EXCLUSIVE: Alessandro Nivola is set to co-star alongside André Holland in Apple TV+’s The Big Cigar , a six-episode limited series that will chronicle the story of Black Panther leader Huey P. Newton’s escape to Cuba. The series will be showrun and executive produced by NAACP Image Award winner Janine Sherman Barrois, with Holland starring as Newton and Don Cheadle on board to direct and executive produce the first two episodes. The growing ensemble cast also includes Tiffany Boone. 2022 Apple TV+ Pilots & Series Orders With the first episode written and executive produced by Jim Hecht and based on the eponymous Playboy article from Joshuah Bearman, The Big Cigar tells the extraordinary, hilarious, almost-too-good-to-be-true story of how Newton relied on his best friend, Bert Schneider (Nivola), the Hollywood producer behind Easy Rider , to elude a nationwide manhunt and escape to Cuba while being pursued into exile by the FBI. The series hails from … [Read more...] about Alessandro Nivola To Co-Star With André Holland in The Apple Original Limited Series ‘The Big Cigar’
Apple tv
Melissa Benoist Renews Overall Deal With Warner Bros. TV As She Officially Boards ‘The Girls On The Bus’
Melissa Benoist and her production banner Three Things Productions has renewed its overall deal with Warner Bros. Television Group as the former Supergirl star officially joins HBO Max series The Girls on the Bus . Deadline revealed in February that Benoist was in talks to reunite with Berlanti Productions for the political campaign drama series. It’s confirmed that she will star as Sadie McCarthy, a journalist who romanticizes Tim Crouse’s Boys on the Bus book and who scrapped her whole life for her own shot at covering a presidential campaign for the paper of record. Sadie hits the trail and eventually bonds with three female competitors. Despite their differences, the women become a found family with a front-row seat to the greatest soap opera in town: the battle for the White House. The series comes from executive producers and writers Amy Chozick and Julie Plec, inspired by a chapter in Chozick’s book Chasing Hillary . Benoist will serve as a … [Read more...] about Melissa Benoist Renews Overall Deal With Warner Bros. TV As She Officially Boards ‘The Girls On The Bus’
‘Claws’ Showrunner Janine Sherman Barrois Inks New Overall Deal With WBTV
Claws executive producer/showrunner Janine Sherman Barrois has signed a new, exclusive multi-year overall deal with Warner Bros. Television. Under the pact, Sherman Barrois will continue to run Claws , produced by WBTV’s Warner Horizon Scripted Television, as well as develop new projects for the studio. Sherman Barrois boarded Claws in the pilot stage under her previous overall deal at WBTV. The Florida nail salon dramedy, starring Niecy Nash and Carrie Preston, was a breakout for TNT, ranking as its highest rated series in the adults 18-49 demographic. Season 2 premieres June 10. Sherman Barrois was a graduate of the Warner Bros. Writers’ Workshop, which launched her career writing for comedies like The Jamie Foxx Show and The PJs before she shifted to the drama side with runs as a co-exec producer on Third Watch and executive producer on ER. Sherman Barrois did a five-year stint on CBS/ABC Studios/CBS TV Studios’ procedural Criminal Minds , four of them as an … [Read more...] about ‘Claws’ Showrunner Janine Sherman Barrois Inks New Overall Deal With WBTV
Wendy Williams Podcast Planning in Full Swing, Lining Up Celebs
TMZ.com Wendy Williams is already putting television in her rearview, having decided podcasting is a better fit -- but she's already lining up big names to join her ... TMZ has learned. Even though her daytime show was one of the most popular over its 13-season run, Wendy has no interest in being on TV full time right now ... according to her manager Will Selby . Gallery Launch Gallery Getty Will is executive producing Wendy's upcoming podcast, and tells us Wendy recently spoke to Snoop Dogg and Fat Joe about being guests -- as she's planning to focus more on her own personal favorites from the music world. In addition, we're told Wendy's had convos with the Kardashians, and even a member of the Trump family. Will's not saying which one, but any of them would be a huge get ... considering what's going on in Washington . TMZ.com We got Wendy in NYC back in May, and she vowed she would be back on TV , but we're … [Read more...] about Wendy Williams Podcast Planning in Full Swing, Lining Up Celebs
Roku Channel Adds Eight NBCUniversal Local Stations In A First For The Streaming Platform
Roku has teamed with NBCUniversal to offer eight local NBC stations as free offerings on its popular Roku Channel . It is the first time local stations will be on the Roku Channel, which the company says has reach to households with 80 million people. The local channels from New York, LA, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas/Fort Worth, Washington DC, Hartford, CT and South Florida will be available through the Roku Channel’s on-screen guide. “Audiences are increasingly opting to consume news through streaming , and local news has consistently been one of the top requested categories by our users,” Ashley Hovey, head of The Roku Channel, AVOD, said in a press release. “ We’re excited to work with NBCUniversal Local and the NBC Stations to expand our relevant live TV offering for streamers and to bring news from multiple major cities to millions of viewers across the country to easily access and enjoy.” The local TV sector has found its way to streaming after a … [Read more...] about Roku Channel Adds Eight NBCUniversal Local Stations In A First For The Streaming Platform
‘True Detective’: Kali Reis Joins Jodie Foster In Season 4 As It Gets HBO Greenlight
Actor, professional boxer and Indigenous rights advocate Kali Reis is set to star opposite Jodie Foster in True Detective : Night Country. With both leads in place, Season 4 of the crime thriller anthology series has received a formal greenlight by HBO . Reis recently burst into the Hollywood scene with her acting debut in the indie film Catch the Fair One, on which she also helped develop the story with director Josef Kubota Wladyka. Her performance earned her a special Jury Mention for Best Actress at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival, where the film won the Audience Award, as well as a 2022 Indie Spirit Award nomination for Best Female Lead. It also got the attention of True Detective producers. Reis was identified as the choice for the co-lead opposite Foster weeks ago. It took awhile for her deal to get done as insurance and other issues had to be worked out in light of Reis’ boxing career. She has no upcoming fights scheduled at this time. In True … [Read more...] about ‘True Detective’: Kali Reis Joins Jodie Foster In Season 4 As It Gets HBO Greenlight
Billie Eilish Reflects on Just How Much Her Career Has Changed After Historic Glastonbury Performance on ‘Corden’
Billie Eilish appeared on The Late Late Show following her headlining set at Glastonbury . During an interview with host James Corden, Eilish recalled how much things have changed since she first began performing in the U.K. In the interview, Eilish recounted one of her early London concerts, where a fan waited for her outside. “There was this girl standing outside and she was with her mom and I was like, ‘What are they doing here? Who would do that?’ Eilish recalled. “I pulled up and she kind of looked at the car funny and I remember thinking, ‘That’s weird. Who is that? Why would there be somebody standing there?’ And I opened the door and she looked at me and she looked so happy and surprised.” The singer added, “She was the first person to ever stand in the line to meet me ever in my life. And I gave her the biggest hug and I took a picture with her and I just held her and she was so sweet. It was really magical.” During her early days of performing, Eilish said she … [Read more...] about Billie Eilish Reflects on Just How Much Her Career Has Changed After Historic Glastonbury Performance on ‘Corden’
Nick Nemeroff Dies: Canadian Comedian Was 32
Canadian-born comedian Nick Nemeroff passed away suddenly on Monday at age 32. His family and agency announced the news late Monday. No cause of death has been given. Nemeroff, who made appearances on Conan and performed at Just for Laughs in Montreal, was a Juno Award nominee in 2021 for his comedy album, The Pursuit of Comedy Has Ruined My Life . He was also part of CBC Gem’s The New Wave of Standup , and was most recently seen on CTV Comedy’s Roast Battle Canada . Raised in Montreal-West, Nemeroff attended the Royal West Academy and went on to graduate from the Radio and Television program at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly known as Ryerson). His family wrote, “Nick’s dedication to stand-up comedy was admirable and produced amazing results. He performed on Conan before the age of 30 and was featured in multiple TV tapings, most recently, CTV’s Roast Battle Canada . He drew acclaim in Canada and the US, becoming both a ‘comic’s comic’ and a … [Read more...] about Nick Nemeroff Dies: Canadian Comedian Was 32
‘The Batman’ $134M Opening Reps Warner Bros’ Biggest During Pandemic Era, Best Debut For Matt Reeves – Monday AM Update
MONDAY AM: Rival studios easily saw Batman doing in the mid $130Ms yesterday AM, and today Warner Bros . is reporting $134M after a $34.1M Sunday, -21% from Saturday. Presales were strong throughout the weekend. Look for Batman to ease 50% in weekend 2 with an estimated $67M. Batman doesn’t encounter any studio wide competition until March 25, when Paramount opens its Sandra Bullock-Channing Tatum-Brad Pitt-Daniel Radcliffe adventure romantic comedy The Lost City, which is getting ready to blast off at SXSW next weekend. iSpot shows that in U.S. TV ads alone, Warners spent more than other studios to date during 2022 (it is a big film), with close to $30M across the Winter Olympics, NFL games, NBA games, Good Morning America, The Bachelor, as well as shows on Fox, USA and CBS. All in 920M TV ad impressions. Worldwide came in at $258M when adding in $124M from abroad. SUNDAY AM UPDATE : In another clear sign that moviegoing is alive and well despite … [Read more...] about ‘The Batman’ $134M Opening Reps Warner Bros’ Biggest During Pandemic Era, Best Debut For Matt Reeves – Monday AM Update
Watch Lizzo Find Her Inner Beyoncé on ‘Carpool Karaoke’
Lizzo is the latest celeb to appear on James Corden’s “Carpool Karaoke” and the singer brought a genuine sense of fun to The Late Late Show segment. Filmed in Los Angeles, the clip showcases Lizzo and Corden driving around while singing several of Lizzo’s hits, including “Good as Hell,” “Juice,” and “Truth Hurts.” They pair also does their own version of Lizzo’s viral Tik-Tok dance for “About Damn Time” alongside a group of dancers and creator Jaeden Gomez. During the segment, Lizzo gets more serious as she discusses how Beyoncé has inspired her music. “When I was shy or when I didn’t think I was cool and when I was getting picked on, I would listen to Beyoncé in my bedroom and it would transport me,” she recalls. “I would feel something. I would feel like, ‘My life is going to be better. There’s hope for me.'” She adds, “When I dropped out of college and I was really depressed I listened to B’Day on repeat and I would just sing B’Day all the time. I was like, ‘I’m gonna … [Read more...] about Watch Lizzo Find Her Inner Beyoncé on ‘Carpool Karaoke’