FOX Sports Films has announced the release of its new documentary BACK TO SCHOOL WITH GUS JOHNSON, a powerful one-hour special celebrating Gus Johnson, one of the most exciting and passionate voices in sports broadcasting, from past to present as he returns to Harvard University for a year-long prestigious fellowship program.
BACK TO SCHOOL WITH GUS JOHNSON, a FOX Sports and Coaches+ Media initiative, launches Saturday, Feb. 18 at 7:00 PM ET on FOX, ahead of a highly anticipated Michigan State vs. Michigan college basketball clash with Johnson on the call.
“FOX Sports is honored to shine a spotlight on Gus Johnson’s story from becoming one of the most iconic voices in all of sports to his truly inspirational new journey through academia,” said Charlie Dixon, Executive Vice President & Head of Content, FOX Sports. “Gus is a one-of-a-kind talent, and we couldn’t be more excited to give audiences a special look into his illustrious career and the impactful work he is doing at Harvard.”
BACK TO SCHOOL WITH GUS JOHNSON takes audiences on a journey through Johnson’s childhood in Detroit, studies at Howard University, the growth of his broadcasting career, and his recent return to academia at Harvard to uncover the man behind the microphone. The film peels back the layers on his life narrative, motivations for giving back to others, and future goals.
“I was nervous about letting people into my life, but I thought if I could show kids through my journey that education is cool, it was worth it,” said Johnson. “I think this is a really good story and hope that it inspires. I also hope fans enjoy watching some fantastic folks at a great school, and get new insights into sports as well as the pursuit of lifelong learning.”
Johnson was accepted into Harvard’s Advanced Leadership Initiative (ALI) in 2022, a new academic program designed to unlock the potential of seasoned leaders to address society’s most critical concerns. This once-in-a-lifetime chance allowed Johnson to rub shoulders with a varied set of global leaders while also allowing the fan favorite sports star to use his voice outside of the game to make change in the lives of others and have a profound societal impact.
The new series will feature Michigan head football coach Jim Harbaugh and more. Coaches+ Media produces BACK TO SCHOOL WITH GUS JOHNSON in collaboration with Rise and Fire and TeamWorks Media. Gus Johnson, Craig Robinson, and Jay Sharman serve as executive producers, as do Eric Shanks, Mark Silverman, Charlie Dixon, and Barry Nugent of FOX Sports. Chris Weber directs and produces the film.
T.I. has done a bit of everything in his storied career. In 2007, he found himself alongside Denzel Washington in the film classic American Gangster.
T.I. played the nephew of Washington’s character, Frank Lucas, who was ditching a promising baseball future aside to join the family drug business.
Appearing on Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay podcast, T.I. recalls the moment Washington coached him through a scene and helped him combat his nerves.
“As we’re rehearsing I’m pacing back and forth,” T.I. said. “And he said, ‘What’s up, n-gga, You nervous?’ I’m like, ‘Man, I’m just making sure I don’t mess it up.’
“He said, ‘Here man, listen. They could have had anybody in here doing what you’re doing right now. They could have anybody in the world, they could have called anybody right here to do what you’re doing.’”
Flash forward to today, T.I. is still in his acting bag. Hitting theaters this weekend, T.I. will star alongside Power’s Joseph Sikora in the psychological horror film, Fear.
This psychological horror film follows a group of friends who gather for that typical friends weekend getaway at a remote and historic hotel. Their celebration takes a terrifying quick and sudden turn as each one of the guests has to face their own worst fear one by one thanks to a powerful force inside the hotel. The trailer shows the group sharing their biggest fears—some of which we can all relate to.
The girls are going to Ghana. The ultimate friend group of Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Regina Hall, and Tiffany Haddish will reunite for a sequel to Girl Trip, this time sending the leading ladies to Ghana.
During Sundance Festival, Writer-director-producer Tracy Oliver pulled up on Variety Studio to talk about the second season of Harlem but let out an update on Girls Trip 2. Oliver stated she had a “definitive ‘Girls Trip 2’ update. That it’s officially happening. I can say that.”
Oliver would then add the film would be set in Ghana, and producer Will Packer may not be happy about the leak.
The original Girls Trip premiered in 2017 and grossed $140 million worldwide.
Iconic director and Morehouse alum Spike Lee partners with Gersh Agency to launch the HBCU Fellowship Program in Atlanta, Georgia. The partnership will create more opportunities for students at historically Black colleges and universities.
“It is with great honor, privilege, and excitement to announce the Spike Fellows in association with my partners The Gersh Agency and the AUCC,” Lee noted in an official statement. “From the jump, from the get-go, I knew when (not if) I opened a crack in the door, I was bringing as many Black and Brown folks with me in front and behind the camera.”
Lee, who has contributed timeless films representative of the Black community from Mo’ Betta Blues and School Daze to She’s Gotta Have It and Do The Right Thing, has teamed up with Gersh for the debut of the Spike Fellows Program, which was created to nurture the innovation of creative talent from four historically Black institutions within the Atlanta University Center Consortium (AUCC): Clark Atlanta University, Spelman College, Morehouse College, and The Morehouse School of Medicine.
The Spike Fellows Program will begin this month with five fellows selected by a panel including Lee, members of the AUCC community, and Gersh management. Led by Gersh’s Head of Culture, Jayson Council, the Spike Fellows Program will provide five graduating students from AUCC academic debt relief, industry mentorship, post-graduate internships, and full-time employment.
“I know firsthand the education one receives at a Historically Black College and University. I am who I am because of my grandmother (Zimmie Jackson) and my mother (Jacquelyn Shelton Lee) who both graduated from Spelman College. I am who I am because of my grandfather (Richard Jackson Shelton) and my father (William Lee) who both graduated from Morehouse. It’s on the campuses of Spelman and Morehouse where they met, fell in love, and got married. As my elders often told me, ‘Deeds not words.’
In November 2022, Lee and his wife, Tonya Lewis Lee, joined Spelman College President Dr. Helene Gayle to honor their family’s legacy with the renaming of the College’s Admissions Office in honor of Spike’s grandmother, Zimmie Reatha Shelton, and mother, Jacquelyn Shelton Lee, both of whom were Spelman College alumna from the Class of 1929 and Class of 1951, respectively.
Montana Tucker is here to use her platform for the greater good, and she’s just released her most vulnerable piece of art to date. On January 18th, the same date as her 30th birthday, she unveiled her new series titled How To: Never Forget, with a mission to educate the masses on the Holocaust and how detrimental it was to humanity.
With both her grandparents being Holocaust survivors, Tucker takes viewers with her as she travels to Poland for the first time to learn about her family’s history and the horrific reality of how the Jews were treated. The name How To: Never Forget derives from her grandparents’ mission to always “NEVER FORGET and “NEVER AGAIN.”
Tucker’s mission? To end hate for ALL people.
For those who may not be familiar, Tucker is an Award-winning singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, social media personality, and philanthropist who’s here to empower from every angle. Having entered the entertainment industry at age eight, her breakout moment arrived as she took home the trophy at the World Hip Hop Championships, competing against dancers from all over the globe. To date, she’s backup danced for Ashanti, Remy Ma, and Ashlee Simpson.
Tucker is currently signed to Pitbull’s Mr. 305 record label as a recording artist. She’s had the pleasure of opening up for legendary acts such as Lil Wayne and Ciara, and her collaborative single “Turn it Up” featuring Flo Rida remains a fan favorite.
Boasting 2.8 million followers on Instagram and 8.8 million followers on TikTok, Tucker is usually known for her fun, happy dance videos, dancing in the middle of the road on Hollywood Blvd., or something crazy. However, her own experiences online as a Jewish person has been met with much hate and backlash, ironically arriving amidst the recent rise of anti-Semitism.
We were all shocked when Kanye West publicly professed his love for Adolf Hitler. NBA player Kyrie Irving was even suspended for supporting a documentary containing anti-Semitism remarks (he has since apologized).
Just one day prior, Youtube hosted an exclusive screening of How To: Never Forget at the Youtube offices in Los Angeles, paired with a Q&A with Montana Tucker.
“I didn’t know what the impact was by posting it,” Tucker shares. “I had no idea what it was going to do. I’ve had people unfollow me for posting that I’m Jewish before. I posted lighthearted pictures of my grandparents and I’ve had literally thousands of unfollows and people saying, ‘Of course, you’re making this about you, you Jew.’ Or ‘the Holocaust never existed.’ So I didn’t know what to expect.”
One thing to note is this film has been in production for over a year and was certainly not planned with the recent turn of events.
“The anti-semitism has always been here, but this is before the recent public rise in anti-semitism we decided to do this,” Montana explains. “It was basically a year of planning to go on this trip. We went back to Poland in June, and we had no script. I don’t know if any of you in the audience have seen Holocaust documentaries, you’ve heard the stories, you hear them from survivors, but nothing can prepare you for that moment of physically going there and being there.”
How To: Never Forget is broken into ten parts, with each clip only a few minutes long. With Tucker’s primary audience being Gen Z, she intentionally created bite-size pieces of content for her viewers to connect and resonate with, given the emotional heaviness of the subject matter.
The video begins with a photo of Tucker alongside her grandparents and a staggering statistic: “During the Holocaust, the Nazis and their collaborators executed the largest genocide in history, killing more than 6 million Jews during World War 2.”
“Both my grandparents are Holocaust survivors, and anyone that knows me knows I’ve always been extremely attached to my grandparents,” Tucker states. “Obsessed with them. I wear my grandpa’s jewelry; this is his ring. This is his bracelet, his jewelry I never take off. My grandpa Zadie is always with me. He passed away three years ago at 97, and my grandma is still alive at 94 with Alzheimer’s for a little over 14 years.”
Tucker also admitted this was “the hardest trip of her life, but the most important thing she’s ever done.” How To: Never Forget is solely for Youtube, releasing one episode a day leading up to Holocaust Remembrance Day at the end of this month.
Montana closes, “This is an extremely, extremely important series and I really thank you all for being here. This series is not only what happened to the Jewish people, this is something that is really resonating with all ethnicities, all religions, all people of different sexual preferences. Something I always stand for is no hate for any human being. You judge a person if they’re a good person or a bad person, not because of the color of their skin, their ethnicity, their race, their sexual preference.”
And while the series focuses on Tucker’s family history, her intent is for everyone to come together and unite for peace. Tucker has been actively speaking her truth at various public schools and will continue to stand for what’s right.
How To: Never Forget costars her mother, Michelle Tucker, who was also in the front row for the screening. She also greatly thanks Tiffany Matloob, Global Head of Creator Community for YouTube Shorts, for making this collaboration happen.
Well, it looks like the long-awaited Michael Jackson biopic is one step closer to becoming a reality.
According to Deadline, Lionsgate has tapped Antoine Fuqua to direct the heavily anticipated biopic. The upcoming film entitled Michael, WAS written by Gladiator, The Aviator, Hugo writer John Logan and produced by Bohemian Rhapsody producer Graham King.
Antoine Fuqua is set to direct a Michael Jackson biopic for Lionsgate.
Fuqua made a statement to Deadline where he talked about the impact Michael Jackson had on him and how it will translate in the film.
“The first films of my career were music videos, and I still feel that combining film and music are a deep part of who I am,” he told the publication. “For me, there is no artist with the power, the charisma, and the sheer musical genius of Michael Jackson. I was influenced to make music videos by watching his work – the first Black artist to play in heavy rotation on MTV. His music and those images are part of my worldview, and the chance to tell his story on the screen alongside his music was irresistible.”
According to Lionsgate, Michael will “explore all aspects of Michael’s life, including his most iconic performances that led him to become the greatest entertainer of all time.” The movie is still in its development stages, and a cast has not been announced yet. However, the studio did say that production will begin sometime this year.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will get released in China after the nation has lifted a ban on Marvel Movies. Citizens of China will also get to see Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania once it releases next month.
According to Variety, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will hit theaters in China on Feb. 7, with the latest edition of Ant-Man coming to theaters on Feb. 17, the same day as it opens worldwide. The films will be the first Marvel features to show in the nation since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame and the first installment of the post-Blip world in Spider-Man: Far From Home. Endgame made $632 million in China alone.
Marvel films are not the only Disney products that have been soft-banned in the nation. An actual reason as to why has not been revealed but is likely in response to increased tensions between China and the United States.
You can see the trailer for Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania below.
Nia Long defines black excellence, and she continues to flourish on and off the big screen. Her newest movie, MISSING, sees herself co-starring alongside 19-year-old Storm Reid in a mystery thriller that will have viewers hanging onto the edge of their seats.
As the follow-up to 2018’s Searching, Missing tells the story of a mom named Grace Allen (played by Nia Long), who goes missing after traveling to Columbia with her boyfriend. Long’s daughter in the film, June, is played by Storm Reid, who’s willing to do whatever it takes to locate her mom. This includes using the power of technology and social media to hack into their emails and personal accounts in an attempt to retrace her mother’s footsteps.
The Source was present for the exclusive red carpet premiere and screening for MISSING, which took place at Alamo Drafthouse in downtown Los Angeles. The evening kicked off on a high note as Storm Reid stepped onto the carpet holding hands with Shedeur Sanders, son of University of Colorado’s head coach and former NFL player Deion Sanders. This was the first time the couple had gone public with their relationship.
Nia Long made her grand entrance shortly after, sporting a stunning green sequined dress paired with gold heels. The long-time actress was nothing but smiles and good spirits, even revealing to another outlet that she’d been dating. This was refreshing to hear, especially given the troubling news the month prior when her husband, Ime Udoka, was suspended as head coach of the Boston Celtic after an affair with a staff member. The two share a son named Kez.
Speaking with The Source, Long agreed with Storm Reid, who stated her best memory on set filming MISSED was chatting with Long about boys.
“Oy my gosh, we talked about boys the whole time,” Long states with a laugh. “That’s all we did, is talk about boys. And I heard she has a new boy; I’m excited. He’s cute! I’m like, okay, I taught her well.”
Additionally, The Source asked Long who her top five artists are of all time.
“Ooh, don’t do this to me. Anything Tribe Called Quest. Anything Nas. Anything Latifah, I gotta give a shout-out to my female rappers. Who else? Heavy D. That’s my guy; I miss him so much.”
Tyler Perry’s upcoming film “Six Triple Eight” has queued an all-star cast, led by Kerry Washington and Oprah Winfrey. The period piece about the only all-Black, all-women World War II battalion will be released on Netflix.
The spectacular cast starring alongside Washington and Winfrey include, Ebony Obsidian, Milauna Jackson, Kylie Jefferson, Shanice Shantay, Sarah Jeffery, Pepi Sonuga, Jay Reeves, Jeanté Godlock, Moriah Brown, Baadja-Lyne Odums and Gregg Sulkin, along with Dean Norris, Sam Waterston and Susan Sarandon.
Washington is set to executive produce the film alongside director and producer Tyler Perry. Perry was inspired to write the screenplay from an article by Kevin M. Hymel published in WWII History Magazine by Sovereign Media. Additionally, the project is produced by Perry; Nicole Avant for Her Excellency Productions; Keri Selig for Intuition Productions; Carlota Espinosa; Angi Bones and Tony Strickland for Tyler Perry Studios. Mandalay Pictures’ Peter Guber executive produces the project alongside Washington.
The story of the 6888th Postal Directory Battalion, consisting of 855 Black women, has been withdrawn from text books for nearly 75 years, concealing an incredible story of great importance. When these women joined the war effort, they were given the arduous task of sorting through, fixing and delivering the three-year backlog of mail.
The film’s synopsis reads, “Facing discrimination, unfamiliar land, and a war-torn country, they persevered and sorted over 17 million pieces of mail, reconnecting American soldiers with their families and loved ones back home. The motto that kept them going each day was one they created themselves: ‘No Mail, Low Morale.’ The women of the 6888 weren’t just delivering mail, they were delivering hope.”
President Joe Biden signed the bill for the women to receive the Congressional Gold Medal, Congress’ highest honor on March 14th, 2022.
“Six Triple Eight” marks Tyler Perry’s fourth film directed for Netflix. Previous releases include, “A Fall From Grace,” “A Madea Homecoming” and “A Jazzman’s Blues.” The film’s release was officially announced in December and teased to Variety in August 2022. Perry said, “ the film will feature “some incredible people that were overlooked for years.” Production for the film officially began earlier this week.
Directorial debut of actor/director Mo McRae (The Flight Attendant, Sons of Anarchy)
Executive produced by two-time Emmy and Golden Globe nominee David Oyelowo(The Water Man)
The suspenseful satirical thriller stars Y’Ian Noel (Insecure),Cleopatra Coleman(The Last Man on Earth),Lex Scott Davis(Rebel) Shamier Anderson(Invasion) &Justin Hartley(This Is Us)
James (Noel) and Vanessa (Coleman) seem to be the perfect couple – happily married, successful, and comfortable. One night, their lives are rocked to the core when, after watching a tragedy play out on the evening news, they realize their neighbor (Hartley) was involved. In a state of shock, and with opposing viewpoints on how to address the issue, they embark on a highly combustible journey to ‘do something’ about it.
Wildly entertaining, humorous, and often absurd, A LOT OF NOTHING acts as a funhouse mirror to reflect the best and worst of humanity – and how our experiences of race, class, family, fear, love, and happiness drive our choices today. Mo McRae dazzles in his feature directorial debut, with a keen visual eye and a fresh, compelling voice. With A LOT OF NOTHING, he offers a pointed take on the micro and macro dynamics at play in many of our lives, tackling them with nuance, finesse, and wit.
