Morris chestnut

Maren Morris shared a sweet moment with the queens of RuPaul’s Drag Race when she apologized to them for the relationship country music has with members of the LGBTQ+ community. The country music star was a guest judge on the MTV competition and was featured in the aftershow Untucked where she had a conversation with the contestants. “Coming from country music and its relationship with LGBTQ+ members, I just want to say I’m sorry,” Morris said in the clip shared on the show’s Instagram page. “I love you guys for making me feel like a brave voice in country music. So I just thank you guys so much for inspiring me.” Morris said she was going to cry after having the emotional moment before Mistress Isabelle Brooks added, “Just you being here shows you’re an ally.” Spice then said, “I love hearing Maren share her story because a lot of times with country artists, they can’t really express their more progressive ideals. Just her being here shows she’s down to roll … [Read more...] about Maren Morris Gets Emotional As She Apologizes To ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Queen Over “Country Music & Its Relationship With LGBTQ+ Members”

Andrea Riseborough ’s late-blooming word-of-mouth awards campaign for her title role in To Leslie has resulted in the British star’s first Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, upending received wisdom about the direction of this year’s race. Riseborough joins Cate Blanchett, Ana de Armas, Michelle Williams and Michelle Yeoh in this year’s Oscar Best Actress race. “I’m astounded,” she told Deadline this morning. “It’s such an unexpected ray of light. It was so hard to believe it might ever happen because we really hadn’t been in the running for anything else. Even though we had a lot of support, the idea it might actually happen seemed so far away.” So how did it happen? Directed by Michael Morris and based on the semi-autobiographical experience of writer Ryan Binaco, To Leslie premiered at last year’s SXSW but flew largely under the radar, grossing a little over $27,000 on an underwhelming release by Momentum Pictures in October. That makes it among the … [Read more...] about Andrea Riseborough Reacts To Surprise Best Actress Oscar Nomination For ‘To Leslie’: “I’m Not Entirely Sure How This Happened”

A column chronicling conversations and events on the awards circuit. AFI president and CEO Bob Gazzale spoke a real truth about the money-making Hollywood awards machine as he opened the proceedings for Friday’s annual AFI Awards honoring the year’s best in movies in television as chosen by a distinguished jury. “This is the only event of its kind where you are informed of your honor and then not asked to pay to attend,” he said. The Top 10 films AFI selected this year include Avatar: The Way of Water, Elvis , Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Fabelmans , Nope , She Said, T á r, Top Gun: Maverick , The Woman King and Women Talking , with an AFI Special Award for The Banshees of Inisherin. On AFI’s top 10 TV list are The Bear , Mo , Pachink o, Severance , Somebody Somewhere, Abbott Elementary, Hacks , Reservation Dogs , Better Call Saul and anthology series The White Lotus. Stars, creatives and executives connected … [Read more...] about AFI Awards Bring Out The Best In The Season; ‘The Whale’ Rising?; Oscar’s Longshots Hoping For A Miracle – Notes On The Season

Suffice it to say that Avatar: The Way of Water commanded the Visual Effects Society ’s attention. James Cameron box office-smash sequel scored a record 14 nominations for the 2023 VES Awards , which were announced today. Helped by three noms in the Emerging Technology category, Disney’s The Way of Water topped the single-year noms haul by Disney+’s The Mandalorian in 2021. It also shattered the old high-water mark for films, set by — no big surprise here — the original Avatar, which amassed 11 noms in 2010. The hardware will be doled out at the 21st annual VES Awards on Wednesday, February 15, at The Beverly Hilton. Avatar: The Way of Water will vie for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature — the category that hews closest to the Visual Effects Oscar — against Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, Jurassic World: Dominion, The Batman and Top Gun: Maverick , the film right behind the Avatar sequel on the 2022 list of top … [Read more...] about VES Awards Nominations: ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ Smashes Records With 14 Noms From Visual Effects Society

EXCLUSIVE : Good Girls creator/executive producer Jenna Bans has signed a new overall deal with Universal Television , the studio behind the NBC series. The studio extended Bans’ pact in conjunction with the Season 4 renewal of Good Girls. While a modest linear TV performer, from the get-go Good Girls has been a major digital draw. The caper, starring Christina Hendricks, Retta and Mae Whitman, has a devoted following and a lucrative deal with Netflix, which helped it score renewals at NBC early in its run. It is now a solid multi-platform ratings performer for NBC and a valuable asset with global appeal for sibling Universal TV. “All studios need to be in business not just with the most talented but with the most collaborative people that they can call partners. Jenna Bans checks both boxes,” said Universal Television President Pearlena Igbokwe. “The international hit Good Girls is evidence of her tremendous skill as a writer and  producer, and we count … [Read more...] about ‘Good Girls’ Creator Jenna Bans Re-Ups Overall Deal With Universal Television

EXCLUSIVE: Hulu is developing The Midcoast , a drama series based on Adam White ’s bestselling novel, from Escape at Dannemora co-creator Brett Johnson , Warren Littlefield ’s The Littlefield Company and 20th Television. Written by Johnson, based on White’s novel, The Midcoast is an hourlong drama set on the scenic coast of Maine exploring the rise and fall of Ed Thatch, a lobster fisherman turned blue collar criminal with an unstable devotion to his wife. The Midcoast was published in June 2022 by Hogarth Press. Johnson executive produces along with Littlefield, Ann Johnson, Graham Littlefield and Lisa Harrison for The Littlefield Company. White also serves as executive producer. 20th Television, where The Littlefield Company is under a deal, is the studio. Johnson co-created, executive produced and served as showrunner on Showtime limited series Escape At Dannemora, nominated for 12 Primetime Emmy Awards. He most recently served as co-executive producer … [Read more...] about ‘The Midcoast’ Drama Series Adaptation In Works At Hulu From Brett Johnson & Warren Littlefield

EXCLUSIVE : Monk creator/executive producer Andy Breckman has re-teamed with the series’ director/executive producer Randy Zisk for another hourlong procedural about a brilliant detective. CBS has put in development Einstein , based on the German series, from the Monk duo, Tariq Jalil’s Intrigue Entertainment , Red Arrow Studios International , which is behind the original German format, and CBS Television Studios. Written by Breckman, Einstein is about the brilliant but directionless great grandson of Albert Einstein, who spends his days as a comfortably tenured professor, until his bad boy antics land him in trouble with the law and he is pressed into service helping a local police detective solve her most puzzling cases. Breckman executive produces with Zisk, who also directs. James Baker, Bo Stehmeier, Shirley Bowers executive produce for Red Arrow Studios International, as well as Intrigue’s Tariq Jalil, Lucas Carter and Joe Wiggins, and Howard Klein for … [Read more...] about ‘Einstein’ Police Procedural From Andy Breckman & Intrigue Based On German Format In Works At CBS

In a competitive situation, NBC has bought for development Capita l, a drama series from Carol Mendelsohn Productions, Julie Anne Robinson ’s CannyLads Productions and Universal TV where both companies are based. Written by Sean Finegan , Capital centers on Special Agent Joanna Ward who heads up an elite Washington, D.C., unit that catches the world’s most dangerous criminals because she knows that all high-stakes crimes have one thing in common. Money. Someone’s paying for it and someone’s profiting from it. But when her partner gets killed and her team comes under attack, Jo must form an unholy alliance with her arch-enemy: a money launderer-extraordinaire who’s on the run from his most dangerous client. Finegan executive produces alongside Carol Mendelsohn and Julie Weitz via Carol Mendelsohn Prods and Julie Anne Robinson via her CannyLads Productions. CannyLads’ head of development Kelly Pancho is a producer. This is the second sale at NBC so far this … [Read more...] about NBC Buys ‘Capital’ Drama Produced By Carol Mendelsohn & Julie Anne Robinson

EXCLUSIVE: Maurice ‘Mo’ Marable will direct the sci-fi-action feature The Fall for Amblin Partners. Dalton Leeb & Nicholas Jacobson-Larson are penning the script, which is based on the Pete Bridges spec script. Malcolm D. Lee is producing. The story is set in the midst of an alien invasion, where a newly divorced couple must survive a dangerous journey on foot from downtown Atlanta to the suburbs, where their young children are home alone. Marable directed and executive produced the Craig Robinson-led comedy Killing It , which will be returning for a second season on Peacock, and both seasons of the comedy series Woke on Hulu which starred Lamorne Morris. He is also set to direct his first feature film with the remake of Three Men and a Baby , starring Zac Efron, for Disney+. He directed and executive produced the pilot of Grand Crew for NBC, which will also be returning for a second season, and joined Wanuri Kahiu as a series director and executive producer on … [Read more...] about Maurice Marable To Direct ‘The Fall’ For Amblin Partners

EXCLUSIVE: Deadline hears that Warner Bros. Television is developing a limited series about Buster Keaton that has Oscar and Emmy winner Rami Malek playing the vaudeville-turned-silent comedy movie star. Matt Reeves ’ 6th & Idaho Productions, Malek and David Weddle are producing, and we understand that The Batman director is set to helm. Three-time Emmy winner Ted Cohen ( Friends, Succession, Veep ) is in negotiations to write and serve as an executive producer on the project. James Curtis’ Buster Keaton: A Filmmaker’s Life is being eyed as the source material for the series, with negotiations underway by the studio to secure the book. Daniel Pipski and Rafi Crohn from 6th & Idaho are also EPs. The project is being primed to be shopped to streamers and networks; 6th & Idaho are under an overall deal at Warner Bros, as Deadline first told you . Reeves is also working on his Batman HBO Max spinoff series at Warners, The Penguin, with Colin … [Read more...] about Rami Malek-Starring Buster Keaton Limited Series From Matt Reeves In Works At Warner Bros TV