed is one of those timeless characters that has brought so much joy and laughter to fans, and it’s such a beautiful blessing to still be doing it after all these years. It’s super awesome to come back and continue the stories of Dex, Ed and Good Burger for both the people who grew up watching and their kids.”
“We’re thrilled to take audiences’ orders for more laughter and adventures with the ‘Good Burger’ crew,” said Tanya Giles, chief programming officer of Paramount Streaming to Variety. “‘Good Burger 2’ will be a great addition to our 2023 programming slate and is sure to serve up everything ‘All That’ fans and new viewers alike will enjoy.”
Also set to star in the film are Lil Rel Howery, Jillian Bell, Kamaia Fairburn, Alex R. Hibbert, Fabrizio Guido, Elizabeth Hinkler, Emily Hinkler, and Anabel Graetz. Returning will be Josh Server, Lori Beth Denberg and Carmen Electra.
Ludacris is getting ready to get back to the music. Speaking with BET, Ludacris is eyeing a formal release for 2024, at the minimum it will be an EP.
“Some music projects will be coming out next year. I don’t wanna fake, I don’t wanna stutter-step,” Ludacris said. “It’s definitely some music coming next year, but I don’t know if it’s like an EP or an LP. We’re going to figure it out.”
Why now? Ludacris says it comes as a product of living life.
“So it was just taking a step back and getting hungry again, living some life. ‘Cause when you put out music, in order for it to be organic and real, you gotta talk about what goes on in your life,” Ludacris said. “So if I had like nine consistent albums, sometimes you gotta take a step back and live some life so that you have a lot more to talk about and that’s what I was doing.
Currently, Ludacris is starring in Dashing Through the Snow. Starring Lil Rel Howery, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, and Teyonah Parris, this heartwarming tale will have you believing in the magic of Christmas.
The story revolves around Eddie Garrick, played by Ludacris, a well-intentioned man who has long abandoned the holiday spirit due to a traumatic past. At the urging of his estranged wife, Allison Garrick (Teyonah Parris), Eddie reluctantly takes his 9-year-old daughter Charlotte (Madison Skye Validum) to work with him on Christmas Eve. Little do they know that this fateful night will forever change their lives.
Their chance encounter with a mysterious man in a red suit named Nick (Lil Rel Howery) sets off a chain of events that leads to a magical adventure. Eddie, a social worker by profession, initially believes Nick is delusional and in need of professional help. However, as their journey unfolds, the true meaning of Christmas is revealed, helping Eddie rediscover the joy and wonder of the holiday season.
Directed by Tim Story and written by Scott Rosenberg, “Dashing Through the Snow” promises to be a heartwarming and hilarious addition to your holiday watchlist. Don’t miss the chance to experience this enchanting tale, which also features a stellar supporting cast including Mary Lynn Rajskub, Ravi V. Patel, Gina Brillon, Kevin Connolly, and Zulay Henao.
Mark your calendars for Nov.17, 2023, as “Dashing Through the Snow” makes its exclusive debut on Disney+. Plus, until Sept. 20, new and returning subscribers can enjoy Disney+ Basic (with ads) for just $1.99 per month for three months by visiting www.disneyplus.com. Get ready to dash into the holiday season with laughter and heartwarming moments!
Iconic actor Denzel Washington is set to headline an upcoming film directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by John Logan. The untitled project, produced by Fuqua, Washington, Erik Olsen, and Adam Goldworm, explores the life of Hannibal, a renowned military commander, in key battles against the Roman Republic during the Second Punic War.
Executive producers include Jeremy Lott and Frank Moll. This historical epic marks a significant collaboration under Fuqua’s production company Hill District Media’s first-look deal with Netflix. The film promises a gripping portrayal of Hannibal’s extraordinary journey and is poised to join Netflix’s roster of compelling original content.
Famed actor and star of the award winning movie Hustle & Flow recently revealed in a recent interview that he only made $12,000 for his starring role in the pimp-centered flick and the financial struggles faced during the making and promotion of one of the biggest films in his career.
The 2005 movie in which Howard played “DJay”, a hard nosed, dirty south pimp with a penchant for rapping, didn’t yield the success for Howard that was received by the film itself, with his low salary coupled by the fact that Paramount Pictures took the award winning actor’s performance loyalties.
Howard also spoke of his desire to remove the middlemen, such as agents, managers, and unions, who he believes have not adequately supported actors. According to Howard, the unions, particularly the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), have done very little to help actors, despite claiming to be advocates for their rights.
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