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.

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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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Daniel Kaluuya Will Not be in ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Due to Filming Conflict with ‘Nope’

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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be without a major star. According to Variety, Daniel Kaluuya will now be in the sequel to the Marvel film that is set to release in November.

Kaluuya was in the first film as W’Kabi, the friend of King T’Challa and leader of the Border Tribe.

Kaluuya was in plans to return to the film, but conflicts with the soon-to-be-released film Nope, directed by Jordan Peele, did not allow it.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will bring back Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, and Angela Bassett. Nope is set to open on July 22.

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[WATCH] Lil Baby Releases Trailer for New Documentary ‘Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby’

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Prime Video has officially released the trailer for Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby. The documentary will be available for worldwide streaming on August 26.

At the Tribeca Festival last month, the full-length documentary had its world premiere, which was followed by a performance by Lil Baby.

“I’m blessed to be able to tell my story and have people care to hear it,” said Dominique “Lil Baby” Jones. “This film is a real look into my journey, and if it inspires even one person to believe that they can get through hard stuff and dare to follow a dream, then it was worth every penny spent and hour worked. My story is many people’s story and I’m excited to share it.”

“This project has been in the works for several years now, during some of the most difficult times our country has faced,” said director Karam Gill. “I couldn’t be prouder of the entire filmmaking team and the continued collaboration between Quality Films and MGX Creative to create another meaningful project that sheds light on larger societal issues. Lil Baby is someone who truly defied the odds, and I hope his story can bring positivity into our world.”

“With this documentary we got to highlight the obstacles and all the deep work that had to happen to get to where Lil Baby is now,” said producer Pierre “P” Thomas. “This raw footage is a powerful way to see that, and to see the negatives that were turned to positives. People will be beyond inspired.”

“Baby, like so many in this country, went through so many obstacles that could have thrown him into many bad places in life. To watch him come through to such a positive side is essential for people to see,” said producer Kevin “Coach K” Lee. “This documentary has the ability to change lives if viewers can believe just like he did.”

The documentary’s synopsis reads Untrapped is:

An intimate look at the life of Grammy-winning rapper Dominique Armani Jones (aka Lil Baby), as he navigates his meteoric rise from the West Atlanta streets to the top of the Billboard charts with his roles as devoted father, son, community philanthropist, and powerful voice in the fight for racial justice. Told through previously unseen footage and set to a soundtrack of his biggest hits.

You can see the trailer below.

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Jamie Foxx and Snoop Dogg to Slay Vampires in New Netflix Film ‘Day Shift’

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Jamie Foxx and Snoop Dogg are ready to hunt vampires. Netflix has announced the new movie, Day Shift, which will arrive on the streaming service on Friday, August 12.

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In the new movie, Jamie Foxx stars as a hard-working blue-collar dad who just wants to provide a good life for his quick-witted daughter, but his mundane San Fernando Valley pool cleaning job is a front for his real source of income, hunting and killing vampires as part of an international Union of vampire hunters.

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Joining Foxx and Snoop will be Dave Franco, Karla Souza, Meagan Good, Natasha Liu, Oliver Masucci, Steve Howey, Scott Adkins, and Zion Broadnax.

Foxx, Datari Turner, Charles J.D. Schlissel, Peter Baxter, and Alex Young will be executive producers. JJ Perry is the director.

You can see the trailer for the film below.

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‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Tops Weekend Box Office, Earns $143M for Year’s Third-Biggest Opening

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The box office is alive, and Thor: Love and Thunder is here to prove it. The latest Marvel Cinematic Universe film is out and debuts with an impressive $143 million weekend.

The film starring Chris Hemsworth as the God of Asgard opened at 4,375 movie theaters across the country, topping the opening number of Thor: Ragnarok, which made a debut at $123 million.

According to Variety, the film is the third biggest opening of the year. Fellow MCU film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness holds the top spot with $185 million, and Jurassic World Dominion follows at $145 million.

Internationally, Love and Thunder opened with $159 million for a global total of $302 million.

Second place for the weekend went to Minions: The Rise of Gru at $45.5 million, while Top Gun: Maverick is at third with 15.5 million.

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Hollywood Legend James Caan Dies at 82

James Caan

“When it comes to the action, I’m as good as anybody, and don’t forget it,” James Caan’s famous Godfather character, Sonny Corleone said in what is one of the franchise’s many iconic lines. Caan, who passed away on Wednesday, made a living being part of Hollywood action for decades, usually playing a “tough guy,” but also showing a great deal of versatility and range throughout his long career.

Caan got his start in television in the early 1960s before moving into television in the early 1970s, where he received great critical acclaim for his roles as a dying football player in Brian’s Song and the iconic mob man The Godfather in 1971 and 1972 respectively, receiving Oscar and Emmy nominations for Brian’s Song and being part of the ensemble Godfather cast and crew that was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, winning three, including the award for best picture. Caan reprised his role in The Godfather II as well as the TV miniseries “The Godfather Saga.”

A former athlete, he also played Coach Sam Winters in 1993’s The Program, a film that grossed over $20 million at the box office and is widely regarded as one of football’s most iconic fictitious films. Caan played a famous author in Misery, a film by famous real-life author Stephen King. He continued to play a “tough guy” in Gardens of Stone, a film about a Vietnam vet guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. However, he also showed his comedic side in the Christmas holiday classic Elf, where played Will Ferrel’s reluctant father. He also voiced himself in animated appearances on Family Guy and The Simpsons.

Many celebrities took to social media to memorialize the late actor and express support for his family including Francis Ford Coppola, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Rob Reiner, Billy Dee Williams, Ethan Embry, Kathy Bates, Piers Morgan, Gary Sinise, and more.

No cause of death was immediately available.

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Vince Staples to Star in ‘The Wood’ Pilot for Showtime

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The 1999 classic film The Wood will be developed into a pilot for Showtime. Variety reports Vince Staples is set to star in the series.

Joining Staples in the cast are Xavier Mills, Karen Obilom, Melvin Gregg, and Essence Renae. The series will bring back Richard T. Jones and Tamala Jones for their roles of Slim and Tanya.

The pilot will be directed and executive produced by Rick Famuyiwa, who also wrote and directed the film. According to Showtime, The Wood will be an honest look at the friendship and dating from the perspective of three young Black males born and raised in the gentrifying L.A. suburb of Inglewood. The trio’s struggles to balance fatherhood, ambition, and loyalty force them to question if they are growing apart, or closer together.

In the show, Staples will be Jamal, an aspiring photographer from Ladera Heights who opts to skip out on college at Morehouse, leading to him being cut off by his upper-class family.

You can learn more about the pilot here.

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E.W. Brooks Scores Victory Over Damon Dash and Poppington As ‘Mafietta Photo Case’ Is Dismissed

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United States Federal Judge, the Honorable Jed Rakoff has dismissed the revenge lawsuit filed by Damon Dash’s girlfriend, Raquel Horn and Dash’s company, Poppingtion LLC. Dash and Horn were pursuing copyright infringement against author E.W. Brooks in the Southern District of New York.  

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After the victory Brooks stated, ““The frivolous attempt of Dash’s company and Ms. Horn’s  to hold Ms. Brooks liable for copyright infringement has been summarily rejected” said Christopher Brown of Brown & Rosen LLC. “To sue Ms. Brooks for using her own Mafietta movie imagery as her Mafietta book cover, was rather foolish.”

Dash is also accused of trying to edge Brooks out of her own project by doing what he wants with “Mafietta” without her input. The film is available for viewing on DameDashStudios.com without any credit to Brooks, and she says he didn’t get her permission to put the film on the site. He’s also cut off all communication with her, including blocking her on social media.

“Despite the actions of Damon Dash, I am proud to announce that “Mafietta 2” will be filming in Atlanta, Ga  from June 28-July 6, 2022. Claudia Jordan (Cocktails with Queens/Fox Soul, star of the film “Dear Frank”) and Willie Taylor  of Day 26 (and the “Chocolate City” movie franchise) will star in “Mafietta 2” and play the lead roles.  I will continue to make my dreams come.”

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