Film

Leslie Grace’s ‘Batgirl’ Film Axed At Warner Bros. Won’t Release Anywhere

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In a shocking turn of events, Warner Bros announced on Tuesday (August 2) the decision to shelve the release of the anticipated feature film adaptation of the DC Comics superhero Batgirl starring In The Height’s actress Leslie Grace. Greenlit in 2021, the company’s decision reveals the film will not receive a theatrical or streaming platform release as the new corporate regime at Warner Bros. Discovery pivot in a new direction. Batgirl was set to be Grace, 27, breakout role.

MORE: Gloria Estefan’s “Conga” Gets Update ft. Leslie Grace, Boi-1da & Meek Mill

Shortly after news of the axed film surfaced, Grace would take to social media to respond to the news and thank the fans for all of their support since it was announced she’d be starring in the title role in 2021.

“Querida familia! On the heels of the recent news about our movie ‘Batgirl,’ she wrote in a Instagram post with photos of her in the Batgirl costume on set. “I am proud of the love, hard work and intention all of our incredible cast and tireless crew put into this film over 7 months in Scotland. I feel blessed to have worked among absolute greats and forged relationships for a lifetime in the process! To every Batgirl fan – THANK YOU for the love and belief, allowing me to take on the cape and become, as Babs said best, “my own damn hero!” #Batgirl for life! 🦇”

Batgirl director, Adil El Arbi, would share his thoughts on the surprising cancellation of the film on Tuesday, stating, “We are saddened and shocked by the news. We still can’t believe it. As directors, it is critical that our work be shown to audiences, and while the film was far from finished, we wish that fans all over the world would have had the opportunity to see and embrace the final film themselves. Our amazing cast and crew did a tremendous job and worked so hard to bring Batgirl to life. We are forever grateful to have been part of that team. In any case, as huge fans of Batman since we were little kids, it was a privilege and an honour to have been part of the DCEU [DC Extended Universe], even if it was for a brief moment. Batgirl for life.”

MORE: Christian Bale Says He’d Consider Playing Batman Again, But Under One Condition

News of the film’s shelving was met with a wide variety of speculations such as Grace’s acting performance coming into question. However, Warner Bros Discovery quickly extinguished the rumor with a released statement praising the actress performance on the $90 million dollar production.

In a message released on Tuesday, Warner Bros said, “Leslie Grace is an incredibly talented actor and this decision is not a reflection of her performance.”

Fans of the actress and comic have begun a #SaveBatgirl social media campaign in hopes of the studio’s reconsideration of the film’s release.

More as the story develops.

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Marlon Wayans, Priah Ferguson, and Kelly Rowland Set to Star in ‘The Curse of Bridge Hollow’ for Netflix

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Marlon Wayans, Priah Ferguson, and Kelly Rowland are set to bring family scares to Netflix this Halloween with the new film The Curse of Bridge Hollow.

The new film is set for October 14 and will also star Rob Riggle, John Michael Higgins, Nia Vardalos, Lauren Lapkus, Holly J. Barret, and more.

In The Curse of Bridge Hollow, A father (Marlon Wayans) and his teenage daughter (Priah Ferguson) are forced to team up and save their town after an ancient and mischievous spirit causes Halloween decorations to come to life and wreak havoc.

You can see the first look photos for the film below.

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Irv Gotti Hires Actor De’Aundre Bonds For New Film ‘We Made It In America’

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Legendary actor De’Aundre Bonds was recently hired by music executive and producer Irv Gotti, for his new film, “Tales Presents: We Made It In America.” The two have linked up in Georgia for work. It was back in April of last year, when NY rapper 50 Cent and De’Aundre got into a social media bicker. 50 Cent stated “Every now and then I get a hater,” “note to self, never give this n!66a a job Fuck outta here.” Irv decided to not listen to 50 and give De’Aundre a chance.

Gotti’s new film,” We Made It In America” was produced and funded by himself. The film is to be released in January of 2023. Gotti’s team started working on the project earlier this week. Besides the new film, De’Aundre is getting himself prepared for Snowfall’s 6th season in which he will return to the screen as Skully. De’Aundre is also gathering up for his highly anticipated autobiography and cannabis line, Stacey OG, which is set to release later this year.

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Nicki Minaj Drops Trailer For Upcoming 6-Part Documentary Series

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Nicki Minaj is releasing a six-part documentary series about her life, Nicki.  The Grammy-nominated rapper dropped a surprise trailer late Thursday with the caption “coming soon.”  Minaj hit Twitter to tease the Barbz on the long awaited doc series. “Coming SOON!!!! The #NickiDocumentary you didn’t know you needed. Love you so much.”

In the trailer, Nicki Minaj talks about the struggles of fame and finding her way in a male-dominated field like rap.  Footage from concerts, Nicki’s home life, and behind the scenes clips of her at the studio will all be featured in the documentary.

In the series produced by the Canadian company Bron Studios, Minaj says, “Female rappers weren’t really charting at the time. I’m fighting for the girls who never thought they could win.”

READ MORE: [WATCH] Fans Chasing Nicki Minaj’s Van at London Meet & Greet is a True Superstar Moment

The news of her doc Nicki arrives a few weeks before the “Chun Li” rapper is scheduled to release a new episode of Queen Radio and a new single “Freaky Girl.” Her new music is scheduled to release on August 12, while Queen Radio airs August 11. 

Share your thoughts and comments with us on social media.

The post Nicki Minaj Drops Trailer For Upcoming 6-Part Documentary Series appeared first on The Source.

Nicki Minaj Reveals Trailer For Upcoming 6-Part Documentary Series

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Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj is releasing a six-part documentary series about her life, Nicki.  The Grammy-nominated rapper dropped a surprise trailer late Thursday with the caption “coming soon.”  Minaj hit Twitter to tease the Barbz on the long awaited doc series. “Coming SOON!!!! The #NickiDocumentary you didn’t know you needed. Love you so much.”

In the trailer, Nicki Minaj talks about the struggles of fame and finding her way in a male-dominated field like rap.  Footage from concerts, Nicki’s home life, and behind the scenes clips of her at the studio will all be featured in the documentary.

In the series produced by the Canadian company Bron Studios, Minaj says, “Female rappers weren’t really charting at the time. I’m fighting for the girls who never thought they could win.”

READ MORE: [WATCH] Fans Chasing Nicki Minaj’s Van at London Meet & Greet is a True Superstar Moment

The news of her doc Nicki arrives a few weeks before the “Chun Li” rapper is scheduled to release a new episode of Queen Radio and a new single “Freaky Girl.” Her new music is scheduled to release on August 12, while Queen Radio airs August 11. 

Share your thoughts and comments with us on social media.

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‘Creed’ Spinoff ‘Drago’ Reportedly In Works

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Michael B. Jordan Set to Make Directorial Debut With 'Creed 3'

With Creed III hitting theatres this November, MGM recently announced that a spinoff called Drago is in the works.

Variety reports that the spinoff of Creed, which is a spinoff of Rocky, revolves around Rocky IV and Creed II antagonist Ivan Drago, played by Dolph Lundgren. It was also reported that the film is being written by Robert Lawton.

“I’m incredibly humbled and grateful for this opportunity, and I’m approaching it as an enormous fan of the ‘Rocky’ franchise, who happens to be a screenwriter,” Lawton said in a statement to Variety.

According to the same article by Variety, Lawton landed the job of writing the upcoming film after he pitched his spec script “Becoming Rocky,” which revolved around the making of the first “Rocky” film to MGM executives. While they decided not to pick up the script, he impressed executives so much that they wanted him to build a backstory for Ivan Drago.

The next installment in the Creed franchise is set to release on November 23, 2022. This will be the first film in Both the Rocky and Creed franchises that will not feature Sylvester Stallone playing Rocky Balboa. A trailer for the movie has not come out but pictures of Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors, who is speculated to portray the son of Clubber Lang, leaked earlier this year.

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Tyler Perry to Release ‘A Jazzman’s Blues,’ the First Screenplay He Ever Wrote While Homeless in 1995

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Netflix and Tyler Perry have announced A Jazzman’s Blues, the new film will hit streaming services on September 23. Perry serves as the writer, director, and producer.

Speaking with PEOPLE, Perry reveals it’s the first screenplay he ever penned.

“I wrote it in 1995. It was the first screenplay I ever wrote,” Perry said. “The two characters are just trying to find their own way in the world. Initially, I wanted to play the lead role of Bayou, but that was 1995 — I aged out.”

He added, “I was in Atlanta struggling to make it. I was hungry, sleeping on my cousin’s couch, eventually getting put out and being homeless. I was trying to get my first play off the ground, and this screenplay just poured out of me. I held onto it for all of these years.”

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The film’s synopsis reads:

A sweeping tale of forbidden love, A JAZZMAN’S BLUES unspools forty years of secrets and lies soundtracked by juke joint blues in the deep South. Written, directed and produced by Academy Award honoree Tyler Perry, the film stars Joshua Boone and Solea Pfeiffer as star-crossed lovers Bayou and Leanne alongside an ensemble cast that includes Amirah Vann, Austin Scott, Milauna Jemai Jackson, Brent Antonello, Brad Benedict, Kario Marcel, Lana Young and Ryan Eggold. The film features an original song performed by Ruth B., songs arranged and produced by multi-Grammy winner & two-time Academy Award nominee Terence Blanchard, music by Aaron Zigman and choreography by Debbie Allen.

A trailer has not yet bee released.

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H.E.R. Cast As 1st Afro-Filipina To Play Belle In “Beauty And The Beast”

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The multi talented musician H.E.R. has been cast to play Belle in a Beauty and the Beast 30th anniversary special. The Disney special will include brand new musical performances with never-before-seen sets and costumes.  

The five-time Grammy winner said she was especially excited to portray a Black and Filipino princess in an official press release.

“I can’t believe I get to be a part of the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ legacy. The world will see a Black and Filipino Belle!” the 25-year-old R&B singer gushed. “I have always wanted to be a Disney princess, and I get to work with two wonderful directors Hamish Hamilton and my favorite, Jon M. Chu. It is very surreal and I couldn’t be more grateful.”

Executive producer Jon M. Chu added, “With her obvious extraordinary talent and stage presence, H.E.R. is the perfect embodiment of our Belle and we are thrilled for audiences to see her in this celebration of creativity.”

READ MORE: Mary J. Blige Releases “Good Morning Gorgeous” Remix Feat. H.E.R.

H.E.R.’s casting marks the first time an Afro-Filipina woman will play the role of Belle on screen. However it won’t be her last of her on the big screen as she is set to star in the 2023 Warner Bros. adaptation of The Color Purple.

The Beauty and the Beast 30th anniversary special will air on ABC Dec. 15 at 8 p.m. ET and  streams on Disney+ the following day.

Share your thoughts and comments with us on social media.

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Quality Control’s Film & TV Divison, Quality Films, Enters Partnership with Artists First

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Quality Films, a division of QC Media Holdings, a major player in the film and television industries, has teamed with Artists First, a production and talent management firm. The joint venture will concentrate on the development, funding, and production of culturally relevant film and television projects with budgets of $10 million and under.

In order to develop compelling narratives for the film and scripted television industries, the two firms will use their top talent clients, musicians, and brands. The projects that are picked for sale or development will be executive-created by both businesses.

Award-winning writers and directors like Jordan Peele, Kenya Barris, and Jon Chu, as well as top actors like Anthony Anderson, Awkwafina, Martin Lawrence, John Travolta, Niecy Nash, and Tracee Ellis Ross, are among the clients of the industry leader Artists First. The Lil Baby documentary UNTRAPPED, which sold to Amazon Prime and had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, was recently funded by Quality Films. In addition to pre-production work on the Trioscope film Takeover, which will begin filming in Atlanta next month and include QC rapper Quavo, the business is now producing The Impact for BET+ and EOne, which showcases Atlanta’s most significant young entrepreneurs and artists.

“We are beyond excited to align with Brian Dobbins and the stellar team at Artists First,” said Quality Films President Brian Sher. “Our two companies are very like-minded in philosophy and taste, and we know that together we will tell amazing, important and entertaining stories.”

“We are excited to announce our partnership with Artists First. With our combined roster and knowhow, we now have even more tools at our disposal to continue telling culturally-driven stories that make an actual impact at the ground level. This partnership is a no-brainer.”

– Kevin “Coach K” Lee COO Quality Control  

“I have a deep amount of respect and admiration for what QC has built and stands for, so the opportunity to join forces is thrilling.  The joint venture between Artists First and QC provides an opportunity to bring groundbreaking stories to the market and continue to define culture.”

– E. Brian Dobbins, co-President of Artists First

The Last O.G. on TBS, Awkwafina is Nora From Queens on Comedy Central, Black-ish, Mixed-ish, and Grown-ish on Freeform, as well as Hit & Run on Netflix are examples of Artists First projects. Netflix’s Flaked and ABC’s The Gong Show are recent productions. In the field of feature films, Artists First also worked on the production of Central Intelligence for New Line/Universal, Keanu for New Line, starring Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, and Like A Boss for Paramount, starring Tiffany Haddish. Key and Peele on Comedy Central, Married on FX, Running Wilde on Fox, Do Not Disturb on Fox, Reno 911! on Comedy Central, Players on Spike, Hollywood Residential on Starz, and Campus on Oxygen are some other recent creations. Additionally, Spyglass, Broken Road, and Propagate are partners with Artists First in Artists Road, which specializes on low-budget comedies.

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Mo’Nique Set to Film First Stand-Up Special for Netflix

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Mo’Nique is headed to Netflix. Mo’Nique, the Grammy-nominated, Oscar, and Golden Globe award-winning actor and comedian, will film her first Netflix original stand-up comedy special in Atlanta this year, the streaming service announced today.

“Hey y’all it’s your girl Mo’Nique and I’m excited to say that I’ll be shooting my first Netflix special; in addition to reuniting with my friend, Director Lee Daniels on the Netflix film ‘The Deliverance’,” MoNique said in a video. “You won’t want to miss either of them, so stay tuned! Thank you all and I love y’all to life!”

In addition to Mo’Nique, The Deliverance wills tar Andra Day, Glenn Close, Aunjanue Ellis, Caleb McLaughlin, Tasha Smith, Omar Epps, Demi Singleton, Miss Lawrence, and Anthony B. Jenkins. The film is the story of Ebony (Day), a mother who fights for her life, faith, and souls of her children after finding out her home is haunted by a demonic presence.

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