Ali f mostofa

HBO is developing Unruly , a six-part limited series about boxing legend Jack Johnson to be played by two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali . The project hails from Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman’s Playtone and will be written by Dominique Morisseau based the PBS documentary Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson, produced and directed by Ken Burns , and its companion book by Geoffrey C. Ward. Ali has stated multiple times over the past couple of years that playing Johnson on screen is his “dream role.” He previously portrayed the athletein one of his first professional acting jobs in a stage production of “The Great White Hope” in 2000 (photo above). Unruly is described as an unapologetically Black, no-holds-barred telling of Jack Johnson (Ali), the world’s first Black Heavyweight Boxing Champion. This bold exploration depicts the champion’s rise to athletic greatness and the costs he paid for his skin and defiance, which created a … [Read more...] about Mahershala Ali To Star As Boxer Jack Johnson In ‘Unruly’ HBO Limited Series In Works From Dominique Morisseau & Playtone

EXCLUSIVE: Winning Time executive producer Rodney Barnes has boarded HBO ’s limited series project, set to star Mahershala Ali as boxing legend Jack Johnson . Barnes, who is under an overall deal with HBO, will serve as writer and executive producer on the Untitled Jack Johnson limited series (fka Unruly ), bringing a brand new take on adapting the PBS documentary Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson , produced and directed by Ken Burns, and its companion book by Geoffrey C. Ward. He is one of several new creative auspices who have joined the project in development, originally announced in 2020 , along with Melina Matsoukas ( Queen & Slim; Insecure) , who has come on board as executive producer and director, and Khaliah Neal ( The Last Black Man in San Francisco; P-Valley) , who has signed on as executive producer. Barnes succeeds Dominique Morisseau, who had been originally tapped to write the limited series from Tom Hanks … [Read more...] about Rodney Barnes Joins HBO’s Jack Johnson Limited Series Starring Mahershala Ali As Writer & Executive Producer

A familiar face is about to matriculate on Bel-Air : Tatyana Ali, who played Ashley Banks in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air , is set to recur as an English literature teacher in the second season of the Peacock reboot. The streamer also released the Season 2 trailer, which teases tumultuous times ahead for Will (Jabari Banks). Ali joins stars Jabari Banks (Will), Adrian Holmes (Philip Banks) and Cassandra Freeman (Vivian Banks) in the new, 10-episode season that kicks off Feb. 23 on Peacock. Ali will play Mrs. Hughes, a teacher at Bel-Air middle school who sees something special in Ashley Banks (Akira Akbar). Per the logline: Season two of Bel-Air picks up with Will at a crossroads as a new figure comes into his life who challenges what he’s learned in Bel-Air and competes for control of his influence. He juggles this while navigating his home life with the Banks family and trying to rebuild the trust that was broken at the end of last season. We’ll see Will and … [Read more...] about ‘Bel-Air’: Tatyana Ali From ‘Fresh Prince Of Bel Air’ To Recur On Peacock Reboot This Season; Watch Trailer

Iranian filmmakers have united in penning an open letter to their friends and colleagues across the film industry, requesting their support in defending the rights of Iran’s people. The letter comes after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died in custody, allegedly by police brutality, after her arrest for not wearing her hijab in accordance with government standards. Their letter reads: Dear Friends and Colleagues Brave Iranians have taken to the streets across the country shouting “woman, life, liberty” for an entire week now while facing persistent, violent, and often deadly attacks from the oppressive forces. The Iranian government has restricted internet usage and blocked access to social media platforms in order to further suppress people’s voices. Last time such measures were implemented in 2019, the Iranian government murdered 1500 people. Independent Iranian filmmakers are standing by these fearless Iranian women and men and are trying hard to … [Read more...] about Iranian Filmmakers Ali Abbasi, Shirin Neshat and Bahman Ghobadi Pen Open Letter Following Death Of Mahsa Amini In Iran

Nina Ali is not returning to The Real Housewives of Dubai after only one season. As Season 2 of the Bravo reality series gears up to start filming, Ali has announced she is exiting the franchise. “It was an honor to be a part of the debut season of The Real Housewives of Dubai , and to help Bravo bring this beloved franchise to the city I call home,” Ali posted on Instagram . “I’m grateful to the network, Andy Cohen, and the team at Truly Original for welcoming me into this extended family and for embracing the diversity of riches Dubai has to offer.” Ali explained that although she is stepping down from RHODubai , she has some “exciting opportunities” coming up. “2023 has already brought many exciting opportunities my way, including an emerging new business, new home and new adventures, so for now I’ll be moving my attention away from the show to allow myself the space to focus on new challenges,” she continued. The first season of the reality series also … [Read more...] about Nina Ali Exits ‘The Real Housewives Of Dubai’ After One Season

“We didn’t do the movie to highlight women’s conditions in Iran, we didn’t do the movie to do activist work,” exclaimed Swedish-Iranian filmmaker Ali Abbasi about his latest in competition Cannes Film Festival title, Holy Spider at the pic’s press conference this morning. Ironic, given that at last night’s world premiere of the pic, a protest broke out on the red carpet of the Palais comprised of women clad in black, who let off smoke grenades and unfurled a banner with names of women killed by men in France in cases of domestic violence. A spokesperson for the documentary Riposte Féministe claimed credit for the protest, that pic centering around feminist collages in France who denounce feminicides. Holy Spider follows Saeed, a serial killer who at home is a meek husband and doting dad. However, when they go out of town once a week, he is hell bent on ridding the Iranian holy city of Mashhad of prostitutes. A courageous, driven young female reporter … [Read more...] about ‘Holy Spider’ Filmmaker Says His Thriller Is “Not A Movie About Women’s Conditions In Iran” – Cannes

Shudder and IFC Midnight are launching microbudget Skinamarink on a not-so-micro 629 screens, giving the viral horror pic a major push after a well-received premiere back at Fantasia-fest that just kept snowballing with strong reviews and social media love. “I was over the moon. For a horror filmmaker in Canada, [Fantasia] is like getting a Cannes screening,” says first-time filmmaker Kyle Edward Ball about the leadup to this weekend’s buzzy specialty opening. He shot the $15k feature at his parents’ home in Edmonton, Canada. In it, two children wake up in the middle of the night to find their father is missing and all the windows and doors in their home have vanished. “I’d had a nightmare when I was little. I was in my parents’ house, my parents were missing, and there was a monster. And lots of people have shared this exact same dream,” Ball tells Deadline. He should know. After film school and a stint selling video equipment, he launched a YouTube channel called Bitesized … [Read more...] about Microbudget Horror ‘Skinamarink’ Creeps Onto 600+ Screens – Specialty Preview

Kathryn Hahn is reprising her WandaVision role in the Disney+ spinoff series Agatha: Coven of Chaos and is teasing that there could be “a little song here or there.” Viewers of the Marvel series will remember that when Agnes was revealed to be the sorceress Agatha in the WandaVision series it was through a song that became a viral hit. With the recent casting of Patti LuPone , many wondered if there could be a musical number in the spinoff series. “Um, her costumes and her nails. They’re fabulous,” Hahn told TV Line . “And who knows, there may be a little song here or there… but no one is saying anything about that — certainly not me!” In addition to Hahn, other actors confirmed to be a part of the Agatha: Coven of Chaos include Joe Locke ( Heartstopper ), Aubrey Plaza ( White Lotus ), Ali Ahn ( Raising Dion ), Maria Dizzia ( The Good Nurse ), Sasheer Zamata ( Home Economics ), Debra Jo Rupp ( That ’70s Show ) and Emma Caulfield Ford who will … [Read more...] about ‘Agatha: Coven Of Chaos’: Kathryn Hahn Teases “A Little Song Here Or There” In ‘WandaVision’ Spinoff

A24 ’s The Whale crossed the $11-million mark in week six as it jumped to 1,500 screens from 835 as the Brendan Fraser -starrer and other contenders continue to tweak theatrical runs through awards season. The film, which received a PGA nomination for Best Motion Picture this week along with SAG noms for Fraser and co-star Hong Chau, grossed $1.45 million for the three days weekend and $1.8 million for the four days, including Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday. Former action star Fraser, who plays a morbidly obese, reclusive English teacher, is no. 8 at the domestic box office with a cume of $11.1 million. Box office newbie, Super’s Saint Omer , opened on 245 screens with a $62.5k three-day weekend and $255 per screen average ($74.7k and $305, respectively, for the four days). At its three core NY/LA locations, the Alice Diop film, France’s shortlisted Oscar submission for Best International Feature, grossed $21k, or a solid specialty PSA of $7,000. The … [Read more...] about ‘The Whale’ Swims To $11+ Million Cume, ‘Saint Omer’ Sees Solid NY/LA Open As Awards Race Picks Up – Specialty Box Office

Legal docudrama Saint Omer was voted Best Picture at the 34 th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival, which announced this year’s juried award winners today. Saint Omer wins for its ability “to expertly interrogate issues of society, culture, race, and gender,” the festival release stated. “Alice Diop, as screenwriter and director, delivers a film that explores different dynamics of Black women in contemporary France, drawing empathetic lead performances from Kayije Kagame and Guslagie Malanga (whose characters never interact, save for one momentous glance). By harnessing the skills of her technical team, Diop turns Saint Omer into a shrewd, cogent, ambitious, and overwhelming film which teases a metafictional awareness while remaining clear-eyed and unsentimental.” The Palm Springs festival took place from January 5-16 and screened 134 films from 64 countries, including 27 premieres. The lineup includes 35 of the International Feature Film Oscar … [Read more...] about ‘Saint Omer’ Takes Top Honors At 34th Palm Springs Film Festival