News

A 27-year-old Tyra Banks was elated when she landed the role of Zoe, the no-nonsense bartender in “Coyote Ugly.” Although there weren’t high expectations for the movie, which starred a cast of mostly unknowns who play rowdy dancers at a seedy bar, the movie became a sleeper summer hit for Touchstone Pictures, grossing $60 million domestically on a $45 million budget. The female-led cast — including Piper Perabo — were featured on billboards and posters and the soundtrack went multi-platinum, with the help of LeAnn Rimes and songwriter Diane Warren.

Now, Banks tells Variety that she’s been lobbying for years for a sequel. “I’ve had a passion to do a sequel to ‘Coyote Ugly’ for some time now. I’ve even reached out to [producer] Jerry Bruckheimer and the team and the original writer and they’ve had some jam sessions on what it could possibly be,” Banks says. “I feel like...

All day Wednesday, dozens of prominent Black women in Hollywood, fashion, business, literature and political activism will be taking over the Instagram accounts of white women including Julia Roberts and Elizabeth Warren, as part of the #ShareTheMicNow campaign, which aims to amplify the voices and stories of Black women.

Created by Bozoma Saint John, Cmo at Endeavor, fashion designer Stacey Bende, and bestselling writers Luvvie Ajayi Jones and Glennon Doyle, the campaign will see 46 Black women run the accounts of 46 white women. “When the world listens to women, it listens to white women. For far too long, Black women’s voices have gone unheard, even though they’ve been using their voices loudly for centuries to enact change,” #ShareTheMicNow said in a press release. “Today, more than ever, it is Necessary that we create a unifying action to center Black women’s lives, stories, and calls to action. We need to listen to Black women.

Image Source: Instagram user @missmoultrie

"When the world listens to women, it listens to white women." This unjust truth is precisely what inspired the creation of the #ShareTheMicNow campaign. The initiative, which is taking over social media on June 10, centers on Black women speaking from the Instagram accounts of white women with large followings in order to share their stories and help foster conversations about racial justice. More than 40 women will be handing over their handles to amplify Black voices, including actresses, athletes, and fashion designers.

The campaign was brought to life by Bozoma Saint John, a businesswoman and the current chief marketing officer of Endeavor; Luvvie Ajayi Jones, a New York Times bestselling author and podcast host; Glennon Doyle, a New York Times bestselling author and the founder of Together Rising; and Stacey Bendet, CEO and creative director of Alice + Olivia. Ahead, get the full scoop on the initiative's goals,...

A new social media campaign launching Wednesday called #ShareTheMicNow will have Black women speak from the Instagram accounts of white women who have large platforms from Julia Roberts to Gwenyth Paltrow, Hilary Swank, Alex Morgan and Kourtney Kardashian. In the initial broad coalition of women, organizer Bozoma Saint John, Chief Marketing Officer at Endeavor, will take over Kourtney Kardashian’s account; Kahlana Barfield Brown will take over Julia Roberts’ account; Latham Thomas will take over Gwenyth Paltrow’s account; Angelica Ross will take over Hilary Swank’s account; and Ibtihaj Muhammad will take over Alex Morgan’s account.

#ShareTheMicNow wants to magnify “Black women and the important work they’re doing in order to catalyze the change that will only come when we truly hear each other’s voices,” the group said in a statement Tuesday. It “encourages Black and white women in relationship to recreate this action in their own spaces.

Exclusive: Deadline has learned that a reboot of Blake Edwards hit 1979 comedy 10 is happening at Warner Bros. with Legally Blonde‘s Karen McCullah and Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith writing. Sue Kroll, through Kroll & Co. Entertainment’s exclusive deal at the Burbank, CA studio, will produce alongside Jeff Nathanson. Julie Andrews and Ashok Amritraj will serve as executive producers.

The original movie, which starred Edwards’ wife Julie Andrews, Dudley Moore and Bo Derek, followed a Hollywood composer going through a mid-life crisis who becomes infatuated with a newly married woman. 10 was a huge box office hit back in the day making close to $75M at the domestic box office.

The new project will take a comedic look at the question of what defines a “perfect 10” in today’s world. The new contemporary re-imagining will be inspired by the original film’s wit, humor and groundbreaking conversations around sexual politics.

“10 holds a special place in my heart.

As the Coronavirus spread across the world, YouTube promoted the #withme hashtag to help viewers share content that would be useful during the pandemic.

The company’s originals division is now taking that one step forward with a slate of Covid-19 commissions that includes a dance event, a distance learning series and a social media mystery series.

More from DeadlineLionsgate Teams With Fandango, YouTube & Nato To Help Furloughed Cinema Employees With 'Lionsgate Live!'YouTube Originals Offers Some Library Titles For Free During LockdownVin Scully, The Voice Of Dodgers Baseball, Offers Fans Some Perspective Via YouTube Message

These include Celebrity Substitute, The Creator Games Presented by Mr Beast, Stay At Home With: Yungblud, #MoveWithMe, #StreamWithMe, The Secret Life of Lele Pons, BookTube: Read With Me, Locked Down, Untitled Juanpa and Luisito Project and Create Together #WithMe (full details below).

Susanne Daniels, Global Head of Original Content at YouTube, told Deadline...

Sky Cinema grabs a lot of the bigger blockbusters, but often promotes smaller movies that have gained a nice little following, so we’re keeping track of all the new films that are hitting the service in the coming month.

In April, you’ll get new premieres like Spider-Man: Far From Home and Detective Pikachu. As always, quite a few of the films in the lineup will also be available via Now TV, but here’s an official look at what’s coming to Sky Cinema over the next few weeks…

Premieres

Four Kids And It – April 3rd

Jacqueline Wilson’s spin-off novel gets the Sky Original treatment, as four kids hope their dreams are about to come true on a new search for the magical creature.

Vita And Virginia – April 5th

A touching drama based on the real-life love story between Virginia Woolf (Elizabeth Debicki) and Vita Sackville-West (Gemma Arterton...

Stephen Colbert talked collusion on Tuesday night, this time zeroing in on Attorney General William Barr.

The CBS Late Show host read a news headline saying President Trump had pressed Australia’s prime minister to help Barr find the origins of Robert Mueller’s investigation.

“Australia’s just the tip of the crazy-berg,” Colbert quipped.

Tonight: Attorney General Barr is on a worldwide collusion tour for President Trump. #Lssc pic.twitter.com/tMoaPdUbEi

— The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) October 2, 2019

He then shared a string of articles saying Barr had reached out to several other countries — supposedly to appease Trump — including the U.K. and Italy.

“Bill Barr is traveling the world trying to prove that all of Trump’s conspiracy theories are true,” Colbert joked.

“He’s going to find Obama’s birth certificate. He’s going to rescue all of the people that aliens abducted from Trump’s inauguration crowd...

Katherine Heigl is taking fans behind-the-scenes of her latest hair transformation.

The actress, 40, revealed in an Instagram post on Tuesday that she has gone from blonde to brunette for her role of Tully Hart in the upcoming Netflix series Firefly Lane, adapted from the Kristin Hannah book of the same name.

Heigl snapped a selfie of her new ‘do in the car while wearing oversized sunglasses and a chunky pearl necklace.

“If you haven’t caught my stories this will be a shock for you… #tullyhart #FireflyLane #nextroleforthisgal,” she captioned the picture, referring to her Instagram Story series which followed her hair transformation process.

We love these products, and we hope you do too. E! has affiliate relationships, so we may get a small share of the revenue from your purchases. Items are sold by the retailer, not E!. Summer is a time to take long weekends, go to the beach and catch up on your reading list! There is nothing better than a good book, and the ladies of The View gave us some recommendations during their week-long segment "The Ladies Get Lit." Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar recommended a few of their favorite reads including National Book Award Winner The Friend by Sigmund Nunez, Becoming by Michelle Obama and City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert. "With all the conversations about sexual consent, it's risen...

Yes, we know that Summer arrived at the multiplex three weeks ago with a certain superhero blockbuster, and the screens are slowly filling with more action franchise entries, raunchy comedies, and feature-length animated flicks. But that doesn’t mean a somber drama has to wait till the “award bait” clutter of the Fall and Winter. Particularly one based on “actual events”, and whose topic is a political “hot button” (the next presidential race is already heating up). This film belongs to a subset of “prison dramas”, stories set in the ole’ “grey-bar hotel” reach back into the silent days and were strong companion pieces to the gangster flicks in the early “talkies” era. That subset would be the “big house’s” final stop: death row. The focus being characters not doing “hard time”, but the “end time”, waiting for the “long walk” and hopefully a last minute call from the governor.

by Chris Feil

The first sign of Trial By Fire’s problems is that its title is a pun, and I welcome any and all puns. It's perhaps not the most sensitive way to approach a film that begins with a house fire that takes the lives of multiple children. Maybe don't do that.

But then again, sensitivity isn’t the film’s strong suit. As directed by Edward Zwick, the film is a not-quite-thoughtful look at a true story of Death Row Texas. Jack O’Connell stars as Cameron Todd Willingham, a man convicted of a home arson that took the lives of his three children despite his claims of innocence. His case is doomed by prejudice and a corrupt system until he meets the correspondence of Laura Dern’s good samaritan Elizabeth Gilbert.

The death penalty is among the most controversial and debated about laws in American politics, and even worldwide. There are passionate cases made on both sides, arguing for or against capital punishment and the right for the state to take a life. To be sure though, there’s hypocrisy as well, especially when you look at how conservative lawmakers view capital punishment/the death penalty in relation to their feelings on abortion/a woman’s right to choose. Moreover, the rush to judgment in some cases is as infuriating as anything else in the matter. The righteous indignation over that fuels the new film Trial by Fire, opening this week. This film is a true life drama/biopic, centering on the controversial and ultimately tragic case of Cameron Todd Willingham (Jack O’Connell). When the home he lives in with his wife Stacy Willingham (Emily Meade) burns down, killing their three young daughters,...

Trial By Fire, the gripping new film from Oscar-winner Edward Zwick, is based on the true story of Cameron Todd Willingham (Jack O’Connell) a Texan man on death row who forms an unlikely friendship with Elizabeth Gilbert (Laura Dern) a playwright who visits him.

The film had its World Premiere at the Telluride Film Festival in 2018 and is released in Us cinemas this Friday 17th May. Ahead of its Us theatrical release, James Kleinmann spoke to stars Laura Dern and Jack O’Connell as well as the film’s director and producer Edward Zwick exclusively for HeyUGuys.

Jack O’Connell and Laura Dern in Trial by Fire

Before getting on to Trial By Fire, James praised Laura Dern for her British accent in her most recent film release Jt LeRoy and the conversation begins with Laura explaining to her Trial By Fire co-star that her British accent wasn’t...

Cameron Todd Willingham burned his three daughters alive, at least according to the state of Texas, which sentenced him to death in 1992. In the decades since, Willingham’s trial has been relitigated in the court of public opinion by the New Yorker, whose evisceration of testimony by arson experts gives “Trial by Fire” its title. The case has also become a cause célèbre for justice advocates sifting through convictions to find a case where the American government executed an innocent man — Willingham was put to death in 2004 — a travesty they would take all the way to the Supreme Court.

Edward Zwick’s take on the tragedy is a linear biopic, a film more comfortable with time stamps than in burning down the judicial system. “Trial by Fire” opens two days before Christmas in Corsicana, Texas, as 23-year-old Willingham (Jack O’Connell) flees his flaming house, barefoot, shirtless and screaming for...

A perpetually alarming issue that merits interminable outrage, wrongful convictions are not news in this country. Innocent people accused of a crime, or at least individuals not dutifully proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, face a voracious system where circumstantial variables sway the law more than facts do.

This failure of justice resulting in lives lost to unearned sentences is so pervasive that countless movies (both scripted and non-fiction) populate their own subgenre chock-full of these dispiriting cases. In “Trial by Fire,” the latest fiction adapted from real-life tragedy, despair is amplified by the state of Texas’ fondness of fatal reprisal and right-leaning attitudes.

Translated into screenplay form by Geoffrey Fletcher (“Precious”) from David Grann’s identically titled article for The New Yorker, director Edward Zwick’s tremendously cast but inadequately realized drama details how Cameron Todd Willingham went from being a lousy husband (yet loving father) to getting branded...

In today’s roundup, Netflix release the trailer for the thriller series starring Renee Zellweger, and Kerry Washington joins the cast of ABC’s live sitcom event “Norman Lear’s All in the Family and The Jeffersons.”

First Looks

Netflix dropped a trailer for the upcoming neo-noir thriller “What/If,” starring Renee Zellweger. The show asks, “What if a mysterious stranger made you an offer too extraordinary to refuse?” The first season of the original series focuses on a mysterious woman’s lucrative, but dubious offer to a cash-strapped pair of San Francisco newlyweds. The series launches May 24.

A&E‘s new docuseries “The Employables” follows job seekers with conditions such as autism or Tourette Syndrome, who get paired up with a specialist to navigate their search for employment. Variety has obtained an exclusive clip from the series, which you can watch below. The show premieres Wednesday, May 15 at 10 p.m.

Dates...

Laura Dern is taking on the tragic case of Cameron Todd Willingham in Trial by Fire.

The Big Little Lies actress takes on Elizabeth Gilbert, a school teacher who begins investigating Willingham’s case as he sits on death row. Willingham, played by Jack O’Connell, was convicted and sentenced to death for the arson death of his three young daughters, even though there was mounting evidence of his innocence.

In a People exclusive scene, Dern’s Gilbert excitedly outlines all the evidence they have to prove his innocence and appeal Willingham’s conviction again.

“Listen to me, his story stinks.

Washington — Edward Zwick’s new movie, “Trial By Fire,” which will screen in D.C. next week before its May 17 release, is coming out amid a potential shift in the politics surrounding the death penalty.

California Governor Gavin Newsom put a moratorium on the state’s death penalty in March, suspending executions for the more than 700 people on death row. Lawmakers in New Hampshire and Washington state have introduced bills repealing capital punishment.

“Trial by Fire” is the true story of the relationship between a Texas death row inmate, Cameron Todd Willingham (Jack O’Connell), and Elizabeth Gilbert (Laura Dern), who helps lead the effort to try to secure his freedom. Willingham was convicted of the arson-related triple homicide of his children in 1992 and then executed in 2004, despite appeals to then Gov. Rick Perry that investigators used flawed methods to determine that it was a case of arson. Those doubts...

Trial By Fire is the true story of Cameron Todd Willingham (Jack O’Connell), a death row inmate who strikes up a friendship with a woman named Elizabeth Gilbert (Laura Dern).

Willingham, who was convicted of an arson related triple homicide in 1992, spent 12 years on death row before his execution. The film explores Gilbert’s [...]

The post Laura Dern And Jack O’Connell Seek Justice In ‘Trial By Fire’ Trailer appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.

Roadside Attractions has released the trailer for “Trial by Fire,” which finds Jack O’Connell back in prison — onscreen, that is. The “Starred Up” and “Unbroken” star teams up with Laura Dern in Edward Zwick’s based-on-fact drama about a death-row inmate and an unlikely ally who did her utmost to exonerate him. Watch the trailer below.

Here’s the synopsis: “‘Trial by Fire’ is the true-life Texas story of the unlikely bond between an imprisoned death row inmate (Jack O’Connell) and a mother of two from Houston (Laura Dern) who, though facing staggering odds, fights mightily for his freedom. Cameron Todd Willingham, a poor, uneducated heavy metal devotee with a violent streak and a criminal record, is convicted of arson-related triple homicide in 1992. During his 12 years on death row, Elizabeth Gilbert, an improbable ally, uncovers questionable methods and illogical conclusions in his case, and battles with the state...

Trailer-wise this week, we saw: Twitter go batshit over the ‘Joker’ teaser, featuring Joaquin Phoenix as the world’s most famous supervillain; a first look at Jim Jarmusch’s all-star zombie movie; clips for two returning series; more Zac Efron as Ted Bundy; and Kristen Stewart as one half of the most notorious literary hoax of the 21st century. Check it out.

Cobra Kai, Season 2

Because you can never sweep too many legs, Johnny. The Karate Kid spin-off/franchise extension/YouTube original returns on April 24th. “Cobra Kai … never dies!

“Prisoners talk about doing time,” the condemned man says. “On the Row, there is no time. Clock stopped moving the minute we was sentenced.”

Here is the first trailer for Trial by Fire, director Ed Zwick’s controversial film that premiered at Telluride last year. It’s the true-life Texas story of the unlikely bond between a death row inmate and a mother of two from Houston who, though facing staggering odds, fights mightily for his freedom.

Cameron Todd Willingham (Jack O’Connell), a poor, uneducated heavy metal devotee with a violent streak and a criminal record, is convicted of arson-related triple homicide in 1992. During his 12 years on death row, Elizabeth Gilbert (Laura Dern), an improbable ally, uncovers questionable methods and illogical conclusions in his case, and battles with the state to expose suppressed evidence that could save him.

The first trailer for Roadside Attractions' Trial by Fire shows Laura Dern fighting to clear a death row inmate.

The Edward Zwick-directed true-crime drama is adapted from a New Yorker article by David Grann. The film stars Dern (Big Little Lies, Star Wars: The Last Jedi) and Jack O'Connell (Godless, Skins) in the roles of a mother of two and inmate, respectively, who form an unlikely bond.

The trailer begins in a courtroom as O’Connell’s Cameron Todd Willingham is found guilty of capital murder and sentenced to death. Enter Elizabeth Gilbert (Dern), the Texas prisoner’...

The first trailer for Roadside Attractions' Trial by Fire shows Laura Dern fighting to clear a death row inmate.

The Edward Zwick-directed true-crime drama is adapted from a New Yorker article by David Grann. The film stars Dern (Big Little Lies, Star Wars: The Last Jedi) and Jack O'Connell (Godless, Skins) in the roles of a mother of two and inmate, respectively, who form an unlikely bond.

The trailer begins in a courtroom as O’Connell’s Cameron Todd Willingham is found guilty of capital murder and sentenced to death. Enter Elizabeth Gilbert (Dern), the Texas prisoner’...

First introduced as a national proclamation by Congress in 1981, Women’s History Month has been celebrated every year since then, using the 31 days of March to promote and amplify the voices of women across the country — and around the world.

To celebrate Women’s History Month, we asked nine actresses to tell us about the books, films and television shows that have inspired them, as women, over the years. Many of their selections were written by female writers, or star strong female leads. The shared goal of these actresses is to not only commemorate the achievements of women this month, but to celebrate their voices — and the stories they continue to tell — all year long.

Michaela McManus, “The Village” (premieres March 19 on NBC)

I read “Just Kids” by Patti Smith about seven years ago and it has stayed with me ever since (read it here). I moved to New York...

Roadside Attractions has obtained the U.S. distribution rights to the Edward Zwick-directed true-crime drama Trial by Fire and has slated a release date for May 17. Based on a 2009 article in The New Yorker by David Grann, the film starring Jack O’Connell, Laura Dern, Emily Meade and Jeff Perry premiered at last year’s Telluride Film Festival, .

Adapted by Precious scribe Geoffrey Fletcher, the Texas story centers on the unlikely bond between an imprisoned death row inmate (O’Connell) and a mother of two from Houston (Dern) who fights mightily for his freedom. Cameron Todd Willingham, a poor, uneducated heavy metal devotee with a violent streak and a criminal record, is convicted of arson-related triple homicide in 1992. During his 12 years on death row, Elizabeth Gilbert uncovers questionable methods and illogical conclusions in his case and battles with the state to expose suppressed evidence that could save him.

Zwick...

In today’s film news roundup, “Trial by Fire” and “The Harvesters” get U.S. distribution deals and the Ford vs. Ferrari movie, starring Christian Bale and Matt Damon, gets an awards season release.

Acquisitions

Roadside Attractions has acquired U.S. rights to true-crime drama “Trial By Fire,” starring Jack O’Connell and Laura Dern.

Roadside, which announced the deal Monday, will release the film on May 17. The film is directed by Edward Zwick and adapted by Geoffrey Fletcher, who won an Academy award for “Precious,” from David Grann’s article originally published in The New Yorker in 2009.

“Trial by Fire” had its world premiere at the 2018 Telluride Film Festival, and is produced by Zwick, Allyn Stewart, Kipp Nelson and Alex Soros. Executive producers are Kathryn Dean and Marshall Herskovitz. Soros, the son of billionaire George Soros, financed the project.

“Trial by Fire” centers on the unlikely bond between an...

Indie distributor Roadside Attractions has acquired U.S. rights to Edward Zwick’s true-crime drama “Trial by Fire,” the company announced on Monday.

The film, starring Laura Dern and Jack O’Connell, was adapted by Geoffrey Fletcher (“Precious”) and is based on David Grann’s article in The New Yorker about the unlikely bond between a death row inmate (O’Connell) and a mother of two from Houston (Dern) who, though facing staggering odds, fights for his freedom.

“Trial by Fire” had its world premiere during the 2018 Telluride Film Festival in August. Roadside plans to release the film on May 17.

Also Read: Leonard Cohen Sundance Documentary 'Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love' Acquired by Roadside Attractions

“I first read David Grann’s article, ‘Trial by Fire’ in The New Yorker nearly ten years ago. I couldn’t stop talking about it to friends and soon realized I had to try to make it as a film,...

Elizabeth Gilbert is still grieving after recently losing her partner to cancer, but she hasn’t given up her search for joy.

In an exclusive interview with People, the Eat, Pray, Love author reveals that her upcoming novel, City of Girls, is one of her “funniest” works yet — even as it provides “redemption for female desire.”

“I can tell you absolutely it’s the lightest, funniest thing I’ve written out of the darkest grief,” the 49-year-old author says of the book, which will release in June 2019. (See below for the cover reveal.)

Gilbert is best known for her 2006 hit memoir,...

“Fire doesn’t destroy evidence,” one of the arson experts testifies in court. “Fire creates evidence.” That it does. But what if the evidence it creates is misinterpreted by the people who are entrusted to understand it? What if the experts are clouded by confirmation biases, hampered by outdated investigative methods, and complicit in a judicial system that disproportionally targets the poor? And what if — as a direct result of those other what ifs — an innocent man was executed for murdering his own children? In Texas, which executes more than five times as many people as any other state, those aren’t exactly hypothetical questions.

A clumsy prison drama that’s baked into a compelling argument against the death penalty, Ed Zwick’s “Trial by Fire” dramatizes the tragic story of Cameron Todd Willingham, who was wrongly convicted of burning his house down with his three young daughters inside on...

Elizabeth Gilbert is currently mourning the death of her partner, Rayya Elias. The Eat, Pray, Love author confirmed the sad news on Thursday in a lengthy Instagram post. Along with her sweet tribute, she also posted a photo of the 57-year-old, who was diagnosed with pancreatic and liver cancer in Spring 2016, happily playing guitar. Her message reads as follows: "She was my love, my heart, my best friend, my teacher, my rebel, my angel, my protector, my challenger, my partner, my muse, my wizard, my surprise, my gift, my comet, my liberator, my rock star, my completely impossible non-cooperator, my otherworldly visitor, my spiritual portal, and my baby. I loved you so much, Rayya. Thank you for letting me walk with you right to the edge of the river. It has been the greatest honor of my life. I would tell you to rest in peace, but I know that you always found peace boring.

Elizabeth Gilbert needs an extra dose of love today.  The acclaimed author's beloved partner Rayya Elias has passed away. Gilbert shared the news with her devoted followers and fans on Facebook late Thursday night with a cheerful snapshot of Elias playing the guitar.  "She was my love, my heart, my best friend, my teacher, my rebel, my angel, my protector, my challenger, my partner, my muse, my wizard, my surprise, my gift, my comet, my liberator, my rock star, my completely impossible non-cooperator, my otherworldly visitor, my spiritual portal, and my baby," the writer penned online. "I loved you so much, Rayya. Thank you for letting me walk with you right to the edge of the river. It...

Elizabeth Gilbert is mourning a painful loss in the New Year. The “Eat Pray Love” author took to social media to announce that her longtime love, Rayya Elias, passed away this week. In a lengthy, heartfelt post, Gilbert praised her partner, whom she previously credited as being the reason for the end of her marriage […]...

Elizabeth Gilbert‘s partner Rayya Elias has died. She was 57.

The author of the best-selling novel Eat, Pray, Love confirmed the sad news in statements shared on Instagram and Twitter Thursday. Elias, a fellow author, songwriter and short filmmaker, was diagnosed with pancreatic and liver cancer in spring 2016.

“She was my love, my heart, my best friend, my teacher, my rebel, my angel, my protector, my challenger, my partner, my muse, my wizard, my surprise, my gift, my comet, my liberator, my rock star, my completely impossible non-cooperator, my otherworldly visitor, my spiritual portal, and my baby,” Gilbert wrote along...