“Sinners” director Ryan Coogler has penned an emotional open letter thanking fans for showing up in droves to see the film in theaters, writing that his heart is “bursting” with “eternal gratitude.”
Coogler’s movie, starring Michael B. Jordan as the Smokestack twins, won the weekend, grossing $48 million domestically and $63 million globally.
The only way they got to that figure, the filmmaker writes, was thanks to the fans who bought a ticket: those “who decided to drive to see the film in different formats. Who bought popcorn and a drink, booked a sitter and carpooled, and stood in the lobby afterwards and talked and made a friend. Who changed their work schedules. Who saw the film in groups. … who watched more than once, who recommended the film to others, both in person and on social media or on your text message chains.”
In the typed letter, Coogler writes about what...
Coogler’s movie, starring Michael B. Jordan as the Smokestack twins, won the weekend, grossing $48 million domestically and $63 million globally.
The only way they got to that figure, the filmmaker writes, was thanks to the fans who bought a ticket: those “who decided to drive to see the film in different formats. Who bought popcorn and a drink, booked a sitter and carpooled, and stood in the lobby afterwards and talked and made a friend. Who changed their work schedules. Who saw the film in groups. … who watched more than once, who recommended the film to others, both in person and on social media or on your text message chains.”
In the typed letter, Coogler writes about what...
- 4/22/2025
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: The Inspection‘s Elegance Bratton has added seven to the cast of his new crime thriller, By Any Means: Emmy nominee Nicole Beharie (The Morning Show), 5x Emmy nom Giancarlo Esposito (Captain America: Brave New World), Josh Lucas (Palm Royale), Oscar nominee David Strathairn (The Luckiest Man in America), Ethan Embry (Scream 7), LisaGay Hamilton (The Dropout), and multiple Tony Award winner Lachanze (The Outsiders).
We’re told Esposito will play Vernon Dahmer, an NAACP leader murdered by the KKK for his work on voter recruitment, though details on the other roles haven’t been disclosed. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Mark Wahlberg lead the ensemble, as previously announced. Production kicked off in Atlanta yesterday.
Based on the Black List script CI34 by Sascha Penn, with revisions by Theodore Witcher, By Any Means tells the incredible true story of the notorious mafia hitman who was hired by Hoover’s...
We’re told Esposito will play Vernon Dahmer, an NAACP leader murdered by the KKK for his work on voter recruitment, though details on the other roles haven’t been disclosed. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Mark Wahlberg lead the ensemble, as previously announced. Production kicked off in Atlanta yesterday.
Based on the Black List script CI34 by Sascha Penn, with revisions by Theodore Witcher, By Any Means tells the incredible true story of the notorious mafia hitman who was hired by Hoover’s...
- 4/16/2025
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has been cast in By Any Means, an upcoming crime thriller directed by Elegance Bratton. He will star alongside Mark Wahlberg in a film based on real events involving a mafia hitman working with the FBI to track down those behind the killings of civil rights leaders in 1966 Mississippi.
The role was originally assigned to Sterling K. Brown, who exited the project due to scheduling conflicts. The film is based on CI34, a screenplay by Sascha Penn and Theodore Witcher, which appeared on the Black List, an industry-recognized collection of unproduced scripts. Witcher completed multiple revisions, with Bratton also contributing to the development process.
The project is backed by several production companies, including Hammerstone Studios, Thunder Road, and Freedom Principle. International sales are being handled by North.Five.Six., which introduced the film to buyers at the American Film Market. Producers include Alex Lebovici (Hammerstone Studios), Basil Iwanyk and...
The role was originally assigned to Sterling K. Brown, who exited the project due to scheduling conflicts. The film is based on CI34, a screenplay by Sascha Penn and Theodore Witcher, which appeared on the Black List, an industry-recognized collection of unproduced scripts. Witcher completed multiple revisions, with Bratton also contributing to the development process.
The project is backed by several production companies, including Hammerstone Studios, Thunder Road, and Freedom Principle. International sales are being handled by North.Five.Six., which introduced the film to buyers at the American Film Market. Producers include Alex Lebovici (Hammerstone Studios), Basil Iwanyk and...
- 2/20/2025
- by Naser Nahandian
- Gazettely
Deadline is reporting that Elegance Bratton is set to make his sophomore effort with Mark Wahlberg and Sterling K. Brown in tow. Bratton made his directorial debut with the film The Inspection in 2022 and film would garner accolades from critics. Bratton’s next film is set to be By Any Means, which is a period crime thriller that’s based on a true story. The movie will be brought to us by Hammerstone Studios, Thunder Road, Freedom Principle, and North.Five.Six.
Per Deadline, the movie “is based on the incredible true story of the notorious mafia hitman who was hired by Hoover’s FBI off-the-books and partnered with a young Black special agent to hunt down those responsible for the murders of civil rights leaders in 1966 Mississippi.” By Any Means was a formerly blacklisted script called CI34, which was written by Sascha Penn and Theodore Witcher. It was then presented to...
Per Deadline, the movie “is based on the incredible true story of the notorious mafia hitman who was hired by Hoover’s FBI off-the-books and partnered with a young Black special agent to hunt down those responsible for the murders of civil rights leaders in 1966 Mississippi.” By Any Means was a formerly blacklisted script called CI34, which was written by Sascha Penn and Theodore Witcher. It was then presented to...
- 10/31/2024
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
Exclusive: After seeing his first narrative feature The Inspection garner rave reviews in 2022, director Elegance Bratton is getting back behind the camera for By Any Means, a true-life crime thriller starring Oscar nominees Mark Wahlberg (The Fighter) and Sterling K. Brown (American Fiction) for Hammerstone Studios, Thunder Road, Freedom Principle, and North.Five.Six.
Based on the Black List script CI34 from Sascha Penn and Theodore Witcher, By Any Means is being introduced to buyers at the upcoming AFM by Michael Rothstein and Samuel Hall’s North.Five.Six., which is handling international sales. Witcher completed multiple revisions of the script, with Bratton also taking part in the process.
Pic is based on the incredible true story of the notorious mafia hitman who was hired by Hoover’s FBI off-the-books and partnered with a young Black special agent to hunt down those responsible for the murders of civil rights leaders in 1966 Mississippi.
Based on the Black List script CI34 from Sascha Penn and Theodore Witcher, By Any Means is being introduced to buyers at the upcoming AFM by Michael Rothstein and Samuel Hall’s North.Five.Six., which is handling international sales. Witcher completed multiple revisions of the script, with Bratton also taking part in the process.
Pic is based on the incredible true story of the notorious mafia hitman who was hired by Hoover’s FBI off-the-books and partnered with a young Black special agent to hunt down those responsible for the murders of civil rights leaders in 1966 Mississippi.
- 10/30/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Sundance Institute and Picturehouse have announced additions to the 2022 Sundance Film Festival: London programme today.
Alongside the twelve feature films, two short film strands and industry events previously announced, the festival will also present a new podcast strand with live audiences, including Girls on Film and Evolution of Horror; a 25th-anniversary screening of Love Jones, a special screening of Danny Boyle’s Shallow Grave; and a screening of Janicza Bravo’s Lemon chosen by keynote speaker, producer Christine Vachon.
The Festival will open up the spirit of Sundance Film Festival to UK audiences by screening three films at upwards of 25 cinemas across the country. A Love Song, Free Chol Soo Lee and Good Luck To You, Leo Grande will screen alongside recorded Filmmaker Q&As during the festival dates of 9 to 12 June 2022.
For the first time ever, the festival will include an exciting programme of live podcast recordings within the line-up.
Alongside the twelve feature films, two short film strands and industry events previously announced, the festival will also present a new podcast strand with live audiences, including Girls on Film and Evolution of Horror; a 25th-anniversary screening of Love Jones, a special screening of Danny Boyle’s Shallow Grave; and a screening of Janicza Bravo’s Lemon chosen by keynote speaker, producer Christine Vachon.
The Festival will open up the spirit of Sundance Film Festival to UK audiences by screening three films at upwards of 25 cinemas across the country. A Love Song, Free Chol Soo Lee and Good Luck To You, Leo Grande will screen alongside recorded Filmmaker Q&As during the festival dates of 9 to 12 June 2022.
For the first time ever, the festival will include an exciting programme of live podcast recordings within the line-up.
- 5/16/2022
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
In 1997, Jeff Friday, founder and CEO of Jeff Friday Media, was working as the film division president of UniWorld Group, a prominent multicultural advertising agency headquartered in New York and founded by legendary ad world maven Byron E. Lewis. In January of that year, in search of new clientele within the entertainment industry, Friday headed to the Sundance Film Festival. It was the first film festival he had ever attended. It was also the year writer-director Theodore Witcher’s award-winning “Love Jones” screened at the fest, ushering in an era of what Friday calls “the glory days of Black cinema.” That film, and the experience of seeing it at Sundance, altered the trajectory of Friday’s career.
“This was right around the time of such films as ‘How Stella Got Her Groove Back,’ ‘Love and Basketball,’ and Spike Lee,” Friday recalls. “‘Sex, Lies and Videotape’ had just happened and there...
“This was right around the time of such films as ‘How Stella Got Her Groove Back,’ ‘Love and Basketball,’ and Spike Lee,” Friday recalls. “‘Sex, Lies and Videotape’ had just happened and there...
- 11/2/2021
- by Malina Saval
- Variety Film + TV
From ‘Love Jones’ to ‘Brown Sugar’: 7 Black Romance Movies to Stream on Amazon Prime, Hulu, and More
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Black romance in movies has evolved since the days of “Porgy and Bess,” “Carmen Jones,” or “Claudine,” but it’s safe to say that the ’90s and 2000s marked a particularly sweet spot for the genre. To celebrate romance movies that helped shape the perception of Black love onscreen in the last 25 years, we put together a list of seven essential films that you can stream on Amazon Prime, HBO Max, and Hulu.
See our roster of Black romance movies below, and for more recommendations be sure to read our monthly Criterion Collection picks and Spike Lee movies to watch.
“Love Jones”
Where to Stream: Amazon Prime
“Love Jones” is quintessential viewing for lovers of Black romance films.
Black romance in movies has evolved since the days of “Porgy and Bess,” “Carmen Jones,” or “Claudine,” but it’s safe to say that the ’90s and 2000s marked a particularly sweet spot for the genre. To celebrate romance movies that helped shape the perception of Black love onscreen in the last 25 years, we put together a list of seven essential films that you can stream on Amazon Prime, HBO Max, and Hulu.
See our roster of Black romance movies below, and for more recommendations be sure to read our monthly Criterion Collection picks and Spike Lee movies to watch.
“Love Jones”
Where to Stream: Amazon Prime
“Love Jones” is quintessential viewing for lovers of Black romance films.
- 9/23/2021
- by Latifah Muhammad
- Indiewire
It can be a difficult task for any discerning viewer to sift through the sheer volume of movies streaming on Netflix. It’s an even greater challenge if searching specifically for Black films. As an extension of IndieWire’s monthly list of the best new films on Netflix, this list will be updated monthly as new titles become available, and old titles will be replaced.
From “Insecure” showrunner Prentice Penny’s acclaimed directorial debut, “Uncorked,” to Theodore Witcher’s only feature film, the cult-classic romantic drama “Love Jones” — which signaled the end of the “hood movie” era of the 1990s and foreshadowed the so-called “buppie movie” phase of the early 2000s — and more, there’s a little something for everyone this month. It also happens to mark the 156th year since the commemoration of Juneteenth.
From “Insecure” showrunner Prentice Penny’s acclaimed directorial debut, “Uncorked,” to Theodore Witcher’s only feature film, the cult-classic romantic drama “Love Jones” — which signaled the end of the “hood movie” era of the 1990s and foreshadowed the so-called “buppie movie” phase of the early 2000s — and more, there’s a little something for everyone this month. It also happens to mark the 156th year since the commemoration of Juneteenth.
- 6/11/2021
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
Stella Meghie is feeling the love.
As “Sonic the Hedgehog” soared to number one over Presidents’ Day weekend, “The Photograph” made a solid $13 million. Catching up with Meghie early Saturday morning after the film’s debut, the writer/director/executive producer admitted she’d been looking at the numbers.
“I’m grateful people seem to like it, but you know, who knows?” Meghie told Variety during a phone conversation. “It’s hard to judge these things on their outcome, especially going back and forth between studio and indie [film], there’s just such different scales of what success means. It’s hard when you’re in the marketplace going up against like $100 million blockbuster films and you’re just like, ‘Where do I land? What constitutes success?’”
Meghie and the film, which carries a reported $15 million budget, also received a great deal of support from other black creators on social media,...
As “Sonic the Hedgehog” soared to number one over Presidents’ Day weekend, “The Photograph” made a solid $13 million. Catching up with Meghie early Saturday morning after the film’s debut, the writer/director/executive producer admitted she’d been looking at the numbers.
“I’m grateful people seem to like it, but you know, who knows?” Meghie told Variety during a phone conversation. “It’s hard to judge these things on their outcome, especially going back and forth between studio and indie [film], there’s just such different scales of what success means. It’s hard when you’re in the marketplace going up against like $100 million blockbuster films and you’re just like, ‘Where do I land? What constitutes success?’”
Meghie and the film, which carries a reported $15 million budget, also received a great deal of support from other black creators on social media,...
- 2/18/2020
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Six black directors who found modest success with early feature films in the 1990s have spoken out about how they felt their careers were stymied by institutional prejudice in Hollywood that offered more opportunities for their white peers — and made more allowances for missteps.
“It’s like they set us up to fail — all they wanted was to be able to pat themselves on the back like they did something,” filmmaker Darnell Martin told the The New York Times in a story published Wednesday with five other African American directors.
Though Martin’s 1994 debut “I Like It Like That” was produced by a major studio, Columbia Pictures, and won the New York Film Critics Circle prize for Best First Feature, she has made only one theatrically released film since, 2008’s “Cadillac Records” — though she has found consistent work on TV projects.
She’s not alone. “I consider myself a filmmaker who’s working in television,...
“It’s like they set us up to fail — all they wanted was to be able to pat themselves on the back like they did something,” filmmaker Darnell Martin told the The New York Times in a story published Wednesday with five other African American directors.
Though Martin’s 1994 debut “I Like It Like That” was produced by a major studio, Columbia Pictures, and won the New York Film Critics Circle prize for Best First Feature, she has made only one theatrically released film since, 2008’s “Cadillac Records” — though she has found consistent work on TV projects.
She’s not alone. “I consider myself a filmmaker who’s working in television,...
- 7/3/2019
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
If you don’t know the name Theodore Witcher, don’t feel too badly. In 1997, the filmmaker released the cult romantic comedy “Love Jones” starring Larenz Tate and Nia Long, and the picture returned to the big screen on Valentine’s Day in 35mm at BAMcinématek. The Village Voice used the opportunity to catchup with Witcher to talk about the film, and he revealed a rather curious anecdote.
- 2/16/2018
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Talk of a sequel to “Love Jones” has been in the air for years now, though nothing concrete has developed thus far; and whether director Theodore Witcher, who, as his words suggest, became somewhat disillusioned with the industry and seemed… Continue Reading →...
- 3/14/2017
- by shadowandact
- ShadowAndAct
One thing that can elevate a movie from just a good way to spend two hours to something you treasure is resonance. I learned that 15 years ago when Love Jones hit theaters and for the first time that I could remember I saw myself and my friends on the big screen.
This Chicago-set love story between Darius Lovehall (Lorenz Tate) and Nina Moseley (Nia Long) was infused with the kind of poetry and soul searching dialogue that swept across college campuses in the nineties, and it spoke to so many of us 20-something African Americans fresh off of college life,...
This Chicago-set love story between Darius Lovehall (Lorenz Tate) and Nina Moseley (Nia Long) was infused with the kind of poetry and soul searching dialogue that swept across college campuses in the nineties, and it spoke to so many of us 20-something African Americans fresh off of college life,...
- 3/14/2012
- by Abby West
- EW.com - PopWatch
BrandChannel.com is a site that lists all product placement found within #1 studio feature films, going back to 2001.
Something to pay attention to next time you sit down to watch a movie, and to later discuss, when you and your pals go to Starbucks afterward and order cappuccinos, oblivious of the fact that you might be doing so because a character in the movie you just saw was drinking one
For example… Limitless, last week’s number 1 movie, featured brands that include: adidas, Apple, At&T, Bentley, BlackBerry, Bloomberg, Dell, Google, Ibm, Levi’s, Louis Vuitton, Maserati, Mercedes, New York Post, Percocet, Red Bull, Smartwater, St. Regis Hotel, Trump, and Two Men and a Truck.
Several “high end” brands there. I haven’t seen the film however. But since you’re technically supposed to be able to tell who the target audience of the film is, by looking at the brands featured in the film,...
Something to pay attention to next time you sit down to watch a movie, and to later discuss, when you and your pals go to Starbucks afterward and order cappuccinos, oblivious of the fact that you might be doing so because a character in the movie you just saw was drinking one
For example… Limitless, last week’s number 1 movie, featured brands that include: adidas, Apple, At&T, Bentley, BlackBerry, Bloomberg, Dell, Google, Ibm, Levi’s, Louis Vuitton, Maserati, Mercedes, New York Post, Percocet, Red Bull, Smartwater, St. Regis Hotel, Trump, and Two Men and a Truck.
Several “high end” brands there. I haven’t seen the film however. But since you’re technically supposed to be able to tell who the target audience of the film is, by looking at the brands featured in the film,...
- 3/27/2011
- by Tambay
- ShadowAndAct
Film review: 'love jones'
PARK CITY, Utah -- "love jones" is a zesty romantic comedy centering around two black artists struggling to make it in Chicago. Packed with pizzazz and radiating warmth, the film is a welcome tonic from the often grim fare that spews on the independent wavelength. New Line Cinema will wind select-site success with this hilarious and bittersweet battle of the sexes.
On the surface, "love jones" sounds like the concept of a sitcom: Struggling photographer Nina (Nia Long) and struggling writer Darius (Laurenz Tate) circulate in a common artistic world of problems and joys. Nina makes do as a glorified gofer for a fashion photographer, while Darius has garnered up the courage to finally quit his journalism job to write that great novel. In short, they're both career obsessed, and despite obvious personal attractions are not exactly looking for a full-time mate. In fact, they've both been underachievers in the romantic section: Darius is a cool, noncommitment type, while Nina just can't jam a serious relationship into her world.
In a series of comic confrontations and plot perambulations, the two begin to circle one another. In this regard, despite its hip hauteur, "love jones" is, basically, an old-fashioned romantic comedy. Credit writer-director Theodore Witcher for the breezy, funky fun. Tate and Long are a terrific romantic duo, while Isaiah Washington is similarly strong as Darius' surrogate older sibling.
Technical contributions are smooth, highlighted by Ernest Holzman's supple cinematography.
LOVE JONES
New Line Cinema
Producers:Nick Wechsler, Jeremiah Samuels
Screenwriter-director:Theodore Witcher
Executive producers:Julia Chasmas, Jay Stern, Amy Henkels, Helena Ecegoyen
Director of photography:Ernest Holzman
Editor:Maysie Hoy
Production designer:Roger Fortune
Music :Darryl Jones
Costume designer:Shawn Barton
Casting: Jane Alderman, Robi Reed-Humes
Color/stereo
Cast:
Darius Lovehall:Laurenz Tate
Nina Mosley :Nia Long
Savon Garrison:Isaiah Washington
Josie Nichols: Lisa Nicole Carson
Hollywood :Bill Bellamy
Eddie Coles :Leonard Roberts
Running time -- 105 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
On the surface, "love jones" sounds like the concept of a sitcom: Struggling photographer Nina (Nia Long) and struggling writer Darius (Laurenz Tate) circulate in a common artistic world of problems and joys. Nina makes do as a glorified gofer for a fashion photographer, while Darius has garnered up the courage to finally quit his journalism job to write that great novel. In short, they're both career obsessed, and despite obvious personal attractions are not exactly looking for a full-time mate. In fact, they've both been underachievers in the romantic section: Darius is a cool, noncommitment type, while Nina just can't jam a serious relationship into her world.
In a series of comic confrontations and plot perambulations, the two begin to circle one another. In this regard, despite its hip hauteur, "love jones" is, basically, an old-fashioned romantic comedy. Credit writer-director Theodore Witcher for the breezy, funky fun. Tate and Long are a terrific romantic duo, while Isaiah Washington is similarly strong as Darius' surrogate older sibling.
Technical contributions are smooth, highlighted by Ernest Holzman's supple cinematography.
LOVE JONES
New Line Cinema
Producers:Nick Wechsler, Jeremiah Samuels
Screenwriter-director:Theodore Witcher
Executive producers:Julia Chasmas, Jay Stern, Amy Henkels, Helena Ecegoyen
Director of photography:Ernest Holzman
Editor:Maysie Hoy
Production designer:Roger Fortune
Music :Darryl Jones
Costume designer:Shawn Barton
Casting: Jane Alderman, Robi Reed-Humes
Color/stereo
Cast:
Darius Lovehall:Laurenz Tate
Nina Mosley :Nia Long
Savon Garrison:Isaiah Washington
Josie Nichols: Lisa Nicole Carson
Hollywood :Bill Bellamy
Eddie Coles :Leonard Roberts
Running time -- 105 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 1/22/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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