Posts Tagged: movie news

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Wesley Snipes Launching All-Female Action Movie Franchise

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Wesley Snipes has revealed plans to launch his own all-female action movie franchise.

The Blade actor, 58, revealed his new all-female project, Indigo, which he described as "Foxy Brown meets Mission: Impossible." He's currently searching for fresh talent to lead the cast.

"We are doing a global virtual casting," Snipes said in a recent podcast. "We have a body movement specialist, where we would take them through a training program, bringing grand masters from various disciplines like martial arts, dance, cinematography, directing; all of the things that go into the qualities that you need to become an action star."

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Snipes is sure there is an audience of males eager for movies featuring a kickass crew of sexy women similar to Charlie's Angels.

"We are looking for new talent and want to discover a new female action star, a woman of color, and a bunch of her girlfriends who do their La Femme Nikita thing."

Snipes has abandoned plans to return to the big screen as Blade. Instead, he plans to revamp Blade into a female action star.

"It's the next Blade 4 kind of stuff that we didn't do with Marvel - we're doing it ourselves. We have all of that Blade-esque mixed, hybrid type of action content," he said.

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Trump’s lawyer Giuliani denies being “inappropriate” with actress in new Borat film

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Rudy Giuliani denies being "inappropriate" with an actress in a controversial scene in the new Borat sequel.

Giuliani, President Trump's attorney, responded to a prank scene from the movie sequel by notorious troll Sacha Baron Cohen, aka Borat, back in July.

The plot of Cohen's satirical movie involves a fictional reporter (Cohen) traveling from Kazakhstan to the U.S. to give his fictional daughter away to a powerful politician.

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Giuliani was duped by Cohen and his "daughter” (actress Maria Bakalova) who both posed as conservative TV journalists.

Cohen is easily recognizable from previous pranks in his first movie. So he wore a disguise to meet with Giuliani.

After their meeting, Giuliani accompanied Bakalova, 24, back to her hotel room.

The story was revived on Wednesday when Cohen shared a promotional photo from his movie that showed Giuliani laying on his back on a bed while reaching into his pants.

Giuliani claims he reached into his pants to tuck in his shirt when Cohen (as Borat) burst into the hotel room wearing a pink onesie and shouted, "She's 15! She's too young for you!"

Fearing he was being set up for a blackmail scam, Giuliani called the police to report the incident.

In a statement to the NY Post in July, Giuliani said:

"This guy comes running in, wearing a crazy, what I would say was a pink transgender outfit. It was a pink bikini, with lace, underneath a translucent mesh top, it looked absurd. He had the beard, bare legs, and wasn't what I would call distractingly attractive. This person comes in yelling and screaming, and I thought this must be a scam or a shakedown, so I reported it to the police. He then ran away."

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In his response to the photo on Wednesday, Giuliani said, "The Borat video is a complete fabrication. I was tucking in my shirt after taking off the recording equipment.

"At no time before, during, or after the interview was I ever inappropriate. If Sacha Baron Cohen implies otherwise he is a stone-cold liar."

Giuliani said the incident won't distract him from exposing Joe Biden as a former vice president who used his office to enrich himself and his family.

Giuliani promised more bombshell leaks from Hunter Biden's laptop -- the same laptop that has been in the FBI's possession for over a year.

"We are preparing much bigger dumps off of the hard drive from hell - of which Joe Biden will be unable to defend or hide from. I have the receipts," Giuliani said.

The FBI confirmed this week that the contents of the hard drive are "authentic" and the emails and texts are not part of a Russian disinformation campaign.

The laptop is reportedly linked to an FBI probe into "criminal" money laundering activity, possibly involving the Bidens.

Republican lawmakers are inquiring if the FBI sat on the laptop while President Trump was being impeached for asking questions about Hunter Biden's involvement in the Ukrainian energy company Burisma.

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‘Coming 2 America’ is NOT Coming to a Theater Near You

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Eddie Murphy's much-anticipated Coming to America sequel, Coming 2 America, was sold by distributor Paramount Pictures to Amazon Studios for a reported $125 million.

The sale was made to Amazon Studios as more theaters face bankruptcy amid ongoing closures during the coronavirus lockdown.

Paramount Pictures weighed numerous options for the movie's Christmas premiere -- including selling the rights to Viacom's steaming service CBS All Access.

The expected streaming premiere date is December 18, sources tell Variety.

The original Coming to America, starring Murphy, Shari Headley and John Amos, grossed $300 million in theaters worldwide.

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In the sequel, Prince Akeem is set to become king of the fictional African country of Zamunda when he discovers he has a son in America. Akeem learns he fathered the boy, named Lavelle, with a Queens, NY native (Leslie Jones).

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Akeem and his loyal assistant Semmi (Arsenio Hall) depart for America to find Akeem's son, whom he has never met. Apparently, Akeem kept the NY Yankees bomber jacket he purchased during his first trip to Queens in 1988.

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The movie's supporting cast includes Jermaine Fowler (Lavelle); Tracy Morgan, and Wesley Snipes.

Coming 2 America was filmed on location in Atlanta, Georgia.

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Netflix Indicted in Texas for ‘Lewd Material’ in ‘Cuties’

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A grand jury in Tyler County, Texas has indicted Netflix for "promotion of lewd visual material depicting a child" when it distributed the French film Cuties.

The controversial film sparked fierce backlash against streaming giant Netflix, with critics alleging it over-sexualizes children.

According to a press release, the District Attorney's Office claims that Netflix, by distributing Cuties, "knowingly promote[d] visual material that depicts the lewd exhibition of the genitals or pubic area of a clothed or partially clothed child, which appeals to the prurient interest in sex and has no serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value."

A spokesperson for Netflix told PEOPLE in a statement on Wednesday: "Cuties is a social commentary against the sexualization of young children. This charge is without merit and we stand by the film."

The film tells the story of an 11-year-old Senegalese girl in Paris who joins a "free-spirited dance clique" to escape family dysfunction.

Netflix previously apologized for a promo poster of the child stars posing in their dancing outfits. After the film premiered on Netflix on 9 September, the backlash continued as the hashtag "#CancelNetflix" was the top trending topic on Twitter in the U.S. the following day.

A petition on Change.org was also launched, calling on Netflix customers to cancel their subscriptions over the flick on the streaming service "that exploits children and creates a disturbing vibe".

"From cuties to Big Mouth to other movies mocking religions and exploiting children Netflix is no longer the family friendly streaming service I once believed it to be," reads a message on the campaign.

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Outrage as #CancelNetflix Trends On Twitter Amid ‘Cuties’ Controversy

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Netflix

Controversial French film Cuties has spawned more backlash against streaming giant Netflix, with critics alleging it over-sexualizes children.

The film tells the story of an 11-year-old Senegalese girl in Paris who joins a "free-spirited dance clique" to escape family dysfunction.

Despite the outrage, the movie earned praise when it debuted at January's Sundance Film Festival in Utah for how it addressed the hypersexualization of young girls.

Netflix previously apologized for a promo poster of the child stars posing in their dancing outfits. After the film premiered on Netflix on 9 September, the backlash continued as the hashtag "#CancelNetflix" was the top trending topic on Twitter in the U.S. the following day.

A petition on Change.org was also launched, calling on Netflix customers to cancel their subscriptions over the flick on the streaming service "that exploits children and creates a disturbing vibe".

"From cuties to Big Mouth to other movies mocking religions and exploiting children Netflix is no longer the family friendly streaming service I once believed it to be," reads a message on the campaign, which currently has over 600,000 signatures.

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Barack and Michelle Obama, who signed a multimillion dollar production deal with Netflix, have remained silent amid the controversy.

The backlash prompted Netflix officials to issue a statement, insisting the film, "Cuties is a social commentary against the sexualization of young children.

"It's an award-winning film and a powerful story about the pressure young girls face on social media and from society more generally growing up — and we'd encourage anyone who cares about these important issues to watch the movie," they told Variety of the Maimouna Doucoure-directed flick.

But critics complained about the many close up shots of the young girls' body parts, and one scene where a girl exposed her breasts on camera.
 

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Netflix accused of sexualizing preteen girls in new movie

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Netflix

Angry parents accuse Netflix of normalizing pedophilia in its new movie, 'Cuties.'

Nearly 60,000 people signed a Change.org petition demanding Netflix "remove the new movie Cuties as it promotes pornography."

The French movie, which premieres Sept. 9, features preteen girls dressed provocatively and twerking in a "coming-of-age tale from Maïmouna Doucouré."

"Amy, 11, becomes fascinated with a twerking dance crew," the original promotion read. "Hoping to join them, she starts to explore her femininity, defying her family's traditions."

In response to the controversy, Netflix apologized on Thursday for the film's promotional photo that shows four preteen girls striking poses in revealing dance attire.

"We're deeply sorry for the inappropriate artwork that we used for Mignonnes/Cuties," Netflix said. "It was not OK, nor was it representative of this French film which won an award at Sundance. We've now updated the pictures and description."

Normally the French and Americans have different attitudes toward sex. The French tend to be less conservative when it comes to sex.

But Twitter users point out the stark differences in the movie posters.

One Twitter user wrote:

"Just compare the original French poster for the 'Cuties' film, and the image @netflix has chosen.

Anyone want to point out the difference?"

Netflix plans to premiere the movie in September despite the backlash on social media.
 

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Kanye West Confirms Dr. Dre’s Version of ‘Jesus Is King’, Lands 10-Year Partnership with GAP

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Kanye West confirmed a new follow-up to his critically acclaimed album "Jesus is King" with Dr. Dre is coming soon.

The news came in the form of a tweet in which Kanye announced his 10-year partnership with GAP clothing.

Kanye listed all the projects he has upcoming, including the GAP deal, a highly anticipated sequel to Ye's 2019 album, Jesus Is King, in collaboration with super producer Dr. Dre, and an animated cartoon series.

Kanye also confirmed his film Jesus Is King, released in IMAX theaters last October, will be released on Apple Music soon.

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If that's not enough, Kanye also has an animated Kids See Ghosts series with rapper Kid Cudi, who shared a teaser trailer for the series, directed by Japanese artist Takashi Murakami.

Additionally, Kanye teamed up with cinematographer Arthur Jafa for the music video for a song titled "Wash Us in the Blood."

 

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Queen Latifah Slams ‘Gone With the Wind’, Don’t Celebrate GWTW Because of Hattie McDaniel’s Oscar Win

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Queen Latifah is no fan of movie classic Gone With the Wind. The rapper-turned-actress disagreed with the decision by HBO Max bosses to reinstate Gone With the Wind following a massive backlash.

HBO removed Gone With the Wind from its movie lineup earlier this month following weeks of Black Lives Matter protests and unrest around the country.

But many criticized the streaming giant's decision to ban the classic 1939 film that depicted the horrors of the Civil War.

Filmmaker Spike Lee urged HBO Max bosses to reconsider and now the film will return to the site's lineup with an introduction from Jacqueline Stewart, a Black Cinema and Media Studies professor at the University of Chicago in Illinois.

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But Latifah, who portrayed Gone With the Wind star Hattie McDaniel in Ryan Murphy's Netflix hit Hollywood, feels viewers should also be educated on the racial prejudice McDaniel endured, even as she made history for winning the Academy Award.

"They didn't even let her in the theater until right before she got that award. Someone came outside and brought her into the auditorium. She wasn't even allowed to sit in there.

"And then she had to read a speech that was written by a studio. You know that's not what the hell she wanted to say... Then after that, all she could do was play the same kinds of roles..., so the opportunities at that time and the way that those in power in that business were relegating us and marginalizing us and not allowing us to grow and thrive after that was just terrible. And a lot of that is still around today."

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‘Contagion’ Tops Pay-Per-View Movie Charts in the U.S.

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The disaster movie Contagion beat The Ten Commandments to the top of the FandangoNow top 10 film countdown list this week.

Director Steven Soderbergh's 2011 hit movie Contagion is still topping pay-per-view movie charts in the U.S. as film fans try to make sense of the coronavirus pandemic.

The film, starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne and Kate Winslet, has led FandangoNow's Top 10 Catalog Films countdown for the past two weeks and now tops beloved religious classic The Ten Commandments, which movie goers are paying to rent and buy on the streaming platform with Easter approaching.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is America's third most-watched non-new-release movie this week, ahead of Trolls and Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone.

Shrek, Selena, Home, Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets, and Spider-Man: Homecoming complete the top 10.

Meanwhile, Will Smith and Martin Lawrence's Bad Boys sequel has ended The Invisible Man's reign at the top of FandangoNow's overall video-on-demand service.

Americans on lockdown raced to view Bad Boys For Life over the weekend, giving the action comedy the edge over another new release, Sonic The Hedgehog.

Source: WENN.com

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Rapper T.I. added to cast of Aretha Franklin TV series

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Rapper/actor Tip "T.I." Harris has been added to the cast of an upcoming Aretha Franklin TV project, Genius: Aretha. The "ASAP" hitmaker portrays Franklin's one-time lover, fashion designer Ken Cunningham.

Actress Cynthia Erivo will star as the late music icon in Genius: Aretha, an authorized limited TV series that chronicles the life and legacy of the late Queen of Soul.

Although production was halted earlier this month due to the global coronavirus chaos, show officials have unveiled new cast additions.

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T.I., 39, will play socially-conscious New York entrepreneur Cunningham, who approaches Aretha to invest in his fashion business, and ends up embarking on a relationship with the singer.

Cunningham eventually became the singer's road manager, and fathered her youngest son, Kecalf Cunningham, who was born in April, 1970.

Notorious star Antonique Smith and acting newcomers Tina Fears and Ethan Henry have also been added to the line-up, with Henry set to portray civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.

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The news was released to coincide with what would have been Aretha's 78th birthday on Wednesday, March 25.

Producers at National Geographic Network marked the occasion by releasing a new image of Erivo as the "Respect" legend.

Genius: Aretha, which also stars Courtney B. Vance as the musician's father, Rev. C.L. Franklin, was due to premiere this spring, but will now launch at a later date.

The TV series isn't the only screen project about Aretha in the works - Jennifer Hudson is also playing Franklin in a new movie biopic, titled Respect, which is set to debut this Christmas.

The biopic was pushed back from its previously-announced October opening, according to Deadline.

Source: WENN.com