News

For his next trick, the Greatest Showman will impersonate a Neil Diamond impersonator. Variety reports that production has begun on Song Sung Blue, a biopic about a Diamond tribute band starring Hugh Jackman. Kate Hudson will portray the singer’s wife. Michael Imperioli, Fisher Stevens, Jim Belushi, King Princess, Ella Anderson, Mustafa Shakir, and others are also in the cast.

Filmmaker Craig Brewer, who directed Hustle & Flow and Black Snake Moan, is helming the production, which will be a musical drama. It’s based on a 2008 documentary, also titled...

Hugh Jackman may be the “Greatest Showman,” but now he has a show-woman counterpart: Kate Hudson.

The Tony winner and Broadway staple star will co-lead upcoming movie musical “Song Sung Blue” with Hudson, who recently unveiled her debut album “Glorious.”

The film is based on a true story and follows two down-on-their-luck musicians, played by Jackman and Hudson, who form a joyous Neil Diamond tribute band and “prove it’s never too late to find love and follow your dreams,” per the official logline.

“Hustle and Flow” and “Coming 2 America” director Craig Brewer will write and direct the Focus Features film.

“Song Sung Blue” is based on the 2008 documentary by director Greg Kohs, here an executive producer of the fictional adaptation.

Michael Imperioli, Fisher Stevens, and Jim Belushi co-star alongside Ella Anderson, King Princess, Mustafa Shakir, and Hudson Hilbert Hensley.

John Davis and John Fox are producing the film...

Taraji P. Henson continues to rage as one of the most stunning and intricately performing actors in Hollywood’s entertainment industry, with a range as baffling to fans as her emotionally complex performances. Not only has she scored top-notch roles in some of the most critically commended projects of all time, but she has also been tremendously acknowledged for the same.

Taraji P. Henson. | Credits: Genevieve/Cca-2.0/Wikimedia Commons.

However, despite being one of the most famous names in the industry who never ceases to bring some of the most electrifying performances to the table, Henson’s net worth as of 2024 might leave you astonished. To say the least, considering her involvement with some spectacularly achieving pieces at the global box offices, her net worth is truly incredibly less than expected.

One of the reasons behind this is inevitably the salary she gets paid in compensation for all the jaw-dropping acts she delivers.

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.

September’s film and television highlights begin with a tale of sports and crime, and the month ends with the devil. In between, well, there’s more sports and crime, the long-awaited return of a mischief-making demon (a.k.a., Beetlejuice Beetlejuice), a show featuring a Batman villain, and a lot more. And that’s just what’s new.

There’s no shortage of must-see titles on streaming services too,...

Kevin Hart’s true crime limited series “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist” premiered on Peacock Thursday, complete with a star-studded cast.

The eight-episode limited series follows the true story of Muhammad Ali’s 1970 return to boxing and an after party that led to the one of the largest heists in Atlanta history. Determined to make Atlanta the Black Mecca of the United States, Gordon “Chicken Man” Williams (Hart) finds himself stuck between established gangsters and calculated robbers.

The series is based on an iHeart Radio true-crime podcast “Fight Night,” created and hosted by Jeff Keating. Will Packer Media produced the podcast and also executive produced the series along with Hartbeat Productions.

Samuel L. Jackson, Don Cheadle and Taraji P. Henson join Hart in bringing this true story to life on screen. Read on for the full cast list and a description of the real world characters they depict.

Kevin...

Taraji P. Henson is posing in front of the hottest seat at the premiere of Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist.

There’s a line of her Fight Night co-stars waiting for their turn to be photographed on a metallic gold tufted sofa, flown in especially for the New York City afterparty. Attendees might believe it’s an inspired set design from the limited series based on a storied piece of Atlanta history from the 1970s, but the couch has its own history. More about that later.

Fight Night follows the real events around Oct. 26, 1970, the night Muhammad Ali made a historic return to boxing after a three-year suspension for avoiding the U.S. Armed Forces draft. At the same time, a celebratory party across town hosted by an Atlanta numbers runner Gordon “Chicken Man” Williams (played by Kevin Hart) was going terribly wrong. Chicken Man’s brazen attempts to...

“No one can tell you not to create. You must create,” Academy Award nominee Colman Domingo told a crowd of Arkansas-based filmmakers and fans during Variety’s Southern Storytellers panel at the Filmland festival and conference in Little Rock.

Co-founder of Filmland (and director of 1960s motorcycle club saga “The Bikeriders”) Jeff Nichols presented Domingo with the event’s inaugural Southern Storytellers Award, before joining Variety chief film critic Peter Debruge in steering a wide-ranging conversation about the craft with Domingo and half a dozen other writers, directors and producers.

On the prison-set, rehabilitation-through-art drama “Sing Sing,” which screened the same day, Domingo served as a producer alongside fellow panelists Clint Bentley and Monique Walton. All three shared how their careers had started, explaining that while storytelling may not be the most stable career, they’ve all learned to “hustle” to sustain it.

“I don’t like the word ‘struggle,...

Filmland Film Festival is returning to the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts from Aug. 14 through 18, hosted by the Arkansas Cinema Society. Colman Domingo with be honored with the inaugural Southern Storytellers award at the festival.

Domingo is receiving the honor in recognition of his performance in A24’s “Sing Sing,” in which he stars as Divine G, a man wrongfully imprisoned who finds purpose by acting in a theater group with other incarcerated men. The actor, who also served as executive producer on the film, will join co-writer and producer Bentley, producer Walton and moderator Nichols in a post-screening conversation.

Variety‘s chief film critic Peter Debruge will host the Southern Storytellers panel, presented by Variety, featuring speakers Domingo, Jeff Nichols (“The Bikeriders”), Craig Brewer, Kyle Hausmann-Stokes (“My Dead Friend Zoe”), Michael Schwartz, Christy Hall, Clint Bentley and Monique Walton.

Additionally, Hart Denton and actor and executive producer Dylan Sprouse will present their film,...

Paramount’s free streaming service Pluto TV has revealed its August highlights. Pluto TV is boldly going where no streamer has gone before, becoming the first service to offer the entire Star Trek film series for free!

Pluto TV has long been home to a galaxy of science fiction entertainment, and now all of the cinematic adventures of the Star Trek Prime Universe (William Shatner and Patrick Stewart) and the Kelvin Universe (Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto) are beaming up to your favorite device. Also joining Pluto TV in August are Alien Nation by Dust and three new channels from Fox.

Pluto TV is the leading free streaming television service, delivering hundreds of live, linear channels and thousands of titles on-demand to a global audience. The Emmy Award-winning service curates a diverse lineup of channels in partnership with hundreds of international media companies.

Pluto TV offers various genres, languages, and categories featuring movies,...

Peacock has announced the lineup of movies, TV shows, and live sports that will be available on the streaming service in August. The Peacock August 2024 schedule includes Mr. Throwback, the Love Island USA Season 6 reunion, Bel-Air Season 3, and the new film The Killer.

For the crime junkies, all seven seasons of Homicide: Life on the Street make their streaming debut on August 19. The fast-paced police drama portrays the brutal detective work of a homicide department in Baltimore.

Additionally, mark your calendar for the action-packed streaming debuts of The Fall Guy and The Fall Guy: The Extended Cut on August 30. The Bikeriders also cruises onto Peacock for its exclusive streaming premiere on August 9, and the magic of the Harry Potter franchise returns to Peacock exclusively all month long.

August Highlights

August 8: Mr. Throwback (Peacock Original)*

August 9: The Bikeriders (Peacock Exclusive)*

August 15: Bel-Air Season 3 – Premiere (Peacock Original)*

August 19:...

IndieWire can exclusively announce that Titus Kaphar’s “Exhibiting Forgiveness,” an intense family drama that wowed audiences at Sundance and NYC’s New Directors/New Films this year, will be getting a wide release by distributor Roadside Attractions on October 18, 2024.

Starring André Holland, Andra Day, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, and John Earl Jelks, Kaphar’s feature directorial debut takes inspiration from the world-renowned painter turned filmmaker’s real life.

As Tarrell, Holland navigates the challenge of reconnecting with his addict father La’Ron, played by Jelks, after he has reached success as an artist. Oscar nominee Ellis-Taylor plays Tarell’s mother Joyce, who had her own issues with La’Ron that caused them to split, but is more willing to forgive. Meanwhile, Aisha, Tarrell’s musician wife played by fellow Oscar nominee Day, falls more in line with the stance that Tarell and his father might be better off with no contact between them.

Taraji P. Henson has been one of the most vocal actresses in Hollywood at the moment. The Hidden Figures star gained recognition for her role in Hustle & Flow, and David Fincher’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, for which she earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She has since starred in a number of films such as The Karate Kid.

Henson recently opened up about many of the issues she faced while filming the musical adaptation of The Color Purple. The novel by Alice Walker was first adapted by Steven Spielberg, which has since gained many criticisms for its portrayal of Black people. Henson called him out for one element in the film, which the filmmaker has admitted to in the past.

Taraji P. Henson Called Out Steven Spielberg For Mishandling The Color Purple A still from The Color Purple (2023) | Credits: Amblin Entertainment/Ow Films/Sgs...

Actor Terrence Howard was last seen in the biopic Shirley as Arthur Hardwick Jr. The actor has worked on quite a few projects despite announcing his retirement plans back in 2022. However, while the Iron Man star gears up to hang his coat, he has also reportedly been working on himself and has undergone a boy transformation.

In his appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, Howard spoke about changing his diet and detoxing from the ‘parasites’ in his body. He credited his wife, Miranda Pak, to have encouraged him to work on himself and change his habits. He mentioned that since they met, Howard has had many changes that have led him to look much younger than his age.

Terrence Howard Credits Wife Miranda Pak For His Body Transformation Terrence Howard in Iron Man

Terrence Howard broke into the scene with the films Dr. Holland’s Opus and Dead Presidents. The...

It’s true that Terrence Howard hasn’t achieved as much success as his Iron Man co-star Robert Downey Jr. and earned too much recognition as an actor despite his immaculate acting chops (he himself claims 2008’s Iron Man killed his career). However, he most certainly had a chance to thrive a lot more successfully than not only Rdj but even the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Terrence Howard. | Credit: Gordon Correll/Wikimedia Commons.

While his scientific beliefs and discoveries that he claims to have found are one thing, there’s something else that would have made him even richer than the entire MCU franchise. This something else was actually a patent — to be more specific, the World of Windows patent — which he abandoned back in the day only for it to be around worth at least 7 trillion dollars now.

Terrence Howard’s Abandoned Patent Backfired Brutally

Yes, Terrence Howard did...

Terrence Howard, best known for his roles in popular flicks such as Iron Man and Hustle & Flow, recently spoke out about his alleged mistreatment and underpayment in Hollywood. However, it appears that many viewers were distracted by something else.

This time, it is not because of his acting abilities or charming smile. Well, all the focus was on his hair while he discussed his legal dispute with the Creative Artists Agency (CAA). In an in-depth interview on Straight Talk with Daphne Phaneđ, Howard, 55, talked about his lawsuit and his allegations that he was underpaid while he was a cast member of the Fox series Empire.

Terrence Howard as Colonel James Rhodes in Iron Man

But his distinctive hairstyle drew more attention, with one fan even remarking that the Chicago-born actor resembles one of the original “Charlie’s Angels”. It appears that viewers can’t get enough of them.

Terrence Howard...

Exclusive: Writer-director Jamal Dedeaux (Laff Mobb’s Laff Tracks) has rounded out the cast for his indie dark comedy The Late Night Creep, starring Single Parents alum Jake Choi. Newcomers include Tosin Morohunfola (Run the World), Jason Mitchell (Mudbound), Karen Obilom (The Mill), Lori Laing (That Damn Michael Che), Paula Jai Parker (Hustle & Flow), Lewis Belt (House Party), Leslie Jones (SNL) and Bradley Nnadi (I Wanna Dance with Somebody).

Details as to the roles these actors will play haven’t been disclosed.

The film tells the story of an unhappily married man (Choi) who sneaks out of the house to go on a date with his college crush and ends up having the night from hell. Dedeaux is producing the pic alongside Rebecca Haze and Kris Simms. Kim Williams handled casting.

Morohunfola is repped by Stewart Talent, ColorCreative, and Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz; Mitchell by TCA Mgmt, Cultivate Entertainment Partners,...

Universal Pictures is shifting its wide release of Blumhouse’s “Wolf Man” from Oct. 25, 2024 to Jan. 17, 2025.

“Wolf Man” is billed as a blood-chilling reimagining of the classic Universal monster pic. The film is directed by Leigh Whannell, who wrote the script with Corbett Tuck, Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo (“Dumb Money”). Golden Globe nominee Christopher Abbott stars as a man whose family is being terrorized by a lethal predator.

The film will reunite Abbott with co-star Julia Garner, with whom she starred in 2011’s “Martha, Marcy, May, Marlene,” her first professional acting role.

Whannell’s previous films with Blumhouse include “Invisible Man,” “Upgrade” and “Insidious: Chapter 3.” “Wolf Man” is produced by Blumhouse founder and CEO Jason Blum and is executive produced by Ryan Gosling, Ken Kao, Bea Sequeira, Mel Turner and Whannell. It is a Blumhouse and Motel Movies production.

Universal has also unset Blumhouse’s other picture “The Woman in the Yard,...

Actor Taraji P. Henson collaborated with Oscar-winner Brad Pitt for the David Fincher film Curious Case of Benjamin Button. But she figured she’d be the last person Fincher would cast in the picture.

Taraji P. Henson was surprised she ended up being cast in David Fincher’s film Taraji P. Henson | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

David Fincher and Brad Pitt were already very familiar with each other by the time Benjamin Button came around. But working with the two was a completely different experience for the Empire star. According to an interview from Black Film, Henson acquired the role thanks to a mutual acquaintance.

“Laray Mayfield, who brilliantly cast Benjamin Button. She had seen my performance in Hustleand Flow and actually called David Fincher from the theater and telling him she found Queenie, the part that I play,” Henson said. “This was two years before the film was greenlit, packaged and put together.

Shirley is a biographical movie about the life of Shirley Chisholm movie written and directed by John Ridley starring Regina King.

A schoolteacher, elected to Congress. It was the early 70s, and Shirley Chisholm was also the first African American woman to run for the Presidency of the United States. A woman who ran without any backing, representing the members of the working class, the minorities.

A movie filled with hope, faith, and feminism.

Indeed, more than a racial candidacy, Shirley Chisholm based her campaign on gender politics and minorities, paving the way for a hopeful future.

A film about faith, but above all about clear-cut American politics.

About the movie

Faith, hope, and a lot of political film of good ideas, faith, hope, and political consciousness. A movie with its good ideas well defined (we don’t deny them at any moment) and does everything possible to assert its thesis.

From once being a top star, known for featuring in the first Iron Man and earning an Oscar for Hustle & Flow, to now being the focus of a tax evasion case, Terrence Howard’s life has taken some wild turns. While the actor has been part of several acclaimed projects throughout his career that span over three decades, as of now, Howard is known for his bizarre statements and legal troubles.

Howard is no stranger to legal troubles with the government, as in the mid-2000s, state tax liens amounting to $639K were filed against his property in Plymouth Meeting. And while that was settled, the actor has now found himself in hot waters with the IRS after reportedly making some baffling statements.

Terrence Howard | Credit: Iron Man

Terrence Howard’s Baffling Response to the Tax Evasion Lawsuit

Per The Hollywood Reporter, a Philadelphia Judge has ordered the Oscar-nominated...

Actor Terrence Howard has been ordered by a federal judge to pay nearly $1 million in back taxes, interest, and penalties.

The action comes after Howard allegedly threatened a Justice Department lawyer and claimed that it is “immoral for the United States government to charge taxes to the descendants of slaves.”

He stands accused of ignoring IRS efforts to collect $578,000 in income taxes it says he failed to pay between 2010 and 2019.

Howard was nominated for an Academy Award for his work in the film Hustle and Flow, and was the star of the TV hit Empire.

He was sued by the Justice Dept. in 2022 after he reportedly didn’t respond to their requests beyond a voicemail he allegedly left on the phone of the case’s lead tax attorney. In that message, Howard denied owing anything and threatened to post the lawsuit on the internet, thus shaming the attorney.

“Four hundred...

Actor Taraji P. Henson became a more notable name thanks to her work in projects like Empire and Hidden Figures. But this success might’ve felt bittersweet for the actor, who has been candid about feeling overlooked in the film industry.

Taraji P. Henson once felt Hollywood didn’t know what to do with her Taraji P. Henson | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

In the 2010s, Henson reached the success she’d been striving for. She was steadily building her portfolio at a young age with small roles in popular television shows such as ER, Pacific Blue, and CSI.

At the same time, her film career was also on the rise thanks to the likes of Baby Boy and Hustle & Flow. The 2015 series Empire perhaps launched Henson into a new level of fame. The award-winning music drama was a phenomenon at its time, reintroducing Henson to a much broader audience. She...

Taraji P. Henson is the latest addition to the cast of the upcoming Peacock limited series “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist,” Variety has learned.

Henson joins previously announced cast members Kevin Hart, Samuel L. Jackson, Terrence Howard, and Dexter Darden. The role reunites Henson, Howard, and Craig Brewer, who is executive producing and directing. The three previously worked together on projects like the Oscar-winning film “Hustle & Flow” as well as the hit Fox music industry drama “Empire.”

The series is based on the podcast “Fight Night,” which was produced by Will Packer along with iHeartPodcasts and Doghouse Pictures. It will be set in Atlanta in 1970. The official description states that it will tell “the infamous story of how an armed robbery during the night of Muhammad Ali’s historic 1970 comeback fight changed not only one man’s life, but an entire city’s destiny.”

Hart will star as Chicken Man,...

Taraji P. Henson has joined the cast of Peacock’s limited series Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist in the series regular role of Vivian Thomas, a savvy businesswoman and Chicken Man’s (Kevin Hart) mistress.

The series reunites Henson with Hart who have collaborated on multiple projects including the films Think Like a Man and Not Easily Broken. Additionally, Fight Night also brings Henson back together with Terrence Howard and Craig Brewer, with whom she collaborated on Hustle & Flow and Empire, among other projects.

Set in Atlanta, Fight Night tells the infamous story of how an armed robbery during the night of Muhammad Ali’s historic 1970 comeback fight changed not only one man’s life but an entire city’s destiny.

As Deadline exclusively revealed on Wednesday morning, Dexter Darden will star as the legendary boxer in the limited series. In addition to Henson,...

Exclusive: Terrence Howard (The Best Man: The Final Chapters) is set to star opposite Kevin Hart and Samuel L. Jackson in the Peacock limited series Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist.

The project reunites Howard with Craig Brewer, who will direct and executive produce the first two episodes of the series. The pair previously worked together on Brewer’s 2005 feature Hustle & Flow, in which Howard starred, earning an Oscar nomination for his performance; and on the Fox series Empire, also starring Howard, on which Brewer was director-producer.

This also makes a return to Peacock for Howard who most recently appeared in the streamer’s limited series The Best Man: The Final Chapters, Peacock’s first original to break into Nielsen’s Top 10 streaming rankings.

Fight Night tells the infamous story of how an armed robbery during the night of Muhammad Ali’s historic 1970 comeback fight changed not only one man’s life,...

“Welcome to Hollywood,” Taraji P. Henson said when asked why “The Color Purple” director Blitz Bazawule had to fight to cast her as Shug Avery in the Warner Bros. musical.

The Oscar-nominated actress’ recent viral comments about pay inequity, starting with a Gayle King interview on SiriusXM in which Henson broke down in tears, and later revealing that she and her “Color Purple” cast and crew were deprived of proper security detail and crafts services during filming, have overshadowed the actual work. Make no mistake: Henson is the real deal as the sexuality-oozing blues songstress Shug Avery in Bazawule’s Alice Walker adaptation, itself a film version of the beloved Broadway musical. Henson holds her own song-and-dance-wise alongside Fantasia Barrino, who stars as Celie, but had to reactivate a musicality in herself that she hadn’t tapped into since her early days as a background actor and student of drama at Howard University.

Did you know that the “P” in Taraji P. Henson stands for Prolific? Just kidding. It actually stands for Penda, which in Swahili means “hope/love.”

But prolific might actually be too small a word to contain the wealth of Henson’s ambitious, wide-ranging career: Oscar-nominated blockbusters, must-see TV, a primetime musical (NBC’s “Annie Live!”) and movies known for their eminent re-watchability.

Now, as the tantalizing, tender-hearted Southern belle Shug Avery in Blitz Bazawule’s musical adaptation of “The Color Purple,” Henson is capping a banner year in which she could have become an Egot recipient with her 2023 work alone: her Emmy-nominated performance as Quinta Brunson’s cash-strapped mom on “Abbott Elementary”; being a principal on the “Purple” soundtrack; and making her first foray as a Broadway producer with the critically acclaimed “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding.” B

ut when it was suggested that she’s versatile enough to...

Taraji P. Henson is no stranger to hustle. Throughout college, she spent most post-class evenings singing, dancing, and waiting tables on a D.C. cruise ship and her early mornings as a receptionist at The Pentagon to help cover her Howard University tuition. Henson still wears many hats as the owner of the haircare line Tph by Taraji, the founder of the mental wellness nonprofit Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation, and most recently as the brazen Shug Avery in the blockbuster musical The Color Purple.

“I just had my house remodeled: I have an infrared sauna,...

Taryn Manning’s audition for the Britney Spears starrer Crossroads was so good it made director Tamra Davis nervous.

“She was picking something on her arm, and it looked like it might start bleeding,” recalls Davis of a casting session for the 2002 road trip drama, written by soon-to-be TV mogul Shonda Rhimes. “I thought ‘Oh my, she’s too much, this girl.’ But at the same time, she was the girl.”

Manning was vying for the role of Mimi, a trailer park teen with dreams of moving to Los Angeles to make it as a singer. Manning so nailed the mannerisms and soul of a girl from the wrong side of the tracks who longed for stardom that Davis also felt confused. “I remember quietly telling [casting directors Kim Davis-Wagner and Justine Arteta] that while she was amazing, I needed a real actress. My whole goal with the movie was to surround Britney with really talented actors,...

Terrence Howard sued his former talent agency CAA for breach of fiduciary duty and fraud on Friday, alleging the company urged him to take a “lowball” salary for his role on the hit TV show Empire due to a conflict of interest.

The actor, who portrayed hip-hop music mogul Lucious Lyon on six seasons of the celebrated Fox drama, claims CAA failed to act in his best interest because it also represented Empire’s co-creators Lee Daniels and Danny Strong along with the show’s production companies in a package deal.

The American Society of Cinematographers has announced the honorees for its 38th Annual Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography Gala on March 3, 2024. They are: Don Burgess, ASC; Steven Fierberg, ASC and Amy Vincent, ASC.

Burgess, Robert Zemeckis’ longtime collaborator, will be recognized with the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award. While his latest work is Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, directed by James Wan, Burgess is best known for shooting Zemeckis’ Oscar-winning Forrest Gump, for which he earned ASC Award and Oscar nominations. The duo have also collaborated on such films as last year’s live-action Pinocchio, Flight, Contact, Cast Away, What Lies Beneath, The Polar Express and the upcoming Here.

Burgess’ other credits include Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, the first Aquaman, Brian Helgeland’s 42, Allen and Albert Hughes’ The Book of Eli, Gary Winick’s 13 Going on 30, Jonathan Mostow’s Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and Billy Crystal’s Forget Paris.

It’s been a long time since Anthony Anderson made his television debut on an episode of L.L. Cool J‘s In The House. Since then, Anderson has become a Hollywood staple, with television credits ranging from Law & Order, The Shield, and black-ish, to films such as Life, Barbershop, and Hustle & Flow. He’s also become a boss behind the scenes, creating projects with E!, NBC, ABC, and A&e, to name a few. When speaking with TV Insider, Anderson let us in on how he’s been able to coincide these opportunities to build businesses with his mother, Doris Hancox Bowman, and longtime friend and comedy legend Cedric The Entertainer. “Me being in the position that I’m in, giving her the opportunity to co-host on game shows with me–we had a great game show called To Tell The Truth that was on for seven years...

Danielle Brooks and Taraji P. Henson, standout performers from Blitz Bazawule’s daring re-imagining of Alice Walker’s beloved novel “The Color Purple,” are vying for recognition in a fiercely competitive supporting actress race.

Following three consecutive days of screenings in Los Angeles, the film has garnered enthusiastic applause from voters, critics and industry professionals, sparking burning questions about the potential award prospects for Brooks as the fiercely independent Sofia or Henson as the sultry blues singer Shug Avery.

Could both secure nominations? And if so, might either claim the coveted statuette? Insights from Oscar history offer some clues.

In February 1940, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences unveiled the nominees for its 12th annual ceremony. Among the supporting actress nominees were two actresses from “Gone With the Wind”: Olivia de Haviland and eventual Oscar winner Hattie McDaniel, who made history as the first Black person to win an Academy Award.

Exclusive: Independent Artist Group has signed Terrence Howard, the Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe-winning actor known for roles in Hustle & Flow, Crash and Empire, for representation.

Howard earned those accolades for his starring turn in the former Paramount film from director Craig Brewer, which had him starring as DJay, a Memphis pimp in the midst of a mid-life crisis who hustles his way toward becoming a successful hip-hop emcee.

For his turn as TV director Cameron Thayer in the Lionsgate Best Picture winner Crash, examining interweaving stories of race, loss and redemption amongst L.A. citizens leading vastly different lives, he received the National Board of Review Award for Breakthrough Performance. Among those starring opposite him there were Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Brendan Fraser, and Matt Dillon.

Over the course of his film career, Howard has worked with many of the top directors and actors in the business. Among...

The Marsh King’s Daughter is a psychological thriller directed by Neil Burger, from a screenplay by Elle Smith and Mark L. Smith. Based on the 2017 novel of the same name by Karen Dionne, the film revolves around Helena, who has to confront her dark and tormenting past as her estranged father is being released from prison. Helena’s father kidnapped her mother two years before she was born and kept both of them in the jungle. Now, she is convinced that he will try to take her daughter and that’s why she must confront him. The Marsh King’s Daughter stars Daisy Ridley and Ben Mendelsohn in the lead roles with Brooklyn Prince, Garrett Hedlund, Caren Pistorius, and Joey Carson starring in supporting roles. So, if you loved The Marsh King’s Daughter here are some similar movies you could watch next.

The Girl on the Train (Rent on...

Reptile is a mystery thriller film directed by Grant Singer, who also co-wrote the film with Benicio Del Toro and Benjamin Brewer. The Netflix film follows a hardened detective who tries to uncover the mystery behind the murder of a young real estate agent. Reptile stars Benicio Del Toro, Alicia Silverstone, Justin Timberlake, and Michael Pitt. So, if you love the Netflix film here are some similar shows you could watch next.

The Little Things (Max & Prime Video Add-On) Credit – Warner Bros.

Synopsis: Kern County Deputy Sheriff Joe “Deke” Deacon (Washington) is sent to Los Angeles for what should have been a quick evidence‐gathering assignment. Instead, he becomes embroiled in the search for a serial killer who is terrorizing the city. Leading the hunt, L.A. Sheriff Department Sergeant JimBaxter (Malik), impressed with Deke’s cop instincts, unofficially engages his help. But as they track the killer, Baxter is...

This post contains spoilers for this week’s episode of The Masked Singer.

Following the Season 10 premiere of The Masked Singer Wednesday night, actor and comedian Anthony Anderson was the first celebrity to be unmasked after being correctly guessed by panelist Ken Jeong. Stunned, Jeong praised Anderson for the fun and laughter he has brought to the entertainment industry.

“It’s a Season 10 miracle,” Jeong said.

During the Season Nine premiere, 97-year-old Dick Van Dyke took the stage in a Gnome costume, and Monty Python star Eric Idle and Star Trek...

Freestyle is a Polish crime drama movie directed by Maciej Bochniak, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Slawomir Shuty. The Netflix film follows a rising rap star with a criminal past, who decides to set up a risky drug deal in order to get cash for time in the recording studio, but this deal may end up costing him everything. So, if you loved Freestyle here are some similar movies you could watch next.

Hustle & Flow (Max & Prime Video Add-On) Credit – Paramount Pictures

Synopsis: DJay is a Memphis hustler who spends most days in a parked Chevy philosophizing about life while Nola (Taryn Manning), turn tricks in the backseat. He’s not very good at pimping, but he can hustle almost anything or anyone and makes enough to keep himself and three girls satisfied and housed in his shotgun home. DJay however is in the midst of a midlife...

Lyrics that include the words “dick,” “fuck” and “pussy” are not the typical wholesome, family content the Academy’s Music Branch tends to recognize. But occasionally, they have allowed a couple to slip through. A24’s “Dicks: The Musical,” the opening night Midnight Madness at TIFF, has an onslaught of hilarious and catchy tunes that I wish the Oscars would be brave enough to nominate.

With so many hilarious tracks to choose from, including “Gay Old Life” and “The Sewer Song,” Grammy-winning rapper Megan Thee Stallion brings down the house with her delivery on the rap and dance number “Out-Alpha the Alpha.” It could and should be one of the many songs to consider for this year’s Academy Awards, and distributor A24 confirms they’ll submit the movie for Oscar consideration.

Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Oscars predictions in all categories.

Adapted from stars and writers...

A kindred spirit of Luis Buñuel, but one whose existential compulsions are more palpable, Pier Paolo Pasolini perpetually rebelled against moral hegemony, commiserating with outcasts and creating and dying as one. Today, his canon has been co-opted by forces on the right and left, the faithful and the secular. Which is to say, he belongs to us all.

The Criterion Collection’s new box set, Pasolini 101, represents the most comprehensive collection of Pasolini’s films to date, collecting nine of his features, as well as two shorts (1963’s La Ricotta and 1969’s The Sequence of the Paper Flower) that he made for anthology films and two documentaries that he shot during his travels. In addition to his own work, the set’s extensive and richly informative extras, among them two commentary tracks and a 100-page book featuring an essay and notes on the films by critic James Quandt, remind us...

Moving from the paintbrush to behind the camera, Titus Kaphar the “painter whose work reconfigures and regenerates art history to include the African-American subject” is set to direct Exhibiting Forgiveness. Production could take place this month in New Jersey – naturally any strike might complicate the shoot date. No casting announcements have been made yet but there is a formidable trio of folks producing the project. We find Blue Valentine alumni Jamie Patricof and filmmaker Derek Cianfrance joining forces with Stephanie Allain (best known for producing Hustle & Flow). Here’s the synopsis below:

A renowned painter who rose from an impoverished past, must confront his once highly abusive addict father, La’Ron, after 15 years of distance between them.…...

Fresh off of working on the horror films Swallowed and Consecration, Jena Malone has signed on to star in the supernatural thriller The Movers – and Deadline reports that she’ll be working with a cool supporting cast that includes Terrence Howard (Hustle & Flow), Tom Everett Scott (That Thing You Do!), Grant Feely (Obi Wan), Kellan Rhude (Dexter: New Blood), Natalie Burn (Black Adam), and Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future).

Written and directed by Giorgio Serafini, The Movers will tell the story of a close-knit family who moves into a seemingly charming neighborhood, only to discover that all is not what it appears. As they face persistent threats, the family begins to question their reality and the world around them. It’s a nightmarish universe of deceiving angels and compassionate demons, lost souls desperately seeking a way out.

Serafini had this to say about the project: “We are thrilled...

Exclusive: Double 3 Media Group’s production of supernatural thriller, The Movers, is about to roll cameras on May 22 with Jena Malone, Terrence Howard, Tom Everett Scott and Christopher Lloyd, Deadline has learned.

Written, directed by Giorgio Serafini, The Movers, centers around a close-knit family who moves into a seemingly charming neighborhood, only to discover that all is not what it appears. As they face persistent threats, the family begins to question their reality and the world around them. It’s a nightmarish universe of deceiving angels and compassionate demons, lost souls desperately seeking a way out.

Also in the cast are Grant Feely (Obi Wan), Kellan Rhude (Dexter: New Blood) and Natalie Burn (Black Adam).

“We are thrilled to bring together such a talented cast and crew for The Movers,” said Serafini.

“The Movers is a paranoid supernatural thriller in constant motion. Always unsettling, its action is dictated by...

The start of any month brings with it batches of movies added to streaming services’ libraries. As of this week, Netflix has “Girl, Interrupted,” “Steel Magnolias” and “Traffic,” HBO Max has “Blue Valentine,” “Hustle & Flow” and “Parasite,” and Hulu has “Atonement” and “Boogie Nights.” A handful of newer titles are also premiering digitally. First up is a spellbinding thriller featuring some of Hollywood’s hottest young actors.

The contender to watch this week: “How to Blow Up a Pipeline”

Neon picked up this eco-thriller out of last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, after which it won raves for its gripping portrait of young DIY environmental activists who band together to destroy oil pipes in West Texas. Based on Andreas Malm‘s nonfiction book of the same name, “How to Blow Up a Pipeline” stars Ariela Barer (“Runaways”), Sasha Lane (“American Honey”), Lukas Gage (“The White Lotus”), Marcus Scribner...

Exclusive: Terrence Howard (Empire), Jb. Smoove (Curb Your Enthusiasm) and Rebecca De Mornay (Jessica Jones) are set to star in Giving Thanks, a coming-of-age comedy set in Inglewood, California that will go into production in June.

The story revolves around Marcus and Roddy, two best friends who work at a dead-end retail job and dream about jump-starting their dream of living on their own while seeking fame and fortune. The pair come up with an ingenious plan to kidnap the pet iguana of football star Achilles Cooper for ransom, while also forcing the famous player to headline the birthday party of Marcus’s father.

Howard plays Calvin Turner, a hard-working father who wants to see his son, Marcus, take advantage of the opportunities life affords him. Smoove will portray Marcus’s arch-nemesis Dexter, an ambitious hustler who manages the retail box store where he works. And De Mornay is set...

A series premiere, a long-awaited season return and a bevy of great movies are new on HBO and HBO Max this month. May 1 marks the series debut of “White House Plumbers,” the new limited series from “Veep” showrunner David Mandel that chronicles the Watergate break-in and fallout. That show airs on HBO and will stream on HBO Max. Then on May 4, the comedy “The Other Two” returns for its third season on HBO Max.

The sixth season of the animated series “Rick and Morty” will be available to stream on HBO Max starting on May 11, and in terms of library titles the “Men in Black” trilogy, the comedies “Step Brothers” and “Some Like It Hot” and Jonah Hill’s directorial debut “Mid90s” all come to HBO and HBO Max this month.

Also Read:

The Best Movies on HBO Max Right Now May 1:

Absolute Power, 1997 (HBO)

Alpha Dog, 2006 (HBO)

American Honey,...

Wait a minute, you might be asking, isn’t HBO Max supposed to be “Max” now? How then, am I seeing a list of HBO Max new releases for May 2023? Well spotted, dear reader. Warner Bros. Discovery did indeed recently reveal that it would be rebranding its combined HBO Max and Discovery+ streaming service as just Max. As the company notes in its press release for May though, that change doesn’t take effect until May 23. What follows is a list of everything coming to HBO Max through May 22.

The biggest releases this month are two TV series that arrive at the beginning of May. White House Plumbers is a comedic take on the infamous Watergate scandal starring Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux. That will be followed by season 3 of The Other Two, which I personally consider the funniest show on television. Catch up now before it’s too late!

HBO Max will officially be replaced by Warner Bros. Discovery on May 23 with a new and improved service called Max. However, that doesn’t mean the service is scrimping on content until then. One of the biggest new releases of the month is the new limited series “White House Plumbers,” which will premiere on May 1. Starring Woody Harrelson as E. Howard Hunt and Justin Theroux as G. Gordon Liddy, the pair portray two real-life Watergate burglars and Nixon saboteurs who ended up destroying the very president they desperately wanted to serve.

Check out the “White House Plumbers” trailer:

The platform will head to the pitch on May 16 with a three-part soccer docuseries “Angel City.” The series goes behind the scenes with the groundbreaking Los Angeles-based professional women’s soccer team, Angel City Football Club. It reveals the origin story through the 2022 inaugural season of the female-founded and led team — including owners and investors Uzo Aduba,...

In the early part of the 2000s, Terrence Howard was on the cusp of major stardom. He’d been around since the mid-nineties, stealing scenes in movies like Dead Presidents, Mr. Holland’s Opus and The Best Man (which spawned a legit franchise). But, it was his role in Paul Haggis’ Oscar-winner Crash that led to many saying he would be the next great actor of his generation. His role in the Sundance break-out Hustle & Flow was a sensation that nabbed him a (well-deserved) Oscar nomination, and he followed it up with excellent character work in Four Brothers, The Brave One, Get Rich or Die Tryin’, and more. But, his role as James Rhodes in Iron Man promised big things to come.

At the time, no one knew the film would kick off the MCU, and he was well-positioned, with his character slated to become War Machine in the sequel.

Los Angeles, April 2 (Ians) Actress Taraji P. Henson has joined ‘Abbott Elementary’ and will be seen in a major guest role.

The ‘Empire’ star Taraji P. Henson, who will play Vanetta on the hit comedy series, reports Variety.

The casting of Henson was revealed Saturday at the Paley Center for Media’s annual PaleyFest LA event, where an ‘Abbott Elementary’ panel featured stars Sheryl Lee Ralph, Lisa Ann Walter, Tyler James Wiliams and William Stanford Davis in person, as well as Janelle James and Chris Perfetti via Zoom from New York.

Pre-taping a message was star and executive producer Quinta Brunson, who wasn’t able to attend – as she’s hosting tonight’s installment of Saturday Night Live.

In the ‘Abbott Elementary’ episode ‘Mom’, Janine (played by Brunson) is planning a Memorial Day weekend solo trip. But that’s derailed when her mother Vanetta, played by Henson, shows up unannounced and asks for help.