OCTAVIA SPENCER

Octavia Spencer and Ariana Debose Join Demi Lovato for Drama Film ‘Tow’

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Octavia Spencer and Ariana Debose Join Demi Lovato for Drama Film 'Tow'

Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer and Ariana DeBose (West Side Story) are starring alongside Demi Lovato and Rose Byrne in Tow, an upcoming drama feature film currently in production. 

As reported in Deadline, the film also stars Dominic Sessa. Tow dramatizes a true story based on the experiences of Amanda Ogle, who was homeless in Seattle while living in her car and was forced to reclaim her livelihood after being handed an impossible tow bill for $21,634. It sounds like some foul stuff that happens often, and it most certainly went down in real life for Ogle. Her story was profiled around the who’s who of news outlets, and Tow takes the story head on every step of the way.

Tow is being directed by Stephanie Laing from a script by Jonathan Keasey, Brant Boivin, and Annie Weisman, with Ogle herself executive producing with DeBose, Keasey, Jonathan Tropper, Josh Ricks, Danny Gusman, The Exchange’s Nat McCormick and Giovanna Trischitta and Kevin Eggers. Liang also makes cakes and death pictures through her newly formed company. Byrne also produces with Votiv Films’ Justin Lothrop, Brent Stiefel, The Exchange’s Danyelle Foord, and Brian O’Shea.

DeBose is known for starring as Anita in the Oscar-nominated West Side Story. She recently starred in Disney’s latest animated film, Wish, and Apple Original Films’ action/adventure Argylle. DeBose is also starring in Sony’s upcoming R-rated anti-hero film Kraven the Hunter.

Spencer recently starred in Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker and Truth Be Told, among other projects. She is also set to star in the new Prime Video action series with Hannah Waddingham.

The post Octavia Spencer and Ariana Debose Join Demi Lovato for Drama Film ‘Tow’ first appeared on The Source.

The post Octavia Spencer and Ariana Debose Join Demi Lovato for Drama Film ‘Tow’ appeared first on The Source.

Octavia Spencer and ‘Ted Lasso’ Star Hannah Waddingham to Co-Star in New Prime Video Action Series

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Octavia Spencer and 'Ted Lasso' Star Hannah Waddingham to Co-Star in New Prime Video Action Series

Prime Video has tapped Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures) and Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso, Game of Thrones) to co-star in an untitled television series. 

The project emerged as an original pitch from series creator and executive producer Tessa Coates. We know this will be an eight-episode series top lined with Spencer and Waddingham as two close friends, where one of them is hiding a secret that she is an assassin. 

Based on the official synopsis:

The series follows two best friends, Judith (Waddingham) and Debbie (Spencer), who know everything about each other … well, almost everything. Judith has been living a double life that Debbie knows nothing about: she is a highly trained assassin. When a hit goes horribly wrong, Judith and Debbie must go on the run together and work to repair their broken friendship—all while being targeted by a mysterious enemy who wants them dead. And only together, can they solve this layered mystery.

The premise peaked Spencer’s interest, and she said “I was in as soon as I heard Tessa’s stunning pitch,” she said. “To be able to dive into a role like Debbie is rare, and working with Hannah to bring this unique friendship to life is a dream. We knew we had something special with Skydance and Double Dream, and now that we have a home at Amazon, our vision has become a reality.”

Waddingham added she was pretty excited to work with Spencer and Coates team.

“I’m not gonna lie, a few expletives fell out of my face at the prospect of working with the magnificent Ms. Spencer, Tessa Coates’ hugely energetic, exhilarating script, Skydance and Double Dream,” she said. “To then see the immediate excited response for a mighty beast like Amazon! It’s all just incredibly exciting, and I can’t wait to get our collective teeth into it!”

The series is the first from Skydance’s high profile first-look deal with Orit Entertainment, founded by Spencer. Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon MGM Studios and Matt Thunell, president of Skydance Television added their positive reinforcement for the new series, with Salke quoted as saying that Amazon MGM Studios were “blown away” and called it “one-of-a-kind comedy.”

“Tessa’s pitch delivered it all—fantastically original characters, a great story, the amazing creative talents of Octavia and Hannah and so much fun,” Salke said. “We are over the moon to work with them all plus the dream teams at Skydance, Double Dream, and Orit Entertainment.”

“The process of developing this series has been one of the most joyous of our careers, starting with the inimitable Tessa Coates. Tessa’s voice and vision lured our incredible producers, Barbara and Andy Muschietti, who were instrumental in developing the project, as well as the dream casting of Octavia Spencer and Hannah Waddingham,” added Thunell. “We are so proud to be making this show with Amazon; this team has created a series that will make audiences around the world laugh, cry, and cheer.”

Both Spencer and Waddingham will serve as executive producers alongside Coates, Thunell and the Muschettis. Also executive producing, includes Brian Clisham, Orit Entertainment’s Stephanie Kluft, Double Dream’s Irene Yeung, David Ellison and Dana Goldberg. Skydance’s Blair Bigelow and Mark Mikutowicz are developing the series.

The post Octavia Spencer and ‘Ted Lasso’ Star Hannah Waddingham to Co-Star in New Prime Video Action Series first appeared on The Source.

The post Octavia Spencer and ‘Ted Lasso’ Star Hannah Waddingham to Co-Star in New Prime Video Action Series appeared first on The Source.

Octavia Spencer Has Apologized To Britney Spears After That Prenup Joke About Her Engagement

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Britney Spears has been through a lot. But things for her seem to finally be back on the up-and-up. Her lengthy conservatorship battle, which saw her trying to wrestle free from the legal clutches of her father, seems to be coming to an end. And she’s now engaged, having said yes to Sam Asghari, her boyfriend of four years. Fans are so protective of her, so adamant that she be happy again, that when Octavia Spencer made a joke in her Instagram feed, it did not go well.

When Spears broke the news of her engagement on Instgram, the Oscar-winning actress did like many: She left a comment. But she didn’t just congratulate her. She winkingly advised her, “Make him sign a prenup.” Spears’ base came for Spencer. And now Spencer had left a big apology for what she said.

“Y’all, a few days ago Sam and Britney announced their engagement and me being me I made a joke,” she wrote in her own Instagram post. “My intention was to make them laugh not cause pain. I’ve reached out to this lovely couple privately to apologize and now want to restore just a smidge of happiness they were robbed of. Britney’s fans have seen her through a lot of pain and she’s found happiness. We’re thrilled for her. So let’s show them love.”

Asghari responded to Spencer’s post, telling her there’s no ill will. “You are very kind to clarify but I have had no hard feelings whatsoever,” he wrote. “Jokes and misconceptions come with the territory.” As for his fiancée, well, she happily deleted her Instagram account the other day, though she says she’s just on a break.

(Via Variety)