Black flag whos got the 10 and a half

EXCLUSIVE: The Black List and Women in Film said Monday that they have set the participants for their 2023 Episodic Lab, with seven television pilots from eight writers selected. Now in its seventh year, the lab focuses on preparing women writers and writers of underrepresented genders for careers in writing for TV. More than 40 scribes have participated since its launch in 2016, with the organizations saying half currently have jobs in the industry. This year’s list features Bev Chukwu, Deanna Esposito, Eudie Pak, Laura Malatos & Helen Sun, Katherine Ruppe, Lorin Williams and Thea Rodgers. The lab, supported by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and Shivhans Pictures, meets twice a week in March for sessions that include masterclasses, pitch workshops and lectures from guest mentors. This year’s mentors list includes Monica Beletsky ( Parenthood ), Jane Becker ( Ted Lasso ), Glen Mazzara ( The Dark Tower ), Sono Patel ( The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel ) … [Read more...] about The Black List And Women In Film Set 2023 Episodic Lab Writers

HBO is developing the new comedy series Disengagement from writer and executive producer Robin Thede ( A Black Lady Sketch Show ). The half-hour project comes after Thede who signed a three-year overall deal in May 2022 to develop projects for HBO , HBO Max, and Warner Bros. Television. Disengagement centers on the prestigious Cole family after a very public and embarrassing business implosion shattered their perfect Midwest image. And it was just an image, because, behind closed doors, even their dysfunction has dysfunction, proving family is the ultimate pyramid scheme. Thede will serve as writer and executive producer of the series; Meghan Cheek will produce through Thede’s production company, For Better or Words, Inc. Thede is a comedian, writer, actor, and producer. Five-time Emmy-nominee, Thede is the creator, showrunner, executive producer, writer, and star of HBO’s sketch comedy series, A Black Lady Sketch Show . A Black Lady Sketch Show is the … [Read more...] about Robin Thede Developing HBO Comedy Series ‘Disengagement’

Martin Luther King Jr. would be stunned by the rollback of voting rights in this country and efforts to suppress the teaching of the struggle for civil rights, according to his eldest son, Martin Luther King III . “People ask me, what do you think your father is doing? He’s not just turning over — he’s spinning in his grave,” MLK III told Deadline in a conversation at the SXSW Conference and Festivals. He imagines his late father thinking, “’What the heck is going on? Me, my team, we opened doors that should never be closed.’ And yet we’re going, it feels backwards — at least temporarily. Which is interesting because he prophetically wrote in his last book, Where Do We Go Here: Chaos or Community? , obviously he wanted us to revert to community, but we are seeing chaos constantly. Every day something else comes out that’s more extreme than the last thing. And, so, our work is cut out for us.” King and his wife Arndrea Waters King were among the panelists at an SXSW … [Read more...] about Martin Luther King III: My Father Is “Spinning In His Grave” Over Voting Rights Attacks — SXSW

5 th UPDATE – FINAL: (See McHale and Obama videos here and here ) If last year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner with headliner Conan O’Brien was white bread bland, tonight’s event was just painful. In way way over his head, Joel McHale stumbled and sputtered through a routine that got more moans and groans from the packed Washington Hilton ballroom than laughs. With failed one-liners about runaway production, Robert De Niro ’s career choices, Jessica Simpson ’s historical knowledge, the Kardashians’ sex lives, George Clooney ’s political affiliations, Bill Clinton’s qualifications as a grandfather and a slew of other poorly conceived and badly executed jokes, the Community star left the stage after 30-minutes to weak applause from the 2,600 guests. At least he made President Obama ’s speech and his now standard swipes at cable news look good in comparison. Obama’s sharpest line of the night came courtesy of Netflix when Obama sympathized with … [Read more...] about Obama Rips Cable News & Joel McHale Bombs At White House Correspondents’ Dinner

Sunday AM Update/writethru: Following Saturday 7:28AM post, with final : Warner Bros./Legendary’s Pokémon Detective Pikachu is coming in ahead of its $50M-$55M domestic tracking with a $58M No. 2 opening being called by the studio. They excelled with the first Pokemon movie back in 1999 with a $31M launch, and they’ve done even better with this updated live-action hybrid comedy close to 20 years later. It’s a great comeback for Legendary on the Burbank lot after its five-year deal at Universal. When Detective Pikachu jumped to Warner Bros. last July , it was a sign that Legendary, which was behind such Warner Bros. successes as the Dark Knight and Godzilla franchises, was coming back. Smart dating here on behalf of Warner Bros.: They waited for Disney/Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame to calm down, going two weekends after the summer juggernaut, which, as of this morning, continued to top the box office with its third No. 1 in a row, an estimated $63.1M . … [Read more...] about ‘Pokemon Detective Pikachu’ Grabs $58M In ‘Endgame’ Dominated Universe; Marvel Pic 3rd Highest Domestic With $723M+ – Sunday Update

Hundreds of WGA East members who work for Hearst Magazines Media are planning to stage a walkout Thursday to demand a fair contract. The half-day action is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. ET and will last the remainder of the day. “ WGA East members at Hearst have been bargaining a first contract for over two years and their last scheduled day of negotiations is March 28,” the guild said. “With only one bargaining session left, the Hearst Union is taking collective action with a unit-wide walkout in their fight for a fair first contract.” Rallies in support of the walkout will be held at four locations: outside the Hearst Tower in Manhattan; at the Hearst offices in Easton, PA; at the Hearst offices in Ann Arbor, MI; and the Hearst offices in Birmingham, AL. The guild represents some 500 of the publishing giant’s editorial, video, design and photo staff at more than 25 brands including Esquire, Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, … [Read more...] about WGA East Sets Walkout At Hearst Magazines For Thursday; Hundreds Sign Petition

Twitter / @MrErnestOwens UPDATE 10:37 AM PT -- The man who everyone assumed shouted during Harry Styles ' acceptance speech is denying he was the heckler -- saying he simply caught an impassioned Beyoncé fan on camera. UPDATE ALSO: Cultural context matters. When Black folks say "I'm hollering," "I'm yelling" -- it's a reaction to something internally. — Ernest Owens (@MrErnestOwens) February 6, 2023 @MrErnestOwens UPDATE Ernest Owens says he was NOT the person heard screaming Bey's name -- despite posting a video with the caption, "Yes, I yelled" -- while Harry was on stage receiving his Grammy for Album of the Year. Here's how EO explains it on Twitter ... "ALSO: Cultural context matters. When Black folks say "I'm hollering," "I'm yelling" -- it's a reaction to something internally." UPDATE He adds, "Like when someone tells their friend who is cutting up, "Gurl, you got me yelling and screaming,' "I'm hollering" -- it's not literal. … [Read more...] about Beyoncé Fan Denies Screaming During Harry Styles’ AOTY Win

Oscar winner and Academy member Roger Ross Williams is saying publicly what many in the documentary community have stewed over privately – that the sums of money being spent on Oscar documentary campaigns has “gotten insane.” And Williams, a former Academy Governor representing the Doc Branch, says something may be done about it. “We in the Academy, in the Doc Branch, have a campaign finance reform committee… to sort of try to work through that and figure out solutions to that. It’s gotten insane. It’s gazillions of dollars to get seen and heard,” he said, “and that’s so troubling because it should be on the merit of the films.” His remarks, less than two weeks after the Academy Awards, came in a discussion with documentary programmer and Pure Nonfiction podcaster Thom Powers at CPH:DOX in Copenhagen. Powers asked the filmmaker about “the escalating attention that awards season sucks up in our industry,” and Williams didn’t hold back. “We know it’s awards, it’s the … [Read more...] about Oscar Winner Roger Ross Williams: Spending On Oscar Doc Campaigns Has “Gotten Insane” — CPH:DOX

Ciarán Hinds , Rory Kinnear and Tanya Moodie have joined the Season 2 cast of Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power in recurring roles. Developed by J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, The Lord of the Rings series, which is currently in production in the UK, is set in the Second Age of Middle-earth — thousands of years before the events of the Lord of the Rings films and the novels by JRR Tolkien. Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth. No character descriptions have been revealed. Hinds, Kinnear and Moodie join previously announced Season 2 recurring cast additions Sam Hazeldine, who takes on the role of Orc leader Adar, replacing Joseph Mawle, who portrayed the character in Season 1; as well as Gabriel Akuwudike, Yasen ‘Zates’ Atour, Ben Daniels, newcomer Amelia Kenworthy, Nia Towle, Nicholas … [Read more...] about ‘The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power’ Adds Ciarán Hinds, Rory Kinnear & Tanya Moodie To Season 2 Cast

Gettty/Ortega Ink Dak Prescott 's plant leg just got a whole lot better lookin' -- TMZ Sports has learned the Dallas Cowboys superstar got it tatted over the weekend ... with tributes to his mom, brother, Kobe Bryant and more. The quarterback hit up Andres Ortega out at Onder Ink in Arizona just days after his star wide receiver, CeeDee Lamb , got a back piece done by the artist -- and Prescott came away from the shop with a massive new tattoo. Ortega Ink The artwork covers nearly his entire right leg -- and it features a ton of imagery that's near and dear to the 29-year-old's heart. The picture of the moose is a nod to his brother, Jace , who died by suicide in 2020. The photo of a Pegasus honors his mother, Peggy , who passed away from cancer in 2013. Ortega Ink The tattoo also pays homage to several sports icons -- there's images of a Black Mamba for Kobe, a Jumpman logo for Michael … [Read more...] about Dak Prescott Gets Huge Leg Tattoo W/ Tributes To Mom, Brother, Kobe & Muhammad Ali