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The Weeknd’s ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ Film With Jenna Ortega And Barry Keoghan Gets Worldwide Distribution From Lionsgate

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The Weeknd Cannes 2023
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The Weeknd’s album Hurry Up Tomorrow is coming to theaters as a thriller film. According to Deadline, the film version will be Abel’s feature-starring debut (he previously appeared as himself in the Safdie brothers’ 2019 crime thriller Uncut Gems) and will also star thriller vets Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan. The director, Trey Edward Shults, is best known for his 2017 horror film It Comes at Night and the 2019 drama Waves. The film will be distributed by Lionsgate, which has signed on as the worldwide theatrical distributor.

So far, there are few details about the film’s story, but judging from the videos already released from the album, including “Dancing In The Flames,” “Timeless” featuring Playboi Carti, and “São Paulo” with Brazilian star Anitta, you can bet it’ll have an eye-popping, mind-bending psychological edge.

Abel flashed leading-man potential in his debut starring role in the HBO series The Idol, but hopefully, Hurry Up Tomorrow will manage to avoid repeating the mistakes of that troubled production, which led to lukewarm critical reception and an early cancelation. At the very least, we know it’ll have a great soundtrack, with Abel putting the promotion for the apparent soundtrack in the lead this time around. While neither the album nor the film have announced release dates yet, the sheer amount of music that has already been suggests that neither can be very far off.

50 Cent’s $1 Billion ‘Power’ Lawsuit Has Reportedly Been Dismissed By A Judge

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50 Cent’s reputation as hip-hop’s Teflon Don in the courtroom lives on. While the musician-turned-mogul is supposedly involved in several ongoing cases (allegedly including a defamation lawsuit against his youngest son’s mother), the weight from one massive legal matter has reportedly been removed from his back.

According to AllHipHop, the “In Da Club” rapper $1 billion lawsuit surrounding his hit television show, Power, has been dismissed.

In the report, the outlet claimed that the preceding judge declared the similarities of the show’s characters and plot, Cory “Ghost” Holland argued were from his life, did not amount to anything beyond “mere coincidences.”

Yesterday (August 3), 50 Cent wasted no time boasting about the victory in court. On Instagram, 50 Cent posted a screenshot of HotNewHipHop‘s coverage captioned: “Fool thought he was GHOST 😆 da f*ck wrong with these n****s man 🤨 LOL.”

50 Cent wasn’t the only party named in the lawsuit, originally filled in 2021. Power‘s co-creator Courtney Kemp, the Starz network, and Lionsgate were also named in the case. Although the likeness lawsuit has seemingly been dismissed, 50 Cent isn’t done fighting with Cory “Ghost” Holland in court.

Holland has also filed a $300 million lawsuit where he accused 50 Cent of intentionally inflicted emotional distress upon him and allegedly attempting to have him physically assaulted. Holland also claimed Lionsgate Entertainment didn’t make any effort to stop the harassment. This case is still pending.

Media Mogul 50 Cent Is Getting His Own TV Channel As He Inks A New Deal With Lionsgate

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50 Cent’s vow to get rich and die trying continues to pay off. The “I Get Money” rapper turned television mogul is padding his resume yet again.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, 50 Cent, by way of G-Unit Film And Television and G-Unit Studios, has signed a deal with Lionsgate to catapult its latest network.

The free channel, 50 Cent Action, is said to be an ad-supported offering of the company’s already plentiful film catalog including The Expendables, The Hitman’s Bodyguard, and Rambo. But if you’re a fan of 50 Cent’s television or film work in front of or behind the camera, you’re in luck. More than a dozen films in which he starred as well as the original Power series will be made available on the network.

In a statement, Jim Packer, Lionsgate’s president of worldwide television distribution, shared his excitement about the venture. “50 Cent’s movies and television series are synonymous with non-stop action,” he said. “And we’re thrilled to extend our longstanding partnership into the FAST space.”

50 Cent also spoke out regarding the venture to THR. “I’ll make sure the quality of everything is there,” he said. “The platform has to be able to fit my original material. Give me one year, and I’ll be ranked the highest FAST channel.”

Some would consider this to be a rather bold claim, but after he declared he was the only person from hip-hop culture to produce quality projects, the public shouldn’t expect anything milder from 50 Cent.

50 Cent Announces New TV Network With Lionsgate

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50 Cent has one of the most expansive and rapidly growing media empires in hip-hop, and it seems like it got a big boost today. Moreover, the G-Unit mogul announced the launch of a new television network in partnership with Lionsgate, which should be a very exciting endeavor for him. “Excited to officially announce my brand new Live TV FAST Channel created in partnership with Lionsgate, 50 CENT ACTION,” he captioned a recent Instagram post. “Get ready for non-stop action, exclusive content, and your favorite movies and shows all for FREE! Sign up now to stay in the loop and get the latest updates. You won’t wanna miss this! Tap the link in bio for more info. Let’s get it! #50Cent #50Action #FreeTV 50CentAction.com.”

However, this comes amid a difficult and sad time for 50 Cent, as his grandfather Curtis Jackson Sr. recently passed away at 91. “You do know none of this s**t really matters, [winking emoji] we can’t take it with us,” he wrote of the loss. “I lost my Grandfather last night, now he can go everywhere with me. My old man is tuff act to follow, he sacrificed for all of us. He made me smile every time I saw him. The Last time he went to the hospital he was dehydrated so the nurse couldn’t find a vein. I came in, I said pop you alright? He said no, she stick me again and I’m a start shooting. LOL I almost fell out! South Side we out side WTF!”

Read More: 50 Cent Recalls Jay-Z & Roc Nation Trying To Keep Him From Performing At The Super Bowl

50 Cent To Launch New TV Network

Elsewhere, though, 50 Cent has also reflected on his storied career recently, remarking on how he regrets certain rap beefs going too far for too long. “Look, I think we wasted too much time arguing,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “Me and Fat Joe, me and Cam’ron. There’s other guys like Jada [Jadakiss], we cleared it up easier. But we wasted time because it was just the competitive nature. It wasn’t like we crossed paths and had real heat for each other. It went on more with Joe because he’s more like me, he’s closer in character to me. When we’re at odds, we are at odds, and we did that for a long time. And because of his loyalty to Irv [Gotti] and Ja [Rule], because he worked with them, I was seeing him not be happy from the things that were making me happy.

“It’s easy for me to say, ‘F**k you’ if what makes me happy makes you unhappy,” 50 Cent concluded. “Then, we’re not on the same page and it turns into some s**t, and I couldn’t pinpoint what exactly happened. When you look back at it, you go, ‘Wait, what happened?’” 50 Cent concluded. “Because we didn’t even have no altercation or no specific thing that created it. Now he’s like my friend. I don’t care that he has relationships with people that I don’t. Because he’s always had those relationships.” Hopefully he doesn’t regret this new TV network.

Read More: 50 Cent Shares Interesting Perspective On Drake & Kendrick Lamar’s Feud

The post 50 Cent Announces New TV Network With Lionsgate appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

“Twilight” TV Show In The Works At Lionsgate

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Twilight was a cultural phenomenon. The book series, published between 2005 and 2008, brought vampires into their emo era. The series sold over 120 million copies and was almost immediately slated for a film adaptation. That series, consisting of five films released between 2008 and 2012, grossed over $3 billion. The plot follows Bella Swan, a moody and reclusive teenager who enters into a relationship with vampire Edward Cullen. Later, werewolves are introduced to the series. The local pack includes Jacob Black, who has feelings for Bella. The books (and films) are a perfect encapsulation of the late 2000s and early 2010s and helped fuel the YA boom of that era.

Then came the Twilight resurgence. The series found new life and new love on TikTok during the pandemic. Additionally, 2020 marked the release of Midnight Sun, a retelling of the first Twilight novel from Jacob’s perspective. That book helped further fuel new interest in the series. Now, it appears that a new Twilight is coming for the new generation of fans.

“Twilight” TV Show Greenlit

According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, Lionsgate Television is in the early stages of development on a Twilight TV series. A showrunner has not been announced but Sinead Daly (Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, The Get Down, Tell Me Lies) has been attached as a writer. As the project is in its infancy, it is unclear whether it will be a remake of the book series, or a new story in the Twilight universe. While many fans would likely enjoy a TV remake, the series is ripe for exploration. Could we see a sequel centered on Edward and Bella’s daughter Renesmee? Or perhaps a prequel focused on Edward’s life before Bella? The possibilities are endless and likely to be thoroughly discussed by the creative team.

Series author Stephanie Meyer is reportedly involved, as is the man who brought Twilight to Lionsgate, Erik Feig. Lionsgate appear set on guiding the show’s development before offering it to various networks and streaming platforms for sale. However, talk of a Twilight TV show comes as Lionsgate courts bidders for some of its major assets. Industry rumors suggest Lionsgate is looking to move its studio and cable network Starz by the end of the year. However, the news will likely excite Twilight fans as rumors of a new project emerge.

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Lionsgate Faces $300M Lawsuit Over 50 Cent’s Alleged Threats Towards “Power” Kingpin

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Television and film powerhouse Lionsgate faces a new lawsuit, thanks to 50 Cent. Earlier this month, a report emerged of a former drug dealer, Corey “Ghost” Holland accusing 50 Cent of trying to intimidate him. After previously suing 50 Cent’s G-Units productions and Lionsgate, Holland claims the latter orchestrated the intimidation scheme against him. Now, Holland’s filed a $300M lawsuit against Lionsgate over the alleged incident. Per All Hip Hop, he claims he suffered intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence in hiring and retention.

Holland previously filed a $1B lawsuit against the companies. In the lawsuit, he accuses 50 Cent of using his life story to produce the hit series and its spin-offs. He later claimed 50 showed up at his home in an attempt to confront him alongside “armed” security. He said two separate incidents occurred in the summer of 2021. Now, Holland wants Lionsgate to be held accountable for allegedly allowing 50 Cent to “cause harm and violence to innocent and or vulnerable people.” Holland said Lionsgate did nothing to prevent this from happening, either.

Corey “Ghost” Holland’s Goes After 50 Cent & Lionsgate

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA - MAY 03: Actor/producer Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson attends For Your Consideration event For Starz's 'Power' at The Jeremy Hotel on May 3, 2018 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by JC Olivera/Getty Images)
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA – MAY 03: Actor/producer Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson attends For Your Consideration event For Starz’s ‘Power’ at The Jeremy Hotel on May 3, 2018 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by JC Olivera/Getty Images)

Holland’s attorney claims Lionsgates became well aware of 50 Cent’s “violent behavior.” They claimed despite this knowledge, they awarded him with a $150M contract. “Mr. Jackson is very open about his violent behavior, the defendant even acknowledged this behavior and chose to ignore it, due to the financial gains they had made with Mr. Jackson from 2016-2022, and still do partner with Jackson on numerous television deal,” the lawsuit reads.

“Mr. Jackson was found guilty of intentional infliction of emotional distress, just months before renewing his employment with the defendants, so the defendants knew what they were getting when they chose to do business with and employ Mr. Jackson,” the statement continues.In addition to the $300M in damages Holland seeks, he also demands Lionsgate stops producing any more content based on his life without fairly compensating him and seeking consent, which was the basis of Holland’s initial lawsuit. He accused 50 Cent, Power co-creator Courtney Kemp, and STARZ of stealing his life story to produce their hit series. However, the parties are expected to enter mediation on May 9th. 

[Via]

[WATCH] Lionsgate Releases Trailer for ‘The Blackening’ Starring Grace Byers, Dewayne Perkins & More

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Lionsgate Releases Trailer for 'The Blackening' Starring Grace Byers, Dewayne Perkins & More

Lionsgate has released the trailer for their summer blockbuster, The Blackening. The horror comedy features a group of friends who go on a cabin trip but are forced to play a dangerous board game in order to free a friend.

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The film’s official synopsis reads:

“The horror comedy centers around a group of Black friends who reunite for a Juneteenth weekend getaway only to find themselves trapped in a remote cabin with a twisted killer. Forced to play by his rules, the friends soon realize this ain’t no motherfu–in’ game.”

The film stars Antoinette Robertson, Dewayne Perkins, Sinqua Walls, Grace Byers, X Mayo, Melvin Gregg, Jermaine Fowler, Yvonne Orji, and Jay Pharoah. The Blackening is directed and produced by TIm Story.

You can see the trailer below.

The post [WATCH] Lionsgate Releases Trailer for ‘The Blackening’ Starring Grace Byers, Dewayne Perkins & More appeared first on The Source.

‘Saw’ Set to Return with 10th Film in Franchise in 2023

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After Chris Rock’s attempt at the Saw franchise in Spiral, the famed horror films will make another return in 2023. According to Variety, Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures will unite for a new edition of the movie that will launch on Oct. 27, 2023.

The 10th Saw film will be directed by Kevin Greutert, who previously led Saw VI in 2009 and Saw: The Final Chapter in 2010. A plot for the film has yet to be revealed.

“We have been listening to what the fans have been asking for and are hard at work planning a movie that Saw aficionados and horror fans alike will love,” said Mark Burg and Oren Koules, producers of the franchise. “And part of that is giving the reins to Kevin Greutert, director of Saw VI, which is still one of the fans’ favorites in the entire series. More details will be revealed soon.”

The post ‘Saw’ Set to Return with 10th Film in Franchise in 2023 appeared first on The Source.