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Having recently begun their run in Broadway's Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, Tony Award winner Billy Porter and Olivier Award nominee Marisha Wallace visited MSNBC's Morning Joe to discuss the production, which is running through Sunday, October 19. During their appearance, the pair noted the relevance of the story, with Wallace noting that this production offers a chance to tell the familiar story through a new lens. "There were many expats like Josephine Baker and other artists who came to Europe during this time to flee the Jim Crow south," she explained. "But also, this story celebrates life and trying to push through these tough times that we are having [and asks] 'What is the role that we are playing?'" Porter went on to talk about the...

FKA twigs is back with “Perfectly,” a brand new song and her first offering since releasing Eusexua earlier this year.

With a quick, racing tempo and syncopated synths, “Perfectly” aligns with a lot of the darkened dance pop found in Eusexua; though “Perfectly” also feels more light and romantic, even with its pulsating outro. “For now I know I will/ LA-la-la-let it go,” twigs sings in the chorus, lining up with the keyboard stabs in the first half and dancing over the melody in the second half. Stream “Perfectly” below.

“Perfectly” was co-written with Eusexua collaborators Koreless and Ethan P. Flynn as well as Amy Wadge and producer Xquisite Korpse. twigs has been performing “Perfectly” recently at her live shows, and the song will apparently arrive on a deluxe version of Eusexua (Deluxua?), which twigs teased recently during an appearance on Therapuss with Jake Shane. She’s yet to confirm...

Studiocanal flew the flag for independent studios at CineEurope with a chunky slate presentation on Tuesday (June 17), spotlighting a mix of local and international titles across a range of genres.

The company billed itself as “Europe’s leading studio” in remarks by Hugh Spearing, EVP of global marketing and distribution. Spearing also trumpeted Studiocanal’s “best year ever” at the global box office, referring to a period across 2024 and the start of 2025, with titlesincluding Paddington In Peru, We Live In Time and French hit Beating Hearts.

The company is offering a “wide range of entertainment for diverse audiences”, said Spearing,...

Exclusive: Spotify has scored a coup by signing pop star Dua Lipa’s Service95 Book Club podcast.

From 10 June, 2025, the music streamer will make episodes of the author interview series available to watch on Spotify.

The video podcast sees the Grammy-winning star, known for songs such as ‘One Kiss’ and ‘Levitating’, speaks to well-known authors about their works in the ‘Dua’s Monthly Read’ segment.

“It’s a genuine thrill to welcome Dua Lipa and the Service95 Book Club to Spotify,” said Roshni Radia, Audiobooks Editor at Spotify. “Dua’s unique style and clear passion for literature make this a perfect fit for us, and it really showcases the full ecosystem of creative talent on Spotify. We’re excited to see fans of Dua’s music fall in love with this interview series, and then go on to discover new authors whose audiobooks they can listen to right there on Spotify too.

FKA twigs is reportedly in talks to star as the groundbreaking entertainer and civil rights activist Josephine Baker in an upcoming biopic directed by French filmmaker Maïmouna Doucouré.

According to Variety, the multi-talented artist is in negotiations to star in the currently untitled project, which has notably been endorsed by Josephine Baker’s sons, Jean-Claude Bouillon Baker and Brian Bouillon Baker.

A true pioneer, Baker broke barriers as the first Black woman to star in a major motion picture with 1927’s Siren of the Tropics. Outside of entertainment, she aided France’s military intelligence agency during World War II and was a prominent civil rights activist in the 1950s.

It’s also worth noting that Baker inspired FKA twigs’ look for Met Gala 2025, which centered on the theme of Black dandyism. “There’s space for glory and outrage, and that, I think, is what being a dandy is all about:...

FKA twigs is reportedly in talks to star as the groundbreaking entertainer and civil rights activist Josephine Baker in an upcoming biopic directed by French filmmaker Maïmouna Doucouré.

According to Variety, the multi-talented artist is in negotiations to star in the currently untitled project, which has notably been endorsed by Josephine Baker’s sons, Jean-Claude Bouillon Baker and Brian Bouillon Baker.

A true pioneer, Baker broke barriers as the first Black woman to star in a major motion picture with 1927’s Siren of the Tropics. Outside of entertainment, she aided France’s military intelligence agency during World War II and was a prominent civil rights activist in the 1950s.

It’s also worth noting that Baker inspired FKA twigs’ look for Met Gala 2025, which centered on the theme of Black dandyism. “There’s space for glory and outrage, and that, I think, is what being a dandy is all about:...

Gold Derby's top news stories for May 19, 2025.

Netflix finds the way to Sesame Street

Netflix has acquired global streaming rights to Sesame Street, the genre-defining children's television series that's been entertaining and educating young viewers for over 50 years. The pickup comes six months after Warner Bros. Discovery opted to not renew its streaming deal for Sesame Street, leaving the show's future in jeopardy. But the crisis is averted, and Sesame Street Season 56 will premiere later this year on Netflix. According to Netflix, the new season will feature format changes and the return of popular segments like "Elmo’s World" and "Cookie Monster’s Foodie Truck." Additionally, episodes will be built around one longer, 11-minute story. Netflix has exclusive worldwide premiere rights, but episodes will continue to be available day-and-date on PBS stations in the U.S. and across PBS Kids digital platforms. Netflix will also be able to develop video games...

FKA twigs is taking on an iconic role.

The 37-year-old “Eusexua” singer is in negotiations to star as Josephine Baker, the legendary American-born French dancer, singer and actor, in a biopic which will be directed by Cuties filmmaker Maimouna Doucouré, via Variety.

The biopic has also been endorsed by Josephine Baker’s sons, Jean-Claude Bouillon Baker and Brian Bouillon Baker, and the Rainbow Tribe, which is what she dubbed her many adopted children.

Keep reading to find out more…

Josephine became the first Black woman to star in a major motion picture (Siren of the Tropics) in 1927.

Twigs will next be seen in The Carpenter’s Son, starring opposite Nicolas Cage. Earlier this year, she released her third studio album, Eusexua. The album included a feature from Kim Kardashian and Kanye West‘s 11-year-old daughter, North West.

The director’s controversial feature debut, Cuties, which shed light on the sexualization of children,...

Grammy-nominated artist FKA Twigs is in negotiations to star as Josephine Baker, the pioneering American-born French dancer, singer and actor, in a biopic which will be directed by Maimouna Doucouré, the filmmaker behind “Cuties.”

Studiocanal is financing and co-producing the film, as well as handling international sales. Doucouré’s banner Bien ou Bien Prods is producing with Studiocanal, alongside with Cpb Films. The biopic has also been endorsed by Josephine Baker’s sons, Jean-Claude Bouillon Baker and Brian Bouillon Baker, and the Rainbow Tribe, which is what she dubbed her many adopted children.

Baker, a trailblazing entertainer and civil rights activist, became the first Black woman to star in a major motion picture (“Siren of the Tropics”) in 1927.

FKA Twigs will next be seen in “The Carpenter’s Son,” starring opposite Nicolas Cage. She last starred opposite Bill Skarsgård in Lionsgate’s remake of “The Crow” and previously won praise for...

Exclusive: Chloe Bailey, Lynn Whitfield, Lucien Laviscount, Anna Diop, Romy Woods and Coco Jones are set to star in a new untitled thriller for Universal Pictures with Malcolm D. Lee directing.

Plot details are being kept under wraps. Alan McElroy and Matthew Mixon penned the script. Producers include Perry, Blum, Lee, Tim Palen and Dominique Telson. Shaun Sutton, Philip Waley, and McElroy are executive producers. The film is produced by Peachtree & Vine and Blumhouse in association with Blackmaled Productions.

With Girls Trip, Lee made history as the first filmmaker to helm a feature with an all-Black creative team — both in front of and behind the camera — that grossed more than $100 million at the domestic box office. His acclaimed Peacock limited series The Best Man: The Final Chapters became the first original series on the platform to break into Nielsen’s Top 10.

Bailey is best known for her Grammy-nominated work...

Has Cannes gone all political on us? The French film festival, which used to pride itself on, sometimes to a fault, being the apolitical “cinema for cinema’s sake” festival, appears to be storming the barricades.

The 78th Festival featured one of the most political opening ceremonies in living memory. In his speech accepting an honorary Palme d’Or, Robert De Niro lambasted U.S. President Donald Trump, labeling him “America’s Philistine president” and rallying the audience to “act now…without violence, but with great passion and determination” to defend democracy. “It’s time for everyone who cares about liberty to organize, to protest, and when there are elections, vote. Vote. Tonight, and for the next 11 days, we show our strength and commitment by celebrating art in this glorious festival. Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité.”

Ceremony host, French actor Laurent Lafitte, gave a similarly passionate and highly political speech, calling on...

"I'm new to this," says an excited Joy Woods when asked about what she's looking forward to at the upcoming Tony Awards ceremony. "I will just be taking in everything." The actress earned her first career Tony nomination for the Broadway revival of Gypsy in Best Featured Actress (Musical). She portrays Louise, the girl who evolves into the glamorous Gypsy Rose Lee, opposite Audra McDonald as Louise's mother, Rose.

In our exclusive interview, Woods discusses reuniting with old costars and why she doesn't describe her Louise as timid.

Gold Derby: In just under five years, you've performed in Little Shop of Horrors, Six, The Notebook, and now you're a Tony nominee for Gypsy. Have you had time to let the impact of all of these moments sink in?

Joy Woods: No, not one bit! But I know I will at some point. I think it's been nice to just be...

Robert De Niro, in Cannes to receive an honorary Palme d’Or during Tuesday night’s glitzy opening ceremony, used his time in the spotlight to defend democracy and take aim at America’s commander in chief.

“In my country, we are fighting like hell for the democracy we once took for granted. That affects all of us here, because art is the crucible that brings people together, like tonight. Art looks for truth. Art embraces diversity. That’s why art is a threat. That’s why we are a threat to autocrats and fascists,” he said to applause inside the Grand Lumiére theater with Leonardo DiCaprio standing over his shoulder after an affecting tribute to DiCaprio’s frequent collaborator and acting icon.

“America’s Philistine president has had himself appointed head of one of our premier cultural institutions [the Kennedy Center]. He has cut funding and support to the arts, humanities and education.

This year’s Met Gala theme was a tricky one — Black Dandyism — and the invitation didn’t come with any instructions. Guests were mostly left to their own devices to interpret what exactly that meant on the red carpet. And boy, did some of them interpret, with jaw-dropping looks ascending the Met’s 154-foot staircase.

Still, it was almost as if Anna Wintour had sent out a secret group chat (she didn’t, unless Jeffrey Goldberg knows something), with outfits following some very clear themes. Many women arrived with gleaming, Joesphine Baker-style marcel waves, while a lot of men sported glossy hair, top hats and tails that trailed like wedding trains. Everybody carried accessories galore — including one that looked suspiciously like a large garbage bag.

Below, the wildest (some might say weirdest) trends of the 2025 Met Gala …

Talons & Tailoring Claws were out. Literally. Cynthia Erivo’s acrylic nails took two days to complete.

One of the most fascinating things about Star Wars: Visions to me is that none of the studios collaborate with each other. And yet despite this, over the course of two seasons, there are certain themes that rise up among the different shorts. For example, in season one, all the shorts were from Japanese studios. With Star Wars heavily influenced by Akira Kurosawa films, it wasn’t a surprise that many of the shorts focused on the lightsaber and its importance.

Star Wars: Visions season two is no exception, as many different themes bubbled to the surface. One in particular that stood out to me was the bond of family. Found family is always prominent in Star Wars throughout the entire franchise. But when it comes to these shorts, there is a focus on blood relations and the community around them, which isn’t as common.

“In the Stars” was the first of these,...

With season two of Star Wars: Visions coming in 2023, I wanted to look back at each short from season one and celebrate why they’re great. This is Visions Remembered.

Look, I want to try and talk about all of the Star Wars: Visions shorts as equals and not give some special treatment over others. Of course, I have my favorites and least favorites, but this series on Dork Side of the Force is about pointing out the good in each of them.

But Tatooine Rhapsody is my favorite! I know I have to try and be unbiased when writing these editorials, but Tatooine Rhapsody is my precious child and doesn’t deserve all the hate it gets, and everyone is just mean because this is easily the most Star Wars short out of the entire bunch and it is my sweet baby, Okay!?

Though, I do get why this...

One of the most underrated sci-fi action shows, and one that’s suitable for some good old-fashioned family watching, is all set to land on free streaming. Making its debut back in 2016, Timeless offers all manner of historical shenanigans as a small band of heroes must come together to save everything after a rogue government steals the time travel tech and embarks on a mission to change the past.

Created by The Boys’ Eric Kripke and The Night Agent’s Shawn Ryan, the series stars Abigail Spencer as Lucy Preston, a history professor, Matt Lanter as United States Army Delta Force soldier and Master Sergeant Wyatt Logan, and Malcolm Barrett as nervous programmer Rufus Carlin, the three of which make up the main trio tasked with saving the world, alongside Sakina Jaffrey, Paterson Joseph, Claudia Doumit, and Goran Višnjić, Timeless is all set to materialize on free streaming platform Tubi...

Memories can’t be cancelled. The Boltanski family never celebrates significant dates, even their own birthdays; according to the narrator who leads us into this whimsical fantasy of post-war Jewish life, they live only for the present moment. In May 1968, the present moment consists of riots in the streets and demands for the government to step down, although it is the utopian dreams on the posters slapped up on walls that embody the movement’s true spirit: “Beauty is in the streets!” “Banning is banned!”. One of the Boltanski sons is out there at the Sorbonne with his wife, changing the world; the rest of the family are together in their house in Paris, where they like to huddle in one room, eating assortments of snacks on the bed while the revolution is televised.

In fact, the past is stuck in the house’s every crack. Knick-knacks from menorahs to...

Studiocanal has unveiled a first look at Roxine Helberg’s action thriller Coka Chica about a trio of best friends turned drug mules who become embroiled in a violent adventure in the Caribbean when one of the girls disappears. The company is showing a promo reel to EFM buyers.

Eva Huault, Fadily Camara, and Zoé Marchal star in the film, now in post-production, that shot on location in the Dominican Republic last year. It is based a true story.

Coka Chica is produced by Paris-based Bien ou Bien Productions.“I wanted to make a film about girls from the Paris projects,...

RhonniRose Mantilla is a pro when it comes to the stage. Theater is a big love of hers, and she’s performed in productions of some of the biggest musicals, including Grease, The Wiz, and A Chorus Line. Earlier this year, she made her Broadway debut, and now she’s making her daytime television debut in Beyond the Gates. We get to witness her big break, so seeing what she’ll do with her role as Dani Dupree’s youngest daughter, Chelsea Hamilton, is exciting.

The Early Days

RhonniRose Mantilla hails from the gateway to the West, St. Louis, Missouri. While she was in high school at Parkway North, she once told them what she was most proud of. She said, “My talents like my abilities to dance and sing.” And when she added acting to her skillset, she turned into a triple threat.

She attended Baldwin Wallace University in...

Va-va-voom ostrich-plumed showgirls were once synonymous with Las Vegas entertainment. While Gia Coppola’s The Last Showgirl explores the end of an era for the glitzy, glamorous dancers, the first showgirls were introduced to the U.S. in The Ziegfield Follies, a series of revues on Broadway from 1907 to 1927, inspired by the famed dancers at the Folies Bergère in Paris.

Initially kicking off in 1869 in a Parisian cabaret hall, the Folies Bergère launched the career of Josephine Baker, who made a splash in 1926 dancing topless with strategically placed pearls and a skirt composed of artificial bananas. Fast forward to Christmas Eve, 1959, when Lou Walters — then-entertainment director for the lavish Tropicana Las Vegas and father of broadcast journalist Barbara Walters — imported the sensational Folies Bergère act directly from Paris. Touching down in a pre-Cirque du Soleil era when French revues were all the rage, it went on to become the longest-running show in Vegas history,...

Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik, and Jimmy Choo. They’re all legends of the footwear world. Another name that belongs in any book about designer shoes is Roger Vivier.

The French shoe designer is famous for creating the stiletto heel and was one of the most influential designers of the 20th century.

Over 20 years after his death, Roger Vivier’s shoes continue to captivate our imagination. Without Roger Vivier, we wouldn’t have the stiletto heels we know and love today. We’re deep-diving into the world of his French fashion house to discover why their shoes are so famous.

Roger Vivier: The Icon Behind the Stiletto Revolution

Roger Vivier—pronounced “ro-juh vee-vee-ay”—is the namesake French fashion brand founded in 1937 at 22 Rue Royale in Paris.

Nicknamed the “Fabergé of Footwear,” Vivier is famous for pioneering both the first platform shoe and the slender stiletto heel.

Legendary French designer Roger Vivier,...

The African American Film Critics Association has announced its honorees for the 16th annual Aafca Awards and the 2025 Aafca Special Achievement Awards. The two distinct ceremonies will honor the best cinematic achievements from the Black community in 2024, with “Nickel Boys” and “The Piano Lesson” leading the pack.

Held on Sunday, February 2 at the Los Angeles Athletic Club, the Special Achievement Awards will honor RaMell Ross’ “Nickel Boys” with the Karen & Stanley Kramer Social Justice Award, while stars Brandon Wilson and Ethan Herisse are set to receive the Gen Next Award. Amber Rasberry, who oversaw the film as a senior creative executive at Amazon MGM, will also be honored with the Horizon Award.

Seventeen days later, the Aafca Awards will keep the love for “Nickel Boys” rolling when Ross receives the Spotlight Award. “The Piano Lesson” director Malcolm Washington will also receive the Emerging Director Award while his star Ray Fischer...

The African American Film Critics Association (Aafca) announced today its 16th Annual Aafca Awards and 2025 Special Achievement honorees. The Special Achievement Awards takes place on Sunday, Feb. 2, at the Los Angeles Athletic Club, and the Annual Aafca Awards on Wednesday, Feb. 19, at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. The recipients include actors and artisans from 2025 Oscars contenders “Nickel Boys,” “The Piano Lesson,” and “The Six Triple Eight.”

The 2025 Special Achievement Awards honorees include:

Lynn Whitfield, Legacy Award Brandon Wilson and Ethan Herisse, Next Gen Award “Nickel Boys,” Karen & Stanley Kramer Social Justice Award Amber Rasberry, Horizon Award

The 16th Annual Aafca Awards honorees include:

Nicole Avant, Beacon Award Malcolm Washington, Emerging Director Award Ray Fisher, Breakout Performance Award RaMell Ross, Spotlight Award

“Our honorees set a high standard of discipline, talent, and hard work that inspires others to strive for greatness,” said Aafca President and Co-Founder Gil Robertson in a press release.

The African American Film Critics Association (Aafca) has revealed the honorees for the 16th annual Aafca Awards as well as the honorees for its 2025 Special Achievement Awards.

Nicole Avant, Malcolm Washington, Ray Fisher and RaMell Ross are set to be honored at the Aafca Awards on Feb. 19, 2025, which will be held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles.

Avant, a producer, former U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas and the wife of Netflix co-ceo Ted Sarandos, will receive the Beacon Award for producing Tyler Perry’s upcoming Netflix historical drama series The Six Triple Eight and the documentary The Black Godfather, about her late father Clarence Avant, the legendary music executive.

Washington, a filmmaker who made his feature debut with an adaptation of August Wilson Pulitzer Prize-winning play The Piano Lesson, will receive the Aafca’s Emerging Director Award. The Piano Lesson, which stars John David Washington, Samuel L. Jackson,...

If there is one holiday I always look forward to every year as a Star Wars fan, it's Life Day. Sorry May the Fourth, you're great if I want to go into credit card debt with all the new merchandise dropped that day. I adore Life Day. It's wonderful with the memes, the gifs of a hyper smiling Wookiee kid, and Luke Skywalker looking like a knock-off Ellen DeGeneres.

Because I unironically love The Star Wars Holiday Special.

I'm not ignoring the warts of the show by any means. The production is filled with blackface, actors almost dying on set, and Grandpa Wookiee looking at "adult content." The fantastic documentary and companion novel A Disturbance in the Force: How and Why the Star Wars Holiday Special Happened details every ugly step by people who love it and the franchise. The history of our fandom should be studied, even the worst parts.

For “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist” costume designer Ernesto Martinez, the reality of the fact-based story of an armed robbery in the aftermath of Muhammad Ali’s 1970 comeback fight in Atlanta was merely the starting point for his craftsmanship on the Peacock limited series.

“I had free range to design every character in a way that felt like Atlanta – but a very fashionable Atlanta with a lot of money and a lot of gangsters,” Martinez tells Gold Derby during our Meet the Experts: TV Costume Designers panel. “So I went out of the box, and decided that each character should come from different places of the world and dress very unconventionally – dress how people would think they would dress in Atlanta in the 1970s.”

See‘Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist’ reviews: Peacock’s ‘crime caper’ could turn critical acclaim into Golden Globes glory

Created by Shaye Ogbonna and...

Jonathan Haze had over 40 screen acting credits to his name, with many of those credits being earned on Roger Corman productions – and the one credit that stands out among all others came when Haze took on the role of Seymour Krelborn in Corman’s 1960 man-eating plant classic The Little Shop of Horrors. We lost Corman earlier this year, when he passed away at the age of 98. Now, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that we’ve lost Haze as well. His daughter Rebecca informed them that Haze passed away at his home in Los Angeles this past Saturday at the age of 95.

A cousin of drummer Buddy Rich, Haze was born with the name Jack Aaron Schachter in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on April 1, 1929. He worked the stage for Rich and was Josephine Baker’s stage manager for two years before he got into acting. He hitchhiked to L.A. and got a...

Jonathan Haze, who starred for Roger Corman as the flower shop assistant Seymour Krelborn in the original The Little Shop of Horrors, just one of two dozen films he made with the B-movie legend, has died. He was 95.

Haze died Saturday at his home in Los Angeles, his daughter, Rebecca Haze, told The Hollywood Reporter.

A cousin of drummer Buddy Rich, Haze was a valuable and versatile member of Corman’s repertory company from 1954 — when he acted in The Fast and the Furious and Monster From the Ocean Floor — until 1967, when he appeared in The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre and served as an assistant director on The Born Losers.

In one of his more noteworthy turns, Haze portrayed one of the three teenagers who stumble upon $250,000 worth of heroin and become dealers in Warner Bros. drama Stakeout on Dope Street (1958), the first feature directed by Irvin Kershner.

The Pittsburgh...

Skybound Entertainment (founded by "Invincible" creator Robert Kirkman) has turned into a comic book industry power player thanks to some lucrative licensing deals. Skybound is the current owner of the "Transformers" publishing license, and their ongoing comic is an Eisner Award-winning bestseller. Skybound's franchises don't end at the robots in disguise.

The publisher has, since 2023, been releasing a four-issue "Universal Monsters" mini-series, focusing on the classic monster ensemble and telling stories that either reimagine or continue the creatures as they appeared in those films. Kicking off with "Dracula" and continuing with "The Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives!" (read /Film's review of that series here), the third "Universal Monsters" mini-series finally delivers Skybound's "Frankenstein.""Universal Monsters: Frankenstein" is written and drawn by Michael Walsh, most famous as co-creator of the horror anthology comic "The Silver Coin" (Walsh drew all 15 issues and wrote three of them). Skybound has shared the first...

Actress Vicky Krieps and filmmaker Maimouna Doucoure are among the jury members for the Un Certain Regard section of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.

Also joining are Moroccan filmmaker Asmae El Moudir, and American film critic and writer Todd McCarthy.

Xavier Dolan was announced as jury president earlier this year.

The quintet will watch 18 films as part of the Un Certain Regard selection, including eight debut films.

Last year’s Un Certain Regard jury, headed by John C. Reilly, awarded six prizes including the main award to Molly Manning Walker’s How To Have Sex.

This year’s Un Certain Regard...

Jennifer Yale has joined the untitled Peacock espionage thriller series starring Simu Liu as co-showrunner, Variety has learned.

The show was announced with a straight-to-series order earlier in February. Thomas Brandon created the series and will also serve as co-showrunner alongside Yale.

The official description of the series states, “Five minutes in the future, a first-generation-American intelligence analyst Alexander Hale (Liu) realizes his brain has been hacked, giving the perpetrators access to everything he sees and hears. Caught between his shadowy agency and the unknown hackers, he must maintain a performance 24/7 to flush out who’s responsible and prove where his allegiance lies.”

Yale most recently wrote for the Apple TV+ series “See” starring Jason Momoa. Her other credits include “Dexter,” “Legion,” “Underground,” “Outlander,” and “Chambers.” She is also currently developing the series “De La Resistance” based on the life of Josephine Baker with A24 producing and Janelle Monae starring and executive producing.

Jennifer Yale (See) is set as co-showrunner for the Untitled James Wan/Simu Liu project at Peacock. The original espionage techno-thriller was one of three Peacock dramas given straight-to-series orders, announced at the recent TCA winter press tour.

Yale wil co-showrun and executive produce with creator/writer/EP Thomas Brandon (Legacies).

The Untitled James Wan/Simu Liu project, which stars Liu, is set five minutes in the future when first-generation American intelligence analyst Alexander Hale (Liu) realizes his brain has been hacked, giving the perpetrators access to everything he sees and hears. Caught between his shadowy agency and the unknown hackers, he must maintain a performance 24/7 to flush out who’s responsible and prove where his allegiance lies.

Liu also executive produces alongside Wan, Michael Clear and Rob Hackett for Atomic Monster. Danielle Bozzone will oversee for Atomic Monster.

Nolita Cinema’s musical Hear Me Love, starring France’s biggest pop star Clara Luciani in her first lead role, has started shooting in Paris as part of a revival of the film musical in France.

Set between Paris and Rome’s Cinecitta’s Studios in the 1970s, Hear Me Love (Joli Joli) follows a struggling writer looking for inspiration for his second novel who falls in love with a famous movie star. It is the fifth feature by French film and theatre director Diastème and is being scored by composer Alex Beaupain.

Ginger & Fed is selling the film...

Great actors struggle with subpar material, changes in the industry, personal challenges, and collaboration dynamics, impacting their ability to make good movies. Navigating the complexities of the film industry requires talent, strategic decision-making, and perseverance for actors to consistently deliver quality performances. Even if actors haven't made good movies lately, their past roles serve as a reminder that they have the potential for greatness on the big screen.

Great actors who haven't made a good movie in years may face various factors contributing to this phenomenon. Firstly, script selection plays a pivotal role - even the most talented actors struggle with subpar material. Secondly, shifts in the film industry landscape, such as changes in audience preferences or market trends, can affect the types of roles available to established actors. Furthermore, personal choices or external circumstances - like prioritizing other projects or dealing with personal challenges - can impact an actor's career trajectory.

FKA Twigs experienced a significant change in scenery when she relocated to Prague, where she encountered the key influence for her upcoming album: techno. In a series of posts on Discord, the musician teased the project, which will mark her first since 2022’s Caprisongs. “I moved to Prague a couple summers ago, fell in love with techno,” she wrote. “The album isn’t techno but the spirit is there fr [for real].”

Explaining the record’s tone, Twigs shared: “It’s deep but not sad … I’m not sad anymore.” The announcement of new music,...

FKA twigs, the British singer who will star in a reboot of The Crow, has slammed a decision by the UK’s advertising watchdog to ban her semi-nude Calvin Klein ad.

The Advertising Standards Authority ruled that the ad must not appear again in its current form because it portrayed FKA twigs (real name Tahliah Debrett Barnett) as a “stereotypical sexual object.”

In an Instagram post, FKA twigs (Honey Boy) said the ruling displayed “double standards” after “past and current” campaigns featured scantily clad models.

She did not explicitly reference other ads, but recent examples include The Bear star Jeremy Allen White’s Calvin Klein photoshoot, in which he is dressed in nothing but underwear.

“I do not see the ‘stereotypical sexual object’ that they have labelled me,” FKA twigs said. “I see a beautiful strong woman of colour whose incredible body has overcome more pain than you can imagine.

Nearly a year after a partially nude FKA Twigs starred in a Calvin Klein campaign, the ad was banned in the U.K. as it apparently made the singer a “stereotypical sexual object.”

The artist responded to the ban on Wednesday, taking to social media to share her thought. “I do not see the ‘stereotypical sexual object’ that they have labelled me. i see a beautiful strong woman of colour whose incredible body has overcome more pain than you can imagine,” wrote Twigs on Instagram alongside an image of the ad.

FKA Twigs is taking a stand after the U.K.’s Advertising Standards Authority banned a photo from her 2023 Calvin Klein ad campaign.

The 36-year-old singer was one of several stars to feature in the campaign, which also included the likes of Kendall Jenner. One of her photos featured her wearing nothing but a jacket.

In its ruling, the Asa ruled that “The ad used nudity and centered on FKA Twigs’ physical features rather than the clothing, to the extent that it presented her as a stereotypical sexual object.”

FKA Twigs took to social media to weigh in on the decision.

Read FKA Twigs’ response…

“i do not see the ‘stereotypical sexual object’ that they have labelled me. i see a beautiful strong woman of colour whose incredible body has overcome more pain than you can imagine,” the hitmaker wrote on Instagram, where she re-posted the controversial photo.

She continued,...

It’s detective vs. detective in Apple TV+‘s new crime thriller series. Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo are happy to be working together again — they previously starred in Torchwood in 2009 — in Criminal Record, premiering January 10. “It was so funny because when I remember Cush from Torchwood, she was just this kind of bright light, this kind of youthful teen,” he tells TV Insider. “I wasn’t a teen, but I was pretty young,” she interjects. “I was just terrified. That’s why I was bright. My poor eyeballs were so wide. Which direction should I be walking in?” The two have worked together and seen each other since, and Capaldi makes sure to praise Jumbo’s work as both a playwright and performer, including in Josephine and I, a play about Josephine Baker. But they’d been trying “to find the right thing,” which this is, she shares. “I...

Actress and frequent Sia collaborator Maddie Ziegler is a teenage girl with an unexpected crisis in the trailer for Fitting In. The film, from writer and director Molly McGlynn, stars Ziegler as a 16 year old who has been diagnosed with Mrkh syndrome.

The movie co-stars Emily Hampshire, Djouliet Amara, D’Pharaoh Woon-a-Tai, and Ki Griffin, and was notably produced by Janelle Monae, among others. It will open in theaters on Feb. 2.

The official synopsis notes, “A joyful, comedic drama, from writer/director Molly McGlynn, Fitting In is a coming-of-age story that...

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You get a gift, and you get a gift, and you get a gift! Everyone’s sure to be in winning spirits this season with gifting picks from Oprah’s Favorite Things List 2023. The annual rundown of Oprah’s top gift ideas features a wide assortment of items, broken down this year into categories like “cozy,” “stylish,” “kitchen,” “wellness” and more.

Full List Of Oprah'S Favorite Things...

Netflix’s “The Perfect Find” director Numa Perrier collected generational references in her film adaptation of Tia Williams’ novel.

The story follows Jenna Jones (Gabrielle Union) and Eric Combs (Keith Powers) who gravitate toward each other despite a substantial age gap and the fact that Eric is the son of Jenna’s boss Darcy (Gina Torres).

The two pair up for a creative project for Darzine, Darcy’s fashion magazine. The project, which eventually becomes “The Perfect Find” highlights fashions inspired by Black starlets of Hollywood’s past. Jenna and Eric also bond over their love for old Hollywood — like Nina Mae McKinney, who pops up throughout the film with clips from “Hallelujah!,” a Greta Garbo clip from “The Flesh and Devil” and Spike Lee’s “School Daze,” featured at a drive-in movie date.

Perrier explained the process behind making references to classic Black Hollywood, first during Jenna’s swap meet browsing,...

Florian Zeller, the Oscar-winning director and playwright of “The Father” and “The Son,” received the Medal of Honor, France’s highest decoration, at an intimate ceremony in Paris on Wednesday.

The event, hosted in the gardens of the French authors and composers guild (Sacd), gathered a flurry of talent and luminaries from the worlds of film, TV, theater and literature — reflecting the breadth of Zeller’s body of work. Zeller was appointed Knight of the Legion of Honor by France President Emmanuel Macron.

Guests included Isabelle Huppert, Pierre Arditi, Catherine Frot and Elodie Navarre who have starred in Zeller’s plays; Christopher Hampton, with whom he shares a best adapted screenplay Oscar for “The Father;” “Simone” actor Elsa Zylberstein; Mediawan boss Pierre-Antoine Capton, with whom he launched the L.A.-based company Blue Morning Pictures; Victoria Bedos (“La famille Belier”); Orange Studio’s Kristina Zimmermann and Sebastien Cauchon, who distributed...

Exclusive: Emmy winner Lynn Whitfield (The Josephine Baker Story) is set for a key recurring role on the upcoming sixth season of Showtime’s The Chi, from 20th Television.

Created and executive produced by Lena Waithe and her Hillman Grad banner and executive produced by Common (Selma), The Chi is a coming-of-age story centering on a group of residents on the South Side of Chicago who become linked by coincidence but bonded by the need for connection and redemption.

Whitfield will play Alicia, an intimidating, old-money matriarch who will spare no expense to get what she wants.

In Season 6, big dreams are finally realized but at a cost and everyone will be tested in unimaginable ways as they calculate the risks and rewards of their next big move. Emmett (Jacob Latimore) and Kiesha’s (Birgundi Baker) blissful blended union is tested by his insatiable drive to...

Netflix's limited series Stay Close has a lot of complex characters brought to life by many actors that audiences have likely seen before — here is the Stay Close cast guide. Stay Close is based on the novel by American mystery writer Harlan Coben. Stay Close is the first of 15 upcoming adaptations of Coben's work on Netflix, so expect to become familiar with him very soon. This show follows 3 Londoners trying to overcome the failures of their pasts and a mysterious woman who seems to connect them all.

Instead of casting British stars who are more recognizable in America, the creative team behind Stay Close chose to work with a seasoned cast of British television veterans. Many of these actors are classically trained, learning and using their craft just as much on the stage as they do on screen. The choice pays off, as the Stay Close cast effortlessly oozes drama in every frame.

Janelle Monáe has announced her new album, The Age of Pleasure, out June 9th via Wondaland Arts Society/Atlantic Records. As a preview, she’s shared “Lipstick Lover” and its accompanying video.

The Age of Pleasure follows 2018’s Dirty Computer (which Consequence named as one of the greatest albums of all time) and her recent swaggering single “Float.” In an interview with Apple Music 1’s Zane Lowe, Monáe said the album was written from “an honest space” and added that she started with a blank canvas while getting “back to the basics.”

She continued by explaining the album’s theme. “I’ve had my age of depression. I’ve had my age of anxiety. I’ve had my age of struggle. And again, it’s not like life is pleasurable every single day, but I think I have actively just sought out… How do I create a space for myself?...

"Star Wars: Visions Volume 2" is an exciting window into the history and culture of places all across the globe. Filmmakers from Chile and India brought stories of the evils of colonialism. Filmmakers from the United States and Japan united to tell a story about racism. South Korean filmmakers told a story about the dangers of trying to change the future. Filmmakers from Spain made a film about how art can guide us to the light. 

Every installment of this season was a tour de force of meaning and depth, but one stood above the others in its rooting in culture, history, and art. And one installment in particular is worth highlighting. 

The Spy Dancer

Produced by Studio La Cachette from France, "The Spy Dancer" tells the tale of dancers in a cabaret on a planet now controlled by the Empire. The dancers cater to the whims of the Imperials, and it would look,...

Just ahead of her appearance in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, Janelle Monáe has released “Float,” a swaggering track that will serve as an anthem for the weekend’s festivities and beyond.

“Float” features Fela Kuti’s son Seun Kuti and his band Egypt 80. Co-produced by Monáe’s frequent collaborators Nate “Rocket” Wonder and Nana Kwabena with Sensei Bueno, the track features bombastic production as Monáe raps, “I’m light as a feather, I’m light as a feather, yeah, baby, I float/ It’s hard to look at my resume, hoo and not find a reason to toast.”

As an equally talented actor, musician, and activist, Monáe does have every reason to toast. Monáe earned critical acclaim for her latest starring role in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, and she’s set to play cabaret singer turned secret agent and civil rights activist Josephine Baker in A24’s...

Chairman and CEO Maxime Saada stresses that film ‘defines’ Canal+.

French media powerhouse Canal+ has pledged to invest €1bn in cinema in the next five years and has showcased its high profile production slate for 2023.

“2023 will be the best year for cinema in Canal+ history,” Canal+ chairman and CEO Maxime Saada declared at a press event in Paris on Wednesday, which focused on the group’s investment in the country’s seventh art.

Saada’s pledge to spend €1bn spend is in line with the group’s previously announced plans to invest €200m per year in film, and includes €20-...