NEW YORK (AP) — John Boyega is only 28, but being a professional actor of 10 years and a veteran of three “Star Wars” films has given him insight into what it’s like for a young performer breaking into Hollywood. “I always tell young actors who are getting into it, they’ve got their first franchise […]
Sam Pollard’s new documentary “MLK/FBI” is an examination of how Martin Luther King Jr. was investigated and harassed by the FBI, based on recently discovered and declassified secret government files. The film is currently part of the Masters section at the documentary festival IDFA, which runs virtually until December 6th. Pollard, a three-time Emmy winner […]
Having no film credits just three years ago, today Kemp Powers is the co-director and writer of two large-scale upcoming films: Soul and One Night in Miami. Speaking with the New York Times’ Jenna Marotta in an exclusive interview, Powers shared the special journey of working on both films, along with how they were a […]
A Questlove-directed documentary about the other major music event of the summer of 1969 and documentaries about the creators of Sesame Street and the coronavirus pandemic in China are among the 72 feature films debuting at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Organizers on Tuesday unveiled a robust and diverse slate for the festival, which will […]
NEW YORK (AP) — Like many of those involved in the making of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” it’s not easy for Viola Davis to summarize what playwright August Wilson has meant to her except to answer, “Everything.” Davis’ first stage role was in Wilson’s “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone.” She made her Broadway debut in […]
Warning: Spoilers ahead. I was both stunned and pleasantly surprised when I learned that Pixar would be examining spiritual concepts in Soul. After watching the film twice, I still couldn’t believe what I was witnessing in a mainstream Disney movie! Astral projection, spirit guides, OBEs (Out of Body Experiences), and NDEs (Near Death Experiences) were […]
The black-and-white romantic drama film Malcolm & Marie, which stars Zendaya and John David Washington, was shot over the span of two weeks. Self-financed and without the benefits of a studio, Zendaya told Variety that it took two days to figure out what on earth they were doing. But eventually, the final result was reminiscent […]
Kerry Washington and Laverne Cox are working hard to provide opportunities for underrepresented artists on-screen and behind the scenes. In conversation with Variety’s Angelique Jackson, Cox and Washington describe how becoming producers allowed them to have control over their work, which allows for more diversity and inclusion. “The question for me has always been, ‘How […]
NEW YORK (AP) — Ta-Nehisi Coates, the acclaimed essayist and novelist who expanded the world of Wakanda for Marvel comics, will write the script for a new “Superman” film from Warner Bros. The studio announced Friday that Coates will pen the screenplay for an upcoming “Superman” film that’s early in development. J.J. Abrams will produce. […]
On Sunday night, the marvelous Andra Day became just the second Black woman to win the Golden Globe for Best Drama Film Actress through her exceptional role in The United States vs. Billie Holiday. What makes this victory even more outstanding is that The United States vs. Billie Holiday marks the Grammy-nominated artist’s first starring […]