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Kamala Harris’ acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday is being widely praised — even Fox News is saying a few nice things about the Vice President’s remarks.

Coming in at 40 minutes and within the primetime TV window on the all-important East Coast, Harris’ speech in front of 5000 delegates at Chicago’s United Center was full of language and pledges that would have fit in at a DNC or GOP convention in the 1990s, as Ted Johnson and I said in our story earlier tonight. As an example, her deft handling of Hamas’ murderous attack on Israel last fall, the scorched-earth Gaza War and calls for a cease-fire and return of hostages took much of the sting out of one of the sharpest divisions within the Democratic Party.

As for the reaction to what the first Black woman to be nominated for president by a major American political party said tonight,...

Let’s just say that mama Beyoncé is allowing her daughter to take on more jobs and showcase her talents. What, if that astounding tour showed us anything, it’s that Blue Ivy is ready to shine in her own right.

The story may be Mufasa’s childhood, but Simba gets to make an appearance as well.

Blue Ivy – Makes Big Comeback After Sister Rumi Overtakes Her As Youngest Person To Chart On Billboard

Blue Ivy has been making her mark on both the music and fashion world, and now she’s got her sight set on breaking into the movie industry.

This won’t be Blue Ivy’s first narration work though, as the youngster’s talent was tapped to narrate the audiobook version of New York Times bestseller “Hair Love” by Matthew A. Cherry.

While doing something as big as Disney’s “The Lion King” must feel daunting,...

Filmmaker Barry Jenkins, the mastermind behind critically acclaimed pieces of work like Moonlight and If Beale Street Could Talk, is returning to the big screens. This time, he has another presumed masterpiece prepared for fans, which is also the prequel to the live-action The Lion King from 2019: Mufasa: The Lion King. That being said, he has quite a bit to talk about the upcoming movie.

Barry Jenkins. | Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

But of all the factors that have contributed to the making of this soon-to-be-released adventure musical, Jenkins is incredibly grateful to one Brooklyn Nine-Nine actor who was the genius brains behind the songs for his movie. This actor is none other than the 44-year-old songwriter cum actor renowned for masterpieces like 2020’s Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Barry Jenkins is Grateful to Lin-Manuel Miranda for Mufasa‘s Music

Before directing Mufasa: The Lion King, director Barry Jenkins was very cautious with helming musicals.

Young Sheldon Season 7 Episode 6 Photos Baptists, Catholics And An Attempted Drowning – Georgie and Mandy’s wedding plans pit Mary against Mandy’s mom, Audrey (Rachel Bay Jones), with baby CeeCee caught in the middle, on Young Sheldon, Thursday, April 4 (8:00-8:31 Pm, Et/Pt) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+*. Story By: Chuck Lorre, Steve Holland & Ben Slaughter Teleplay By: Steven Molaro, Jeremy Howe & Connor Kilpatrick Directed By: Matthew A. Cherry Young Sheldon Cast Iain Armitage ( Sheldon ) Zoe ... Read more...

Anchored by a star-studded cast of voice actors, Max's Young Love tackles the story of a tight-knit family living in Chicago that is filled with ups and downs. 

The new animated series serves as a spin-off of Matthew A. Cherry's Hair Love short film. It revolves around the story of a music producer named Stephen Love, a hair vlogger Angela Young, and their daughter, Zuri. 

In collaboration with Sony Pictures Animation, Young Love's upcoming debut season is confirmed to have 12 episodes, and it premiered with four episodes on September 21.

Read full article on The Direct.

With Young Love, the TV spin-off of the Oscar-winning short and beloved book, Max enters a new area of the animated family sitcom.

The concept for the show is something creator Matthew A. Cherry tells The Hollywood Reporter was knocking around as a possibility all the way back to the book’s Kickstarter days.

“When we first saw Vashti Harrison’s amazing artwork, we had always thought, ‘What could this be?’” Cherry explains. “A feature idea just felt not big enough, but what always felt like it could make a ton of sense was a series.”

Despite having a young child at the center of its narrative, the streaming show’s 12-episode first season is not for kids. Yet, it’s not quite adult animation, either. Young Love exists in a middling place rarely called upon in animation, and is one of the clearest examples of Warner Bros. Discovery and...

"I wish I had a calling. What's my legacy?" Max has unveiled an official trailer for the animated streaming series called Young Love, ready to launch on streaming from creator Matthew A. Cherry. This is based on the award-winning animated short Hair Love, which won the Best Animated Short Oscar back in 2020. They've now turned it into a full-on animated series, available to watch on Max soon. An honest look into the world of an African American young family of millennial parents, as they juggle their careers, marriage, parenthood, social issues and multi-generational dynamics striving for a better life. "When you don't want to hurt your hairstylist's feelings but you gotta be red-carpet ready before bedtime." When life gets messy, feel the love. Young Love features the voices of Scott "Kid Cudi" Mescudi, Issa Rae, Loretta Devine, Harry Lennix, Tamar Braxton, Brooke Conaway, and Mara Junot. This is super cute!

Max has released the official trailer for Young Love, the animated series spinoff of the Oscar-winning short Hair Love. The 12-episode season premieres with four episodes on Thursday, September 21 on Max and continues with four episodes weekly, leading up to the season finale on October 5.

From creator Matthew A. Cherry and Sony Pictures Animation, Young Love takes a look into the lives of African American millennial parents Stephen Love (Scott Mescudi) and Angela Young (Issa Rae) as they experience the relatable ups and downs of modern life. In remission following a battle with cancer, Angela struggles to balance her work as a stylist with the demands of parenthood, while Stephen attempts to carve out a career as a musician in an ultra-competitive industry. Along with their fearless daughter Zuri (Brooke Monroe Conaway), this tight-knit Chicago family juggles careers, marriage, parenthood, social issues, and multi-generational dynamics while striving to make a better life for themselves.

“Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen” has been acquired by CBS to temporarily take over the 12:37 a.m. timeslot vacated by “The Late Late Show with James Corden.” That timeslot will eventually be replaced with a new version of the former Comedy Central series “@midnight” — but after the Hollywood strikes are resolved. For now, “Comics Unleashed” will fill the slot in a limited run with nightly airings beginning on Monday, Sept. 18, the network announced Monday.

The round-style comedy talk show features Allen speaking with a panel of rotating comedians, including Sebastian Maniscalco, Tiffany Haddish, Gabriel Iglesias, Cedric the Entertainer, Howie Mandel, Leslie Jones, Wayne Brady, Roy Wood, Jr., Whitney Cummings, Jb Smoove, Billy Gardell, Margaret Cho, Brad Garrett, Sheryl Underwood, Adam Carolla, Gina Yashere, Dane Cook, Sinbad, George Wallace, Caroline Rhea, Tommy Davidson, David Alan Grier, Kevin Hart, Chelsea Handler, Katt Williams, Dennis Miller, Jamie Kennedy, Iliza Shlesinger, Jon Lovitz,...

Max has debuted the first trailer for Young Love, the series spinoff of Matthew A. Cherry’s Oscar-winning Hair Love short.

The two-minute teaser for the 12-episode, animated expansion produced in partnership with Sony Pictures Animation features Scott Mescudi (Kid Cudi) as music producer Stephen Love, Issa Rae as natural hair vlogger Angela Young, and Brooke Monroe Conaway as their young daughter Zuri Young Love.

The trio navigate the modern ups and downs of their professional and personal lives in Chicago as artists and a Black millennial-parented family. For Angela, that’s returning to her work as a stylist after cancer treatment, while Steven manages the grind of a career in an ultra-competitive industry.

“Welcome to my castle,” Zuri tells one of her friends as they enter her apartment. “You can drop your bag on the floor. My mom and dad will get them.”

“Are we the help?” Stephen asks.

The first trailer for Max’s family-friendly animated comedy “Young Love” has arrived. The 12-episode series comes from Matthew A. Cherry, the Oscar-winning creator behind the short “Hair Love,” and Sony Pictures Animation.

Set in the same universe as Cherry’s Academy Award-winning short film, “Young Love” expands the world of the Love family. The Chicago-based series stars Scott Mescudi, aka Kid Cudi, as Stephen and Issa Rae as Angela, two millennial parents raising their fearless daughter, Zuri (Brooke Monroe Conaway).

As Angela struggles to maintain a work-life balance in the wake of her battle with cancer, Stephen attempts to make a name for himself in the highly competitive music industry. Described as “heartfelt” and “comedic” in a press release, the series juggles the ups and downs of careers, marriage, parenthood, social issues and multi-generational dynamics.

In addition to Mescudi and Rae, the Max series stars Loretta Devine (“Dreamgirls”), Harry Lennix...

Issa Rae and Kid Cudi (whose real name is Scott Mescudi) are loving parents just trying their best in the full trailer for the upcoming animated series Young Love, which you can check out above.

The first four episodes will premiere Thursday, Sept. 21 on Max; four new episodes will drop weekly until the finale on Oct. 5.

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There’s an interesting experiment going on over at Max in September, as from the first of the month you’ll be able to find seven AMC+ series streaming for 60 days on the service. If you’ve been dying to check out some of their best shows but just haven’t had access to them, now’s your chance! Max will be streaming Fear the Walking Dead seasons 1-7, Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire season one, Dark Winds season one, Gangs of London seasons 1-2, Ride with Norman Reedus seasons 1-5, A Discovery of Witches seasons 1-3, and Killing Eve seasons 1-4.

Also on Max this September is the original animated series Young Love, a Matthew A. Cherry project which seeks to expand on the critically acclaimed short film, Hair Love. Sam Jay has a new stand-up special on HBO, too. Sam Jay: Salute or Shoot Me will...

Hollywood is still on strike, but the show(s) must go on.

The ongoing AMPTP negotiations with the WGA and SAG-AFTRA have already delayed major releases, but fall TV is still slated to return in full force. IndieWire’s TV team combed through truly dozens of new shows to pick 16 fall premieres to watch out for — a mix of networks, streamers, dramas, comedies, animation, live action, adaptations, and original stories.

Fall is a great time to curl up with a good book, or in front of the televised adaptations of “The Other Black Girl,” “All The Light We Cannot See,” and more. If you’re immune to franchise fatigue, get ready for more from the worlds of “The Boys,” “John Wick,” and the MCU. Matthew Cherry’s beloved Oscar-winning short “Hair Love” continues with “Young Love,” and Mike Flanagan returns to helm Netflix horror with “The Fall of the House of Usher.

Leonardo DiCaprio is standing with his fellow actors. The “Revenant” star took to his Instagram Stories to show his support not long after it was announced that SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) formally approved a strike upon negotiations falling apart between the actors’ union and major Hollywood studios and streamers, who are represented by the AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers).

The actors will now join the writers on the picket line, marking the first time since 1960 that two major guilds will be striking at the same time. The writers’ strike began May 2 and is in its 10th week.

DiCaprio shared an image of the SAG-AFTRA logo along with a short message of solidarity for the guild amid the strike.

“I stand in solidarity with my guild,” he wrote.

Leonardo DiCaprio/Instagram

Issa Rae also shared her honest reaction to the strike on her Instagram Stories,...

After a successful post-pandemic return in 2022, San Diego Comic-Con will hold a much quieter event for 2023, which runs from July 20-23. In June, with possibility of SAG-AFTRA joining the WGA on the picket lines — as well as the success of other focused fan events (like Star Wars Celebration and Tudum) — several major players decided to sit out this year’s convention before the schedule had even been announced, including Marvel, Lucasfilm, HBO, Universal, Sony and Netflix. By the time Sdcc announced the schedule in early July, Warner Bros. had also elected to be absent this year, despite upcoming DC projects like “Blue Beetle” and “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.”

Some studios and productions, however, did announce major panels in the hope that SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP would strike a deal in time for the convention — which didn’t happen. SAG-AFTRA is now on strike, less than a week before Sdcc is set to begin,...

With the news that SAG-AFTRA will now go on strike, members of the acting guild have taken to social media to express their support for the union and to commit to the fight. SAG-AFTRA members are joining the Writers Guild of America in striking for fair compensation, making it a “double strike,” which hasn’t happened since 1960. The WGA has been on strike since May 2.

George Clooney released a statement to Variety expressing his solidarity with the union. “This is an inflection point in our industry,” he said. “Actors and writers in large numbers have lost their ability to make a living. For our industry to survive that has to change. For actors that journey starts now.”

Jamie Lee Curtis took to Instagram and championed the strike by posting a photo of the comedy and tragedy masks. “It looks like it’s time to take down the Masks. And pick up the Signs,...

Striking writers now have a new punching bag: Bob Iger.

After telling CNBC’s David Faber Thursday that the labor situation is “very disturbing” and how the Hollywood unions aren’t being realistic about the current financial climate, WGA picketers went postal on social media by pointing out the massive pay disparity between the Disney CEO and most working writers today.

In a lengthy sit-down with CNBC from Sun Valley, Idaho, Iger addressed the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes and his ongoing feud with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Though his digs at DeSantis were lauded — he called the governor’s claims that Disney is sexualizing children “preposterous and inaccurate”— he lost the Tinseltown rank and file when he said “this is the worst time in the world” to walk off the job.

“I understand any labor organization’s desire to work on behalf of its members to get the most compensation...

Colin Woodell as Winston Scott in ‘The Continental: From the World of John Wick’ (Photo by: Katalin Vermes / Starz Entertainment)

You’ve got to feel sorry for the fine folks at the San Diego Comic-Con. The Covid-19 pandemic shut the popular convention down in 2020, and it was forced into holding a much smaller convention – the “Comic-Con Special Edition” – in November 2021 after being unable to host its normal summertime pop culture event safely. Sdcc returned in 2022, but with strict Covid protocols in place.

2023 was thought to be the year the San Diego Comic-Con would spring back to life. But that wasn’t in the cards. The Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike, which meant many panel participants wouldn’t be able to attend. And then complicating matters, the Screen Actors Guild voted to authorize a strike if they couldn’t come to an agreement with the Alliance of Motion...

With the WGA currently picketing and a looming SAG-AFTRA strike already impacting San Diego Comic-Con with several film and TV companies, i.e. Marvel, Lucasfilm, Sony, Universal, Netflix skipping, Lord knows what a truncated and tamer Comic-Con is going to look like from July 19-23, especially after an explosive 2022 which repped the confab’s return to in-person after going dark for two years during Covid for 2020 and 2021. However, here’s a glimpse at the first 3-days. Some shows and movies have promised cast appearances, but that’s still Tbd given that the SAG-AFTRA contract expires on July 12, and actors aren’t permitted to promote their wares during a work stoppage. There are some big pieces of IP below, read the new Peacock John Wick spinoff series, The Continental and Paramount’s Seth Rogen produced Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, as well as Jamie Lee Curtis, Tj Miller and...

This month’s San Diego Comic-Con is shaping up to be more low-key, at least in terms of reveals from Hollywood studios. Only a handful of major film and TV players will be shelling out to bring talent to the convention, with Paramount’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Peacock’s John Wick prequel The Continental among the film and TV highlights.

The decision for players such as Marvel and Warner Bros. to skip comes as the writers strike rages on, financial struggles tighten belts across Hollywood and the specter of an actors strike looms.

Notably, this will be the first time since 2011 that neither Marvel Studios nor DC’s film division will host a Hall H panel. Marvel has long said it would not come unless it could truly deliver new material (it laid out expansive plans last year and has put several films on hold amid the writers...

It’s official. Velma will be back. Max confirmed the renewal of Mindy Kaling’s adult animated series for a second season. Suzanna Makkos, EVP, Original Comedy and Adult Animation, Max and Adult Swim, revealed the renewal during a panel at Annecy International Animated Film Festival Thursday, where she also talked about upcoming projects and previewed Max’s upcoming adult animation slate.

Velma tells the origin story of Velma Dinkley (Kaling), the unsung and underappreciated brains of the Scooby-Doo Mystery Inc. gang. This original and humorous spin unmasks the complex and colorful past of one of America’s most beloved mystery solvers.

Related: ‘Scooby-Doo!’s Velma Confirmed As LGBTQ In New Halloween-Themed HBO Max Movie

The series also stars Constance Wu, Sam Richardson, and Glenn Howerton in leading roles. Rounding out the ensemble cast in unknown roles is Jane Lynch, Wanda Sykes, Russell Peters, Melissa Fumero, Stephen Root, Gary Cole,...

Netflix, perennially a key player in the Emmy race, is launching its 2023 Emmy campaigns on Wednesday with a, well, Wednesday-themed stunt.

Indeed, many voters and tastemakers will receive a hump-day visit — and hand-delivery of goodies — from a trio associated with the streamer’s hit comedy series: “Lurch,” the Addams family’s butler, who will be driving a class black 1930s hearse; “Wednesday Addams,” the titular teenager with psychic powers; and “Thing,” the sentient disembodied hand.

Additionally, The Hollywood Reporter has learned, Netflix will — for the fifth year in a row, but for the first year at Red Studios at 846 N. Cahuenga Blvd. in Los Angeles — welcome TV Academy members to an elaborate “FYSee Space” at which it will showcase activations and host star-studded panels and performances in promotion of its numerous Emmy hopefuls. The FYSee Space will be open from Friday, May 5 through Friday, May 26.

Netflix’s top Emmy contenders this season — among them Wednesday,...

Exclusive: The Lamar Giles YA novel The Getaway is being developed for TV by Sony Pictures Television and Don Cheadle’s production banner The Radicle Act.

The near-future horror contemplates what would happen if the world fell into chaos, and you and your family were stuck working at one of the world’s most famous resorts – with some of the world’s richest and most powerful as guests. Unknown to employees, the resort has been selling shares in an end-of-the-world oasis, to have the best of the best at the end of days. What they didn’t count on was a group of teens, and how far they’ll go to find out the truth and save themselves.

Cheadle and his producing partner Karyn Smith-Forge will executive produce and Giles will produce.

This Radicle Act currently has a first-look deal with Spt under which they focused on comedy and drama...

Peacock's "Bel-Air" has been a nostalgic trip down memory lane for many, especially Tatyana Ali. The 44-year-old industry vet - best known for playing Ashley Banks in "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" - joined season two of the dramatized reimagining, which kicked off on Feb. 23, not as her classic '90s character - which has since been adopted and updated by 16-year-old Akira Akbar - but in a new role: Ashley's beloved English teacher, Mrs. Hughes.

"I thought it got to the core of some of the things about Ashley that might still be the same from show to show in a really cool way."

While fans continue to compare the legacy of "The Fresh Prince" to its modern-day makeover (and sing its praises), Ali acknowledges that the two shows are, in many ways, "not the same." So she didn't approach her "Bel-Air" season two offer as a return to the familiar.

When The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder debuted last year on Disney+, it called back to the bygone era of Black TV sitcoms in which its 2001 Disney Channel predecessor shined. One where Black families, culture and people were not only celebrated on the small screens in living rooms across the country, but the central focal point of multiple simultaneously airing (though mostly live-action) series.

Its return on Feb. 3, however, pointed to a stunning reality. While the original series aired in the 2000s alongside a handful of animated kids shows also featuring Black leads, including Filmore!, Static Shock, Tutenstein and Little Bill, there has since been only a handful of animated shows aimed at non-adult audiences that explicitly center Black leads and, more specifically, their families.

“Ralph [Farquhar] and I always thought there were gonna be people coming up beside us, making shows that will continue to display this potpourri of Blackness in animation,...

For Kendrick Lamar’s “We Cry Together” short film, it was crucial that the visuals captured the vulnerability and toxicity of a relationship in an intimate space.

“It challenged me to actually live in what I was writing, and really be there and be present with Taylour [Paige],” Lamar said. “And I remember us going back and forth and feeling like, damn, I understand this character even more because I’m evoking the energy from it and the passion from it because it’s alive, and it’s direct.”

Directed by Free, Lamar and Jake Schreier, “We Cry Together” follows Lamar in a heated argument with his partner, played by “Zola” star Taylour Paige. The video features the theatrical song from his fifth album, “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers.” The immersive experience was shot in one single take with live vocal tracks.

“We Cry Together” is among the many films hoping...

Marvel's "Blade" has just found its director (again). Deadline is now reporting that "Lovecraft Country" director and "White Boy Rick" filmmaker Yann Demange will step in to replace Bassam Tariq, who was originally slated to direct the film but stepped down in September. The movie looks to be getting a pretty big revamp, as the outlet also reports that a new screenwriter is on board. Michael Starrbury, whose writing credits include "Colin in Black & White" and the masterful fourth episode of Ava DuVernay's series "When They See Us," is reportedly set to pen a new script for the film.

Furthermore, The Hollywood Reporter says that "Blade" still plans to make its current release date of September 6, 2024, which was moved from its original 2023 release date after Tariq's exit. At the time, the studio cited "continued shifts in our production schedule" as the first director's reason for leaving in a statement to THR.

Click here to read the full article.

In the days following his 44 billion acquisition of Twitter on Oct. 28, Elon Musk has repeatedly tweeted about the vibrancy of the platform.

“Twitter feels increasing alive,” he boasted on Nov. 13 to his 115.6 million followers. On Nov. 10, he posted, “Usage of Twitter continues to rise. One thing is for sure: it isn’t boring!” Another one: “Hit all-time high of active users today.”

Hit all-time high of active users today

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 11, 2022

While Musk didn’t back up the breathless posts with hard data, headlines tell a different, far less enthusiastic story. According to a tweet from Twitter head of Safety & Integrity Yoel Roth (who has since departed), 50 percent of Twitter’s 7,500 employees were laid off and other high-profile leaders resigned, departures that stoked concern about privacy and security. Advertisers pulled back and celebrities tweeted final goodbyes to devoted followers.

But not...

Editor’s note: Former IndieWire staffer and Shadow and Act founder Tambay Obenson is launching Akoroko, a new platform devoted to African film and television; we’re happy to give him our platform to make his case.

For a century, “cinema” has been most often used in reference to an industry that almost entirely excludes the African experience. I want to change that with Akoroko, a new platform that will bridge African film and television industries with the West with consistent, robust, and candid coverage that’s local yet globally accessible. It will include criticism, analysis, consultation, cataloging, curated film streaming, and education.

An October 2021 Unesco report noted that the African film industry generates 5 billion in annual revenue, with the potential for 20 billion. Global appetite for African film and television programming is unknown because the industry continues to be “structurally underfunded, underdeveloped, and undervalued.”

Meanwhile, on the continent with the world’s youngest population,...

Summer has ended, and school is in session as Quinta Brunson and Abbott Elementary taught a masterclass at the 6th Annual Black Reel TV Awards presented by idobi.

Brunson and her freshman comedy, Abbott Elementary proved that it’s just simple math as they racked up seven wins at this year’s Black Reel Television Awards. She won four awards on her own as she received Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series, Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series for Abbott Elementary and Outstanding Guest Actress for A Black Lady Sketch Show. Brunson triumphed in a surprise upset of the comedy actress category over Issa Rae, the sentimental favorite, in her farewell season of Insecure.

While Glover led the pack in individual nominations with five, he was able to take home one win for Outstanding Actor, Comedy Series for Atlanta.

HBO cashed in on their record 40 nominations this...

Taylor Swift could be one step closer to an Egot.

It turns out that the singer-songwriter, who already has 11 Grammys and 1 Emmy, has a real Oscar contender on her hands with her short film “All Too Well” that she released late last year.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Swift’s short “received an Oscar-qualifying run,” making it eligible to be nominated for the Academy’s ‘best live action short’ award. What’s more, Swift seems to have her eyes set on taking home Oscar gold. THR reports that Swift is “working with a top consulting firm to guide its awards campaign.”

Read More: Taylor Swift Thanks Dwayne Johnson For Using 2 ‘Taylor’s Version’ Hits In ‘League Of Super-Pets’

The “August” hitmaker wrote and directed the 14-minute short which debuted on November 12 online and at the AMC Lincoln Square in NYC. The film continued to screen at Lincoln Square for one week.

Click here to read the full article.

The three Oscar categories that recognize films which run 40 minutes or shorter — best live action short, best documentary short and best animated short — are often regarded as “minor,” but this year’s contenders for them will include some major names.

On the heels of recent Academy Awards ceremonies at which Oscars for short films were taken home by the likes of retired NBA legend Kobe Bryant, former NFL player Matthew A. Cherry and Hollywood A-lister Riz Ahmed, The Hollywood Reporter has learned that Taylor Swift’s filmmaking debut All Too Well: The Short Film — which the pop star has described as “a film about an effervescent, curious young woman who ends up completely out of her depth” — received an Oscar-qualifying run, making it eligible for the best live action short Oscar, and is working with a top consulting firm to guide its awards campaign.

Click here to read the full article.

Nearly 400 directors have signed a statement of solidarity with the showrunners’ letter demanding abortion protections from networks, studios and streamers a week and a half ago.

There are now nearly 1,500 writers and directors presenting a united front in asking Hollywood’s employers to help provide abortion access in states where it is now illegal. On July 28, more than 400 female, trans and non-binary TV creators and showrunners sent a letter to the likes of Disney, Lionsgate, NBCUniversal and Netflix asking them to craft explicit policies to protect employees seeking abortions, particularly those working on productions in states where the procedure is now or soon will be prohibited following the Supreme Court’s ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson. On Aug. 1, nearly 600 of their male counterparts signed a statement of support.

The original letter demanded that companies furnish a written policy of their current abortion safety plan within 10 days.

Colman Domingo says his younger brother gave him the best compliment about his new autobiographical animated short, “New Moon.”

“He was overcome,” Domingo tells me on this week’s episode of the “Just for Variety” podcast. “He said, ‘More than anything, you brought the feeling of mom back.’”

“New Moon” tells the story of a little boy who is shown how to dream by his hardworking single mom. It is based on Domingo’s play “A Boy and His Soul.”

Domingo is the voice of the narrator as well as the mother. “My siblings say I have my mom’s voice down pat,” he says. “They’re like, ‘You sound just like mommy.’”

The film will screen during Outfest on July 16 in Los Angeles.

“New Moon” is written by Domingo and his husband and producing partner Raúl Domingo. Raúl co-directed with Jérémie Balais and Jeff Leffig. When the couple first made the film,...

The 2022 Emmy ballot for Best Comedy Directing lists 178 episodes, so there will be seven nominees. As a refresher, last year’s winner was “Hacks” (“There Is No Line” by Lucia Aniello) and the other nominees were “The Flight Attendant” (“In Case of Emergency” by Susanna Fogel), “B Positive” (“Pilot” by James Burrows) and “Mom” (“Scooby-Doo Checks and Salisbury Steak” by James Widdoes), plus “Ted Lasso” with three episodes.

With the exception of “Mom,” which ended last year, all of these series are back in the running. “Hacks” once again went with a solo submission (as it did with writing), with Aniello defending her title with the episode “There Will Be Blood.” After getting three slots last year, “Ted Lasso” takes its shot with four episode submissions, including nominees Lowney (“Inventing The Pyramid Of Success”) and Delaney (“No Weddings and a Funeral”), along with Erica Dunton (“Rainbow”) and Sam Jones (“Beard...

Black Reel Awards annually recognize the excellence of African Americans, as well as the cinematic achievements of the African diaspora, in the global film and television industry. This year there are a lot of nominees and a few new categories.

The comedy series Atlanta edges out all the competition with 11 nominations. Quinta Brunson and Abbott Elementary come in second with nine.

Walter Moseley garners four nominations for writing two episodes of the Apple TV+ series The Last Days of Ptolemy Gray and FX’s Snowfall. Donald Glover snags four nominations, for acting and writing one episode each and directing two episodes of the front-running Atlanta.

HBO (and HBO Max) dominates the competition this year by receiving a whopping 42 nominations. More than double the next nearest competitor, ABC with nineteen nominations. Netflix comes in third with 18 nominations. A grand total of seventeen different networks receive nominations this year, up four from last year.

When the initial announcement was made that eight categories would be pre-taped and then edited into the 2022 Oscars broadcast, we all knew the short film categories — Best Animated Short, Best Documentary Short and Best Live Action Short — would be the first on the chopping block. While these projects are the least seen of all the Oscar nominees, the categories have given us some amazing moments over the years. So rather than wallow in our sadness about not seeing these doled out live, let’s take a look back at four of the best speeches from past Best Animated Short winners. Hopefully the academy realizes soon that the short categories are something special and should be left alone.

The five Oscar nominees in contention for this year’s Best Animated Short prize are the following: “Affairs of the Art” (Joanna Quinn and Les Mills), “Bestia” (Hugo Covarrubias and Tevo Díaz), “Boxballet...

Exclusive: David Steward II’s Lion Forge Animation studio, known for its Academy Award winning short Hair Love from director Matthew A. Cherry, has expanded its leadership team while continuing to scale production and development activity in its third year, promoting two-time Emmy-winning animation director Saxton Moore to Vice President of Production, and hiring Neely Shamam to serve as Vice President of Development.

Moore most recently served as Executive Creative Director at Lion Forge and brings more than 20 years of experience to his new role. He’s previously worked with such notable animation and entertainment companies as Netflix, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Sesame Street, FUSEtv and A+E. Shamam is an experienced creative executive who has spent more than 15 years developing, producing, and programming quality content for an array of platforms and networks, previously serving in creative leadership roles at Disney and Maker Studios, Zone TV and Ficto.

“Our incredible growth trajectory can be attributed,...

Jay-Z brought a very special guest with him to Super Bowl Lvi on Sunday evening. Moments before the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals took the field, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Jay-Z and his 10-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, were seen walking the field, snapping photos, and tossing around a football at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA. The NFL's official Twitter account shared a video of the father-daughter duo hanging out before the game.

Back in October, Blue proved she's already an icon in the making when she appeared in a video tribute during Jay-z's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. "Congrats, S. Carter, ghostwriter / You paid the right price, so we just make your hits tighter," she recites from the 52-year-old rapper's "Ride or Die" track off 1998's "Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life" album. A couple months later, she won big at the 2021 Voice Arts...

Girls Trip alums Jada Pinkett Smith and Queen Latifah will reunite in an upcoming episode of CBS’ The Equalizer.

Smith will guest star as Jessie Cook, a savant-level thief with a photographic memory. Though she’s brilliant and the best at what she does, she’s also devious, unpredictable and amoral. Briefly recruited by the CIA for her skills, Jessie and McCall once worked a mission together back in the day, and though the two get along like oil and water, they’re a whole lot of fun to watch.

The casting marks a reunion for Smith and The Equalizer‘s Queen Latifah, who both starred in the 2017 film Girls Trip. The two also appeared together in Set It Off, and Latifah co-starred in The Secret Life of Bees, which Pinkett Smith exec produced.

The Equalizer is a reimagining of the classic series starring Queen Latifah as Robyn McCall, an...

When “The Kings of Napa” creator Janine Sherman Barrois first dreamed up the idea for her latest scripted series, and OWN’s juicy new family drama, she was in the midst of a visit to a winery.

But that fateful visit to Rideau Vineyard in Santa Ynez, Calif. nearly a decade ago wasn’t just any trip to wine country. It was the first time Barrois, the award-winning writer and producer behind “Claws” and “Self-Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker,” had seen a Black-owned vineyard. And she was inspired.

“I started researching them, and I thought, ‘This is what I need to write about,’” she shared, recounting the chain of events during the show’s virtual premiere party. “I need to write about all of these winemakers and wineries around the world that are being led by people of color.”

Barrois also quickly realized that setting...

Exclusive: Jada Pinkett Smith (The Matrix Resurrections) has signed on to star in Redd Zone, a new Netflix drama from Emmy-nominated screenwriter Kristin Layne Tucker (A Black Lady Sketch Show), Oscar-winning director Matthew A. Cherry (Hair Love) and Westbrook Studios.

Based on a true story, Redd Zone follows Tia Magee (Smith), a single mother who steps forward to help her sons and their high school football teammates, “The Bros,” heal after the murder of their best friend, Dominic Redd. One by one, The Bros start moving into her house, and soon 17 are living under her roof. Eventually, all The Bros go to college, with four making it to the NFL. The film is dedicated to Redd’s memory, and to the powerful impact he had on his community.

Smith, Miguel Melendez and Westbrook Studios’ Co-President and Head of Motion Pictures Jon Mone will produce, with Emmy nominee Howard Burkons and...

A first look at the new series The Kings of Napa is out, spotlighting the drama before its season premiere on January 11 at 8 Pm Et/Pt on OWN.

The Kings of Napa is from writer and executive producer Janine Sherman Barrois and Warner Bros. Television.

The series details the drama at the House of Kings vineyard in Napa. California, owned by the Kings, an aspirational African American family whose wealth and status land them on the pages of design magazines and society pages. The wine business has brought the family success and acclaim. But following the patriarch’s sudden exit from the company, his three children must grapple for the reins to the kingdom.

The show features Ebonée Noel, who plays August King, the middle sibling and the family’s marketing whiz who’s passionate about wine...

OWN has revealed The Kings of Napa will premiere on January 11, 2022, at 9 p.m. Et/Pt.

Created by Janine Sherman Barrois, the series is focused on a picturesque Napa Valley, California vineyard owned by the Kings, an aspirational African American family whose wealth and status land them on the pages of design magazines and society pages. The wine business has brought the family success and acclaim, but following the patriarch’s sudden exit from the company, his three children must grapple for the reigns to the kingdom — to their own power, wealth, and legacy.

Academy Award winner Matthew A. Cherry will direct the first two episodes; Ebonee Noel, Rance Nix, Karen LeBlanc, Yaani King Mondschein, Ashlee Brian, and Devika Parikh are set to recur. Guest stars include Isiah Whitlock Jr., Heather Simms, Curtis Hamilton, and Samantha Walkes.

The Kings of Napa is produced for OWN by Harpo Films in association with Warner Bros. Television.

Exclusive: Alumni Pros Global Sports (Apgs) has set an exclusive partnership with David Steward II’s Lion Forge Animation studio (Hair Love), making Lion Forge Animation the official partner and producer of all animated content conceived by the hundreds of professional athletes within the Apgs network.

Apgs advisors and investors include NBA Hall of Famers Julius “Dr. J” Erving, George Gervin, Spencer Haywood, Allen Iverson, Dikembe Mutombo, and Mitch Richmond, NFL Hall of Famer Ray Lewis, and current NFL players Brandon Copeland and Tahir Whitehead.

The pact, constructed by Apgs co-founder Robert Smith and Lfa’s Head of Business Development Jimmy Thomas, will span long and short form episodic series as well as features, shorts, and hybrid content.

The partnership will look to capitalise on content produced, written and distributed by current and retired professional athletes and give pro athletes the opportunity to pool their resources to finance, produce, distribute,...

Workers in one of Hollywood’s biggest unions are considering a strike, and some of the entertainment industry’s most high-profile performers are showing their support. The leaders of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees union, which represents around 150,000 of Hollywood’s crafts workers, have called on its members to give them the authorization to strike following months of stalled contract negotiations with producers.

IATSE has noted increased protests against adversarial working conditions, ranging from low pay and long workdays to safety concerns, and a potential strike has drawn vocal support from major Hollywood actors: Seth Rogen, Ben Stiller, Matthew Cherry, Bradley Whitford, Anthony Rapp, Josh Ruben, Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Rachel Zegler, and Jeremy O. Harris are among the industry talents who have recently tweeted in support of the move.

“If you enjoyed our trailer for ‘West Side Story,’ you must know that none of the beauty of...

Hike up your pants and practice your snort, because we have some exciting news to report.

If it wasn’t clear from that festive rhyme — and, you know, the headline atop this article — Steve Urkel is returning to television in an animated musical holiday special. Written and executive-produced by Wyatt Cenec, Did I Do That to the Holidays? A Steve Urkel Story finds Jaleel White reprising his legendary nerd character for the first time since Family Matters ended in 1998.

More from TVLineCartoon Network, Hair Love's Matthew A. Cherry and Director Chaz Bottoms Team for Teen Dancers Musical ComedyTVLine Items: Money Heist Return Date,...

“Saturday Night Live” head writer and comedian Michael Che wiped his Instagram account of all posts Thursday night after receiving backlash for posting jokes about Olympic gymnast Simone Biles.

Biles, a four-time gold medalist, was expected to be a frontrunner in the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games, but she withdrew from the gymnastics team finals and all-around individual finals due to concerns about her mental well-being. Her decision has sparked an outpouring of support from athletes and Hollywood for being vocal about her mental health and prioritizing it.

On Thursday, Che posted to his since-deleted Instagram story “man, i wanna make fun of simone biles,” followed by “i got like 3 mins of simone biles jokes in my head. im going to the cellar tonight to say them into a microphone. as the dorky kids say, im choosing violence.”

Che then shared two jokes from Instagram users to his story and rated the...

LeVar Burton hosted "Jeopardy!" Monday night, and his performance as quizmaster prompted fans of the show to say that he should be the quiz show's permanent host.

Burton, a veteran actor, former "Reading Rainbow" host and star in "Star Trek," will be the "Jeopardy!" guest host for the next week. He taped his episodes several months ago, which spurred some considerable hype leading up to it. Burton had been gunning for the spot of at least guest host on "Jeopardy!" for some time now as well. He signed a fan petition to make him the show's next host in 2013 and said three years ago that "there is only one game show I’ve ever wanted to host... This Is Jeopardy!"

"Jeopardy!" has been without a permanent host since the beloved emcee -- and host of 37 seasons since 1984 -- Alex Trebek passed away last November. The show has rotated through guest...