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Sandra Oh and Awkwafina proved to be a terrific duo this year in their hit Hulu telefilm “Quiz Lady.” The flick follows the pair as estranged sisters who must reunite and work together in order to pay for their mother’s gambling debts via the game show that one of them is obsessed with.

Oh and Awkwafina subvert expectations with their performances here with Oh playing the zany, wild sister and Awkwafina turning in a subdued performance as the awkward, restrained, quieter one. These dual performances have become the foundation of overwhelmingly positive notices for “Quiz Lady.”

Charles Bramesco (Indie Wire) opined: “The odd couple… shares a sensational chemistry, building on the base amusement of seeing Oh let her extension-laden hair down and Awkwafina crimp the straight-man character into weird new shapes.”

Emma Simmonds (Radio Times) observed: “Awkwafina and Sandra Oh prove a match made in comedy heaven in this...

By Abe Friedtanzer

It’s always intriguing to see what projects actors choose when they step behind the camera to direct for the first time. Nnamdi Asomugha has been working behind-the-scenes as an executive producer and producer since Beasts of No Nation, helping bring to life films he’s starring in like Crown Heights and Sylvie’s Love, the latter of which earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding TV Movie in 2021. For his debut venture as director, Asomugha has chosen a tense story of crime and policing in America, written by him in conjunction with Mark Duplass…...

Exclusive: How To Get Away With Murder alumna Aja Naomi King is returning to broadcast as a lead opposite Melissa Fumero, AnnaSophia Robb and Ben Rappaport in Grosse Pointe Garden Society, NBC‘s drama pilot from Jenna Bans, Bill Krebs and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

The drama follows four members of a suburban garden club — Birdie (Fumero), Alice (Robb), Brett (Rappaport) and Catherine (King) — all from different walks of life, who get caught up in murder and mischief as they struggle to make their conventional lives bloom.

King’s Catherine is an unhappily married mother of two younger children, a realtor and active member of the Garden Society who works off some of her loneliness with a very juicy secret.

The pilot’s series regular cast also includes Matthew Davis and Alexander Hodge.

Maggie Kiley is directing the pilot, which she is executive producing with Bans via her Minnesota Logging Co.

Before you make your 2024 Emmy predictions for Best TV Movie, take a look through our photo gallery featuring the telefilms most likely to land in this year’s lineup. As it stands, Peacock’s “Mr. Monk’s Last Case” (a continuation of the eight-time Emmy-winning 2000s comedy series “Monk”) is comfortably leading the race.

“Mr. Monk’s Last Case” would be the first Peacock movie ever nominated in this category, as would “Genie” or “Shooting Stars.”

Last year, Hulu’s “Fire Island” and “Prey” were both passed over in favor of The Roku Channel’s “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story,” but the streamer could soon avenge those losses with “No One Will Save You,” “Quiz Lady,” or “Self Reliance.”

Netflix – which won this award for three “Black Mirror” installments (2017-2019) as well as “Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square” (2021) – can now achieve its fifth victory with “Scoop” or “Unfrosted.”

Having last been...

Before you make your 2024 Emmy predictions for Best TV Movie, take a look through our photo gallery featuring the telefilms most likely to land in this year’s lineup. As it stands, Peacock’s “Mr. Monk’s Last Case” (a continuation of the eight-time Emmy-winning 2000s comedy series “Monk”) is comfortably leading the race.

“Mr. Monk’s Last Case” would be the first Peacock movie ever nominated in this category, as would “Genie” or “Shooting Stars.”

Last year, Hulu’s “Fire Island” and “Prey” were both passed over in favor of The Roku Channel’s “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story,” but the streamer could soon avenge those losses with “No One Will Save You,” “Quiz Lady,” or “Self Reliance.”

Netflix – which won this award for three “Black Mirror” installments (2017-2019) as well as “Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square” (2021) – can now achieve its fifth victory with “Scoop” or “Unfrosted.”

Having last been...

Exclusive: John Magaro (Past Lives) and Jeannie Berlin (You Hurt My Feelings) have been tapped for supporting roles in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Frankenstein film, The Bride!, starring Christian Bale.

No word on the roles they’ll be playing. As previously announced, the Warner Bros film also stars Jessie Buckley, Peter Sarsgaard, Annette Bening, Penelope Cruz and Julianne Hough.

Marking Gyllenhaal’s follow-up to the Academy Award-nominated Netflix drama The Lost Daughter, The Bride! watches as a lonely Frankenstein travel to 1930s Chicago to seek the aide of a Dr. Euphronius in creating a companion for himself. The two reinvigorate a murdered young woman and the Bride is born. She is beyond what either of them intended, igniting a combustible romance, the attention of the police and a wild and radical social movement.

Gyllenhaal is directing from her own script and producing alongside Emma Tillinger Koskoff, Talia Kleinhendler...

Freevee isn’t going away, Amazon says.

With Amazon’s Prime Video launch of ads by default last month, rumors and speculation have heated up that the tech giant would no longer have a strategic need for Freevee — its free, ad-supported streaming service that is separate from Prime Video. A Feb. 21 report by Adweek, citing anonymous sources, said that Amazon will “sunset” Freevee, likely in the second quarter and possibly before the NewFronts in late April.

Asked for comment, Amazon said the Adweek report is inaccurate.

“There are no changes to Freevee,” the rep said in an email to Variety. “Amazon Freevee remains an important streaming offering providing both Prime and non-Prime customers thousands of hit movies, shows, and originals, all for free.”

Freevee is the name of the ad-supported video on demand (AVOD) service that was originally launched in January 2019 under the name IMDb Freedive and then rebranded as...

Exclusive: Nnamdi Asomugha (Sylvie’s Love) has been tapped as a lead opposite star and executive producer Jessica Chastain in The Savant, Apple TV+’s new, eight-episode limited series from writer/executive producer/showrunner Melissa James Gibson, Fifth Season and Anonymous Content.

The Savant is inspired by a true story published by Cosmopolitan, which was written by Andrea Stanley.

Chastain plays a top-secret investigator known as the Savant, who infiltrates online hate groups to take down the most violent men in the country. Asomugha plays her husband.

This Savant reunites Nnamdi and Jessica who recently worked together on the Netflix film The Good Nurse.

Chastain and Kelly Carmichael exec produce through her Freckle Films banner. James Gibson exec produces, with Matthew Heineman directing and exec producing. Jessica Giles, editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, executive produces, and Brian Madden, SVP Development for Hearst Magazines, produces. Stanley serves as consultant.

Asomugha recently starred in...

Primetime Emmy nominee Tessa Thompson’s Viva Maude has closed a multiyear first-look film deal with Amazon MGM Studios.

The actress, who has starred in the studio’s movies Creed III and Sylvie’s Love, launched her production company Viva Maude in 2020. The label’s mission is “to influence culture through projects that defy categorization and are manifestly entertaining,” per the press release.

Viva Maude is already in business with Amazon MGM Studios, under its Orion Pictures banner, on Hedda, a reimagination of Henrik Ibsen’s famed 1891 stage play Hedda Gabler, written and directed by Nia DaCosta and starring Thompson. Cameras are currently rolling on the pic.

In 2021, Kishori Rajan, known for her work on Random Acts of Flyness, teamed with Thompson to further expand Viva Maude’s portfolio in production and development, serving as SVP Development & Production. Viva Maude counts a slate of more than 20 movies and TV projects across several genres including narrative,...

With a fascinating professional roadmap as a filmmaker, choreographer and teaching artist, Sarah Friedland is set to launch her feature debut in 2024. Produced by Alexandra Byer — Sollers Point (2017), Colewell (2019), Funny Face (2020) and Noah Pritzker’s just preemed San Sebastian Film Festival title Ex-Husbands) and Matthew Thurm (2014’s H. and 2020’s Sylvie’s Love), Familiar Touch might address cognitive decline related to dementia, but its not a film that is solely about subtraction as it sheds light on what might be gained and both usurps the coming-of-age film format and tackles conventions of ageism. I had the chance to speak to Sarah Friedland in Wroclaw.…...

Exclusive: Writer-director Courtney J. Camerota has wrapped production on her first feature, Dead Guy, a dark comedy shot under an Interim Agreement that will be introduced to buyers at AFM by CAA Media Finance. Among those in the starry cast are two-time Oscar nominee Michael Shannon (The Bikeriders), Golden Globe nominee Eva Longoria (Sylvie’s Love), Judy Greer (White House Plumbers), Luis Guzman (Story Ave), Amaury Nolasco (The Valet), Rory Culkin (Black Mirror), Curtis Armstrong (New Girl), Ashley Reyes (Walker), and Richard Ellis (Walker).

Dead Guy‘s plot is set into motion when an abrasive old man suddenly dies in the apartment of a neighbor. An absurd game of hot potato then begins with the not-so-dearly departed, as neighbors and building workers each pass the body along, in the hopes of not being linked to the old man’s demise.

Marking the launch of Shft, the new production company of Zac Adams, Dead Guy is also produced by Ryan Lewis of Ryan J. Lewis, Esq, as well as Chadd Harbold of Post Film. Jack Christian of Filmology served as a producer and financier. Exec producers included D.J. McPherson of Filmology, Jared Safier and Justin Safier of Safier Entertainment, Russ Posternak of Post Film, and Nathan Marcus.

Said Camerota, “I wrote this script years ago and to finally see it come to life is a dream come true. The opportunity to work with such an incredible cast, crew and producing team for my directorial debut has been an absolute honor. I can’t wait for the world to see Dead Guy.”

Producer Zac Adams stated that “as both a filmmaker and movie lover, the main goal is to always create films that are not only of the highest quality, but films that are enjoyable. With the world being as dark as it’s been the past few years, I hope our film helps spread some much needed light. It was an absolute honor and privilege in helping Courtney’s vision come to life.”

Added producer Ryan Lewis, “When I read this script I knew this movie had to be made. I’m thrilled that I got to help make it, and got to do so with both a friend and client in Courtney. Our incredible cast is a testament to Courtney’s writing and I’m overjoyed to see her vision come to life on the big screen.”

Shannon is repped by CAA, Range, and Yorn, Levine, Barnes; Longoria by WME, Linden Entertainment, and Yorn, Levine, Barnes; Greer by CAA, Artists First, and Felker Toczek Suddleson; Guzman by Gersh and Gravesend Entertainment; Nolasco by Brillstein Entertainment Partners and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman; Culkin by Paradigm and Brookside Artist Management; Armstrong by Cesd; and Reyes by Stewart Talent and Mosaic.

“Sylvie’s Love” filmmaker Eugene Ashe has been tapped to write “The Rocketeer” reboot at Disney+, The Wrap has exclusively learned.

David Oyelowo is attached to star and produce the project. The project is part of his and his wife’s two-year first-look deal with Disney.

Released in 1991, Disney’s “The Rocketeer” is a period superhero film that starred Billy Campbell, Jennifer Connelly, Alan Arkin, Timothy Dalton and the late Paul Sorvino. The film was directed by Joe Johnston (“Captain America: The First Avenger”), with breathtaking visual effects from Johnston’s alma mater Industrial Light & Magic and an unforgettable score by the late, great James Horner, that you can still hear in the background of some Disney theme parks.

“The Rockeeter” is based on the comic book character of the same name created by comic book artist and writer Dave Stevens, who first appeared as a back-up story in the pages...

Exclusive: André Holland (Passing), Kate Mara (Black Mirror), Zazie Beetz (The Harder They Fall) and Stephen McKinley Henderson (Beau Is Afraid) are set to star in The Dutchman, a psychological thriller based on the Obie Award-winning play by Amiri Baraka that has landed a SAG-AFTRA Interim Agreement.

Directing from his script written with filmmaker Qasim Basir is Andre Gaines, the Emmy-nominated multi-hyphenate behind Showtime’s 2021 documentary The One and Only Dick Gregory. Production kicks off in New York City September 25th, putting a group of 150 or so back to work.

Set on a New York subway, The Dutchman centers on an encounter between a well-to-do Black man and an enchanting white woman who match wits in a sexualized game of cat and mouse that leads to a violent conclusion. The searing confrontation amplifies the dimensions of racial conflict in America in this adaptation of the stage show first presented...

Just two weeks ago, Gold Derby’s odds did not predict “Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas” would receive an Emmy nomination for Best TV Movie. But now, NBC and Peacock’s warm-hearted holiday telefilm has jumped up to the fourth-place position to win the category, behind likely challengers “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story,” “Prey” and “Fire Island” (see chart below). Just how much farther will producer/actress Dolly Parton climb in our racetrack odds before the Emmy nominations are announced on July 12?

See ‘Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas’: The music legend’s new NBC special and where to find her holiday classics

Never count out Dolly! In 2021, another one of her holiday specials, “Christmas On the Square,” surprised pundits when it took home the Emmy Award for Best TV Movie. At the time it was in fourth place in Gold Derby’s winner odds, behind “Sylvie’s Love,” “Uncle Frank...

“The Summer I Turned Pretty,” “The Wheel of Time,” and “A League of Their Own” are among over 100 Amazon Prime Video Originals set to stream for free on the company’s ad-supported Freevee platform.

Starting May 26, customers will be able to stream the first three episodes of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” exclusively on Freevee. Other television series launching in May include the first three episodes of “A League of Their Own,” “The Terminal List,” and “Paper Girls,” plus the hit series “Goliath” and “The Tick,” full seasons of “Homecoming” and “Upload,” and the sci-fi mystery “The Vast of Night.”

Additionally, the entire first season of “Reacher” as well as the first full season of “The Wheel of Time” will also land on Freevee later this year. “Wheel of Time” is set to debut its second season later this year on Prime Video.

More than 50 movies and TV series—including...

Amazon Freevee announced on Monday that throughout the year, more than 100 original series and movies from Prime Video will be available to stream for free on the ad-supported streaming service.

Starting Friday, May 26, Freevee users can stream the first three episodes of The Summer I Turned Pretty. Also launching in May are the first three episodes of A League of Their Own, The Terminal List, Paper Girls, Goliath, The Tick, full seasons of Homecoming and Upload and The Vast of Night.

More from TVLineTVLine Items: The Goat Reality Series, Human Resources Return Date and MoreBosch Vet Jamie Hector Confirmed to...

Amazon is bringing more than 100 of its Prime Video originals to Freevee, the company’s ad-supported platform that’s home to new hit “Jury Duty,” this year. The deal marks the first time these titles will be available to view for free and with commercial breaks.

Among the slate of hit Prime Video shows and movies that will begin streaming on Freevee (while still remaining available for ad-free viewing on Prime Video) are “Reacher,” “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” “The Wheel of Time,” “A League of Their Own” and “LuLaRich.”

As of Monday, more than 50 of these originals are now available for streaming on Freevee, including “Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls,” “The Grand Tour,” “Mozart in the Jungle,” “Bosch,” “Modern Love,” “Savage X Fenty,” “Sylvie’s Love,” “Troop Zero” and “Late Night.”

Additional Amazon original titles will launch each month on Freevee, with the first three episodes of “The Summer I Turned Pretty...

Amazon Freevee is expanding its lineup of hit Prime Video original TV series and movies that soon will be available to stream for free on the service, including Reacher, The Summer I Turned Pretty, The Wheel Of Time, A League of Their Own and docuseries LuLa Rich.

Starting May 26, the first three episodes of Amazon Original The Summer I Turned Pretty will be available for free exclusively on Amazon Freevee. It will be followed later by the entire first season of Reacher, starring Alan Ritchson, as well as the first full season of The Wheel of Time, ahead of its second season premiere this year on Prime Video.

Series also launching in May along with The Summer I Turned Pretty include the first three episodes of A League of Their Own, The Terminal List, and Paper Girls, plus the hit series Goliath and The Tick, full seasons of Homecoming and Upload,...

Exclusive: Anonymous Content is elevating longtime literary managers and producers Ryan Cunningham, David Kanter and Nicole Romano to partner.

Cunningham joined Anonymous Content in 2019 from Madhouse Entertainment where he had been a manager and producer for a decade. On the management side, his clients include filmmakers Scott Beck & Bryan Woods (65), Derek Tsang (The Three Body Problem), Daniel Goldhaber and Isa Mazzei (How to Blow Up a Pipeline); showrunners and writers Steven DeKnight (Spartacus), Jewel Coronel (The Chi), Seamus Fahey (Walker: Independence) and Sonya Winton & Jonathan Kidd (Lovecraft Country), Darnell Metayer and Josh Peters (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts), Neil Uliano and Bryan Schulz (The Peanuts Movie), and Ben Queen (The Addams Family 2). Cunningham most recently produced the Sky/Relativity feature The Independent, and executive-produced Stephen King adaptation The Boogeyman, which will be released in June by 20th Century Studios and Disney.

Kanter is a producer and manager at Anonymous...

Ryan Michelle Bathé is set as a lead opposite Terry Crews in JumpStart, CBS’ multi-camera comedy pilot based on Robb Armstrong’s long-running comic strip, Deadline has confirmed.

Based on the popular comic strip that debuted in 1989, JumpStart is set in Philadelphia and follows Joseph L. Cobb (Crews), a cop, his wife Marcy (Bathé), a nurse, and Joe’s partner Crunchy. Joe and Marcy are young, hip, urban parents with old school values who are willing to sacrifice for their kids and have some laughs while doing it!

Bathé’s Marcy is a hard-working nurse who is naturally maternal and wise beyond her years. She and Joe share a close bond and are supportive of one another even when they don’t agree. The two have a good life in their middle-class Philly neighborhood with their two teen kids — meeting all challenges, and enjoying their share of goofy times as well.

Ryan Michelle Bathé has been cast in a leading role in CBS’ comedy pilot based on the “JumpStart” comic strip, Variety has learned exclusively.

Bathé will now star in the pilot opposite previously announced cast member Terry Crews. The multi-cam pilot was originally ordered at CBS in February. The official logline states that the show “follows Joe (Crews), a cop, his wife Marcy (Bathé), a nurse, and Joe’s partner Crunchy. Joe and Marcy are young, hip, urban parents with old school values who are willing to sacrifice for their kids and have some laughs while doing it!”

Marcy is further described as “a hard-working nurse who is naturally maternal and wise beyond her years. She and Joe share a close bond and are supportive of one another even when they don’t agree. The two have a good life in their middle-class Philly neighborhood with their two teen kids — meeting all challenges,...

Richard Roxburgh and Rebecca Gibney star in Prosper, a Lionsgate-Stan series about a family with huge wealth that builds a powerful mega-church. Production has now started in Sydney, Australia.

First announced in September last year, “Prosper” follows the founding family of an Australian church as it is poised to break into the U.S. and harvest yet more wealth and power. But, while preaching a message of faith, love and acceptance to their followers, behind closed doors the Quinn the family is protecting shameful secrets.

Roxburgh portrays Cal Quinn, founder and global pastor at U Star. Gibney plays as Abi Quinn, his wife and worship leader. In his breakthrough role, Alexander D’Souza plays Moses, the adopted son of Cal and Abi.

Prosper is produced by Lingo Pictures, part of ITV Studios, with major production investment from Screen Australia with the assistance of the New South Wales government via Screen Nsw...

Updated with Ian McShane’s tribute: A week ahead of John Wick: Chapter Four hitting theaters, star Keanu Reeves and director Chad Stahelski are mourning the loss of their co-star Lance Reddick, who died today at 60.

“We are deeply saddened and heartbroken at the loss of our beloved friend and colleague Lance Reddick,” the pair said in a statement. “He was the consummate professional and a joy to work with. Our love and prayers are with his wife Stephanie, his children, family and friends. We dedicate the film to his loving memory. We will miss him dearly.”

Related: Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries

Related Story ‘The Wire’ Actors Wendell Pierce & Isiah Whitlock Jr. Remember Costar Lance Reddick As Hollywood Pays Tribute Related Story Lance Reddick Dies: 'John Wick', 'The Wire', 'Fringe' & 'Bosch' Actor Was 60 Related Story Lionsgate Dates...

Lance Reddick, best known for his work on The Wire and the John Wick movie franchise, has died. He was 60.

The actor was reportedly found dead at his home in Studio City, California, on Friday morning, TMZ reports. No cause of death was given.

Reddick was most recently promoting the upcoming March 24 release of John Wick 4, where he reprised his role as Charon, a role he has played since the franchise began in 2014.

Read More: Keanu Reeves And The Cast Of ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ Step Out For The New York Premiere

He was scheduled to make an appearance on Thursday’s The Kelly Clarkson Show alongside John Wick stars Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane, Shamier Anderson, Hiroyuki Sanada, as well as director Chad Stahelski.

At the time of his death, Reddick had several film and TV projects in various stages. He was set to play Zeus in the Disney+ series,...

Lance Reddick, a prolific actor who played Charon in all four John Wick films and was a series regular on The Wire, Fringe and Bosch among dozens of other roles spanning a quarter-century, died today. He was 60.

His rep at Portrait PR confirmed the news, saying he died of natural causes but not providing other details.

Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries Related Story 'Bosch' Universe Expands With 2 New Series In Works At Amazon Studios Centered On Jerry Edgar & Renee Ballard Characters Related Story Al Brown Dies: Col. Stan Valchek On 'The Wire' Was 83

The actor had been doing interviews for the upcoming John Wick: Chapter Four starring Keanu Reeves just this week. He also was set to appear in the franchise-spinoff pic Ballerina.

Reddick began his screen career in the mid-1990s, guesting on such series as The Nanny and New York Undercover.

UnREAL star Constance Zimmer is returning to Lifetime.

The cabler announced Thursday that the Emmy nominee Constance Zimmer will executive produce and direct her firfeature-lengthgth TV movie, Boy in the Walls.

Zimmepreviouslyly made her directorial debut on Peabody winning and Emmy-nominated Lifetime series UnReal.

Boy In The Walls will star Ryan Michelle Bathe, Luke Camilleri (Hemlock Grove), Cassandra Sawtell (Disappearance in Yellowstone), and Jonathan Whitesell (The X-Files).

The movie is inspired by actual 'Phrogging' events, of people who discover there is someone secretly living inside their home. Boy in the Walls will debut later this summer on Lifetime.

"We absolutely loved working with Constance when she starred in UnReal and even prouder when she made her directorial debut with us through our Broader Focus initiative and has since continued to direct episodic series for others," said Tanya Lopez, EVP, Scripted Content, Lifetime and Lmn.

"But we always love a good...

Exclusive: Emmy nominee Constance Zimmer (UnReal) is returning to Lifetime to executive produce and direct her first feature length TV movie, Boy in the Walls.

Starring Ryan Michelle Bathe, Boy in the Walls is inspired by actual “phrogging” events, of people who discover there is someone secretly living inside their home. The movie will debut later this summer on Lifetime. Luke Camilleri (Hemlock Grove) Cassandra Sawtell (Disappearance in Yellowstone) and Jonathan Whitesell (The X-Files) also star.

Luke Camilleri, Jonathan Whitesell and Cassandra Sawtell

In Boy in the Walls, recently married Alisa Jensen (Bathe) has given up her vibrant Manhattan lifestyle for a quiet existence in rural Connecticut but struggling to adjust to her new role as a stepmother to Maya (Sawtell) and Theo (Mikkal Karim-Fidler). Hoping this move can be a fresh start, Alisa finds herself cracking under the pressure with her husband Chris (Camilleri) constantly away at work,...

February is Black History Month, and with such a wide array of streaming options, there’s no shortage of options for learning about Black heritage and celebrating Black excellence.

Amazon Prime Video

Among the programming being promoted in Prime Video’s “Celebrating Black History Month” lineup are the new second season of “Harlem,” which follows four female friends from Harlem as they navigate their love lives and careers. There’s also the new original unscripted series “Coach Prime,” which chronicles Deion Sanders in his third year coaching football at Jackson State. Other noteworthy selections include Regina King‘s Oscar-nominated “One Night in Miami,” the acclaimed documentaries “My Name is Pauli Murray” and “I Am Not Your Negro,” the Emmy-nominated romance “Sylvie’s Love,” Spike Lee‘s “Chi-Raq,” the Aretha Franklin biopic “Respect” starring Jennifer Hudson, the Oscar-winning stage adaptation “Fences” from Denzel Washington, who also stars in Prime offerings “Devil in a Blue Dress...

Now a federal holiday, Juneteenth (June 19) commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S. Although this day marks just the beginning of an ongoing battle for equality, Juneteenth represents an opportunity to celebrate the joy of the Black experience as much as the hardship. And TheWrap’s got a great list of films to get that celebration started.

Once you’ve checked out some of the more educational Juneteenth-related fare, like “13th” or “I Am Not Your Negro,” consider adding some of these flicks to your streaming list.

“Soul” (Disney+)

“Soul,” Pixar’s first film to feature an African-American protagonist, follows Joe Gardener, a middle school music teacher with dreams of becoming a jazz star. When Joe dies prematurely before receiving his big break, he gets a second chance at his fantasy when accidentally enters the Great Before — a place that prepares unborn souls for real life. Not only...

Tessa Thompson (Westworld) and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Super Pumped) are attached to star in the sci-fi thriller Ash, which the Grammy-winning musician and filmmaker Flying Lotus — otherwise known as Steven Ellison — will direct as his sophomore feature, as we first reported in January. Neill Blomkamp (District 9) has since then come aboard to exec produce the pic, which its financier XYZ Films will rep for worldwide sales at the upcoming Toronto Film Festival.

While at TIFF to meet with key buyers for Ash, Flying Lotus will appear in support of his segment of V/H/S/99, which is having its world premiere in the Midnight section of the festival.

The new film, for which the multi-hyphenate will also compose an original score, watches as a woman (Thompson) wakes up on a distant planet and finds the crew of her space station viciously killed, and must then decide if she can trust...

Tessa Thompson and Joseph Gordon-Levitt will headline the sci-fi thriller “Ash,” directed by Flying Lotus.

Thompson plays a space station worker who wakes up on a distant planet to find her colleagues viciously killed, and then forced to work together with the man (Gordon-Levitt) sent to rescue her. But as their investigation into what happened sets in motion a terrifying chain of events, the rescuer begins to wonder how innocent she really is.

Executive produced by Neill Blomkamp (“District 9”), “Ash” is based on an original screenplay written by Jonni Remmler. XYZ Films and Gfc Films will produce, with Echo Lake also onboard as an executive producer. XYZ Films is financing and handling worldwide sales at next week’s Toronto International Film Festival.

Flying Lotus will also compose an original score, with a production aiming to shoot in New Zealand next year. The multihyphenate will be attending TIFF to support...

“Lessons in Chemistry,” the upcoming Apple TV+ drama series led and executive produced by Brie Larson, has added Lewis Pullman, Aja Naomi King, Stephanie Koenig, Patrick Walker, Thomas Mann, Kevin Sussman, Beau Bridges to the cast.

The series is set in the early 1950s and follows Elizabeth Zott (Larson), whose dream of being a scientist is put on hold in a society deeming that women belong in the domestic sphere, not the professional one. When Elizabeth finds herself pregnant, alone and fired from her lab, she musters the ingenuity only a single mother has. She accepts a job as a host on a TV cooking show, and sets out to teach a nation of overlooked housewives — and the men who are suddenly listening — a lot more than recipes, all the while craving a return to her true love: science.

Pullman will play Calvin. He is repped by Anonymous Content, CAA,...

Apple TV+ today unveiled a first-look at “Lessons in Chemistry,” its new drama series starring and executive produced by Academy Award-winner Brie Larson.

Based on the best-selling debut novel from author, science editor and copywriter Bonnie Garmus, “Lessons in Chemistry” will make its global debut on Apple TV+ in 2023.

Larson, who will star as Elizabeth Zott, leads a co-starring cast of Lewis Pullman, Aja Naomi King, Stephanie Koenig, Patrick Walker, Thomas Mann, Kevin Sussman and Beau Bridges.

Also Read:

Brie Larson to Star in Apple TV+ Drama ‘Lessons in Chemistry’

Pullman will star as Valvin, King will play Harriet Stone, Koenig will play Fran Frask, Walker will play Wakely, Mann will portray Boryweitz, Sussman will play Walter and Bridges will appear as Wilson.

Set in the early 1950s, “Lessons in Chemistry” follows Zott (Larson), who dreams of becoming a scientist. When Zott gets pregnant, her lab fires her and she is all alone,...

Last Year’s Winner: “Dolly Parton’s Christmas On The Square”

Still Eligible: No.

Hot Streak: Technically the only chance for a streak is if Netflix wins again this year, after scoring an upset last year with “Dolly Parton’s Christmas On The Square.” For the last decade, the only major Outstanding TV Movie competition the streamer has received has been HBO, which has collected 14 Emmys in the category since 2000.

Notable Ineligible Series: “Rosaline” (the film will not premiere in time to be eligible); “Rise” (the film will not premiere in time to be eligible)

This article will be updated throughout the season, along with all our predictions, so make sure to keep checking IndieWire for the latest news from the 2022 Emmys race. The nomination round of voting took place from June 16 to June 27, with the official Emmy nominations announced on Tuesday, July 12. The Creative Arts Emmy Awards will be given out...

Apple TV+ today announced a six-episode series order for “Land of Women,” the new dramedy inspired by award-winning author Sandra Barneda’s best selling novel of the same name. Created and written by Iris Award winners Ramón Campos and Gema R. Neira, Golden Globe nominee Eva Longoria will star in the leading role as Gala and executive produce via her UnbeliEVAble Entertainment banner. Legendary film and television star Carmen Maura joins the cast as Gala’s mother Julia. The series is currently in pre-production in Spain. “Land of Women” is a dramedy starring Eva Longoria as Gala, a New York empty nester whose life is turned upside down when her husband implicates the family in financial improprieties, and she is forced to flee the city alongside her aging mother and college-age daughter. To escape the dangerous criminals to whom Gala’s now vanished husband is indebted, the three women hide...

Apple TV+ has ordered the six-episode series Land of Women, a dramedy inspired by Sandra Barneda’s best-selling novel, from executive producer and star Eva Longoria. Carmen Maura is set to co-star.

Created and written by Ramón Campos and Gema R. Neira, Land of Women tells the story of Gala (Longoria), a New York empty nester forced to flee her home after her husband implicates the family in financial improprieties. Joining her on the journey are her aging mother Julia (Maura) and her college-age daughter.

2022 Apple TV+ Pilots & Series Orders

The three women escape the criminals her now-vanished husband is indebted to by moving to the same charming wine town in Northern Spain that Gala’s mother fled 50 years ago, vowing never to return. Starting over with new identities proves...

This article contains Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness spoilers.

If Patrick Stewart got a quarter for every time his Charles Xavier died onscreen… well, he’d have a dollar at this point. Which is not a lot, but it still feels substantial after Chuck was gleefully introduced in Sam Raimi’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness only to then be gleefully shepherded off this mortal coil in a highly Raimi fashion. How else would you describe Professor X having his neck snapped by Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) at her witchiest?

It should be noted that the Xavier who dies at the hands of the Scarlet Witch is not the Xavier of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Or at least not the one in the MCU’s main timeline. This deceased Xavier exists from another plane of existence; he’s a doppelgänger, a variant, a sliding doors...

Exclusive: Lance Reddick (John Wick franchise), Teyana Taylor (Coming 2 America) and Laura Harrier (Hollywood) are the latest additions to 20th Century Studios’ White Men Can’t Jump reboot. They’re set to star alongside previously announced cast members Jack Harlow and Sinqua Walls.

The film will offer a new take on Ron Shelton’s 1992 sports comedy, starring Woody Harrelson, Wesley Snipes and Rosie Perez, which saw Black and white basketball hustlers join forces to double their chances of winning money on the street courts and in a basketball tournament. Harlow is stepping into the role originated by Harrelson, with Walls taking on Snipes’, and Reddick playing Benji Allen, the father of Walls’ character Kamal. Benji is living with Ms and has been Kamal’s coach and support system since a very young age. Details with regard to the characters that Taylor and Harrier are playing have not been disclosed.

White...

Exclusive: The Goldbergs star Wendi McLendon-Covey has signed a first-look deal with Sony Pictures Television, the studio behind the hit ABC comedy series. Under the pact, McLendon-Covey will develop for the studio across all platforms.

The pact was made in conjunction with McLendon-Covey recently signing a new contract to continue to portray matriarch Beverly Goldberg on The Goldbergs, which paved the way for the show to receive a Season 10 renewal. McLendon-Covey, who also serves as an executive producer on The Goldbergs, has been nominated for two Critics Choice Awards for her role.

“There is no one funnier, more unique and talented than Wendi,” said Dawn Steinberg, EVP Worldwide Talent & Casting and Glenn Adilman, EVP Comedy Development for Sony Pictures Television. “She is the longstanding pride of our Sony family and we are thrilled to be deepening our relationship both behind and in front of the camera.”

A standout from the...

Image Source: Jati Lindsay

My understanding of hip-hop has always been rooted in fellowship. Seeing the way it brings people together is such a magical experience to witness. Walking into the Kennedy Center with my mom on Friday night for Mc Lyte's "I Am Woman: A Celebration of Women in Hip Hop" felt like I was on my way to a family reunion. I watched all the aunties and uncles pour into the theater in their flyest gear - from bamboo earrings and Kangol hats to Adidas tracksuits and sneakers - all ready to let loose and bask in a glorious celebration of women in hip-hop.

The event, which was part of the Kennedy Center's 50th anniversary, was the epitome of sisterhood. I grinned ear to ear at the sea of Black women laughing, dancing, and rapping along to the lyrics of performers like Trina, Remy Ma, Tierra Whack,...

The Guild of Music Supervisors held its 12th annual awards ceremony virtually on March 20.

Recognizing those who excel at the craft of music supervision in film, television, documentaries, games, advertising and trailers, the night’s big winners included HBO’s “The White Lotus,” supervised by Janet Lopez, who gave an impassioned acceptance speech, thanking the music makers of Hawaii for taking her call, and Liza Richardson for “Lovecraft Country” season 1. The Netflix film “Tick, Tick… Boom!,” supervised by Steven Gizicki, took home the prize for film budgeted over $25 million. Mandi Collier won twice for her work on “Sylie’s Love & Zola,” and “Dos Oruguitas” from “Encanto,” by Lin-Manuel Miranda and sung by Sebastian Yatra (and nominated for an Academy Award), won for best song written and/or recorded for a film.

Receiving special honors were Diane Warren (the Icon Award), for her numerous songs to soundtrack major films, and Mitchell Leib...

The “Encanto” song “Dos Oruguitas” and the music supervision of “Zola,” “Sylvie’s Love,” “Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar” and “tick, tick…Boom!” have been honored at the 12th annual Guild of Music Supervisors Awards, which took place in a virtual ceremony on Saturday evening.

The music supervisors of “Zola,” “Sylvie’s Love,” “Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar” and “tick, tick…Boom!” won for the best supervision of a film at four different budget levels. Songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Dos Oruguitas” from “Encanto” won in the Best Song Written and/or Recorded for a Film category, the only GMA category that corresponds to an Oscar music category.

Over the six years in which the guild has been giving out that award, the winner has gone on to take the Oscar only twice, with “City of Stars” from “La La Land” and “Shallow” from “A Star Is Born.

Exclusive: Glynn Turman (Women of the Movement), Bob Balaban (The French Dispatch), Ron Funches (Undateable) and Jimmy O. Yang (Space Force) are the latest additions to the cast of the upcoming film 80 for Brady, from Paramount Pictures and Endeavor Content. They join an ensemble that includes 7-time Super Bowl Champion Tom Brady, as well as Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno, Sally Field and Sara Gilbert, as previously announced.

The film is inspired by the true story of four best friends and New England Patriots fans who take a life-changing trip to the 2017 Super Bowl Li to see their hero Tom Brady play, and the chaos that ensues as they navigate the wilds of the biggest sporting event in the country. Details with regard to the characters the newest additions to the cast will be playing have not been disclosed.

Kyle Marvin, who co-wrote and starred in Sony Pictures Classics’ The Climb,...

Actress Tessa Thompson, aka 'Valkyrie' in the 'Marvel Cinematic Universe' films including the upcoming feature "Thor: Love and Thunder", is the new 'face' of "Armani Beauty", appearing in current campaigns for 'Luminous Silk Foundation' and 'Lip Power' lipstick, photographed by Mikael Jansson:

Thompson's film breakthrough came with leading roles in Tina Mabry's independent drama film "Mississippi Damned" (2009) and Tyler Perry's drama film "For Colored Girls" (2010). She then gained favorable notices for early performances in the comedy-drama "Dear White People" (2014) and as civil rights activist 'Diane Nash' in Ava DuVernay’s historical drama "Selma" (2014).

Thompson gained mainstream attention for her roles in franchise films, playing 'Bianca Taylor' in the sport dramas "Creed" (2015) and "Creed II" (2018), and for her starring role as 'Valkyrie' in the 'Marvel Cinematic Universe' superhero films "Thor: Ragnarok" (2017), "Avengers: Endgame" (2019), and the upcoming "Thor: Love and Thunder" (2022), as well as her...

Exclusive: Jasmine Mathews, Sonja Sohn, John Magaro and Shein Mompremier (Black Lightning) have joined the cast of Sony Pictures and Affirm Films’ untitled biopic of legendary two-time world heavyweight champion George Foreman, from director George Tillman Jr..

They will star alongside previously announced cast members including Khris Davis, Sullivan Jones, and Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker.

The film will follow the remarkable life and times of Foreman, from Olympic Gold medalist to World Heavyweight champion, the Rumble in the Jungle fight with Muhammad Ali in Zaire, to finding his faith, retiring, and becoming a preacher. When financial hardship hits his family and church, he steps back in the ring and regains the championship at age 45, becoming the oldest heavyweight champion in boxing history.

Tillman Jr. and Frank Baldwin penned the screenplay,...

Black History Month, pioneered by Dr. Carter G. Woodson in 1926, has been a fixture in my life for as long as I can remember. When you grow up in a Black church, and in other Black cultural institutions, there is often a Black History Month-themed program that the children participate in, and we all sing “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the Negro National Anthem.

As I got older, I realized that these moments — little kids shuffling to the front of a stage to take their turn at a microphone to recite a poem by Gwendolyn Brooks or Langston Hughes, and the older adults watching with tears in their eyes and pride in their hearts — helped to form a foundation of knowledge about who I am, and who I dreamed I could be in the world.

Black History Month became a life calling for me as I went on to major...

The latest in our series of under-appreciated films available to stream recalls 2020’s swoon-worthy throwback to 50s and 60s romances

When I first saw Eugene Ashe’s Sylvie’s Love at the Sundance film festival in January 2020, I remember not so much exiting the theater as floating. “That,” I said to anyone listening, “will surely be a smash, and end up swimming in Oscar nominations.”

Well, I was right to a degree on the first part – critics did praise the film – but the coronavirus pandemic nixed its theatrical release, and its end-of-year debut on Amazon Prime did not connect on a mainstream level as it should have.

The Guild of Music Supervisors released on Thursday the nominees for the group’s 12th annual awards ceremony, honoring music supervisors in film, television, advertising and video games.

Among the nominees for the film categories are “Being the Ricardos,” “Encanto,” “Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar,” “The Harder They Fall,” “The Tender Bar” and “Tick, Tick… Boom.” Meanwhile, some of the Television nominees include “The Crown,” “Cruel Summer,” and “Genius: Aretha.”

Nominees for music supervision in trailers include “The Matrix Resurrections” and “Spencer,” while video game nominees include “Grand Theft Auto: Online — The Contract” and “FIFA 22.”

As previously announced, Diane Warren will receive the Icon Award, while Mitchell Leib will receive the Legacy Award, which honors “music supervisors who have excelled within the craft of music supervision.”

Read the complete list of nominees below:

Film

Best Music Supervision for Film Budgeted Over $25 Million

Mary Ramos – Being The Ricardos...

The Guild of Music Supervisors today unveiled the nominees for its 12th annual award ceremony, celebrating outstanding achievement in the craft of Music Supervision in film, television, games, documentaries, advertising, and trailers, with such notable songwriters and performers as Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Kid Cudi, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Eddie Vedder, Anderson .Paak, Bruno Mars, H.E.R. and Demi Lovato making the cut.

Beyoncé was among those recognized for the Oscar-nominated King Richard song “Be Alive,” with Jay-Z, Kid Cudi, filmmaker Jeymes Samuel and music supervisor Michelle Silverman noted for the song “Guns Go Bang” from The Harder They Fall, and Miranda cited for his Oscar-nominated Encanto song “Dos Oruguitas.” Vedder was nominated alongside Glen Hansard, his performer daughter Olivia and music supervisor Tracy McKnight for the Flag Day tune “My Father’s Daughter,” with Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars among those sharing a nom for the Shang-Chi song “Fire In the Sky.” H.E.

Nominees for the 12th annual Guild of Music Supervisors (Gms) Awards have been revealed, recognizing the craft of music supervision in film, television, games, advertising and trailers.

Among the film nominees for the 2022 edition of the Gms Awards are “Encanto,” “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” and “Being the Ricardos,” each of which also scored Oscar nominations this week. Television shows that scored nods include “The White Lotus,” “Blindspotting” and “Lovecraft Country.”

Songwriters, artists and music supervisors will be recognized together for the category of best song written and/or recorded for film.

As previously announced, Diane Warren will receive the organization’s prestigious Icon Award, and Mitchell Leib will receive the Legacy Award honoring those music supervisors who have excelled within the craft of music supervision.

The 12th annual ceremony will take place virtually on Sunday, March 20.

Film

Best Music Supervision for Film Budgeted Over $25 Million

Mary Ramos – “Being the Ricardos...