News

Exclusive: BET Her has greenlit Black Girl, Erupted from director and star, Vanessa Bell Calloway (This Is Us), and executive producer, Tressa Azarel Smallwood of MegaMind Media. The project is the first feature film under the BET Her Presents: The Couch franchise.

Written by Tiffany Yancey, Black Girl, Erupted follows Reina (Khalilah Joi), a woman paying her dues at a law firm while facing microaggressions from co-workers and her boss Mr. Horowitz (Eric Roberts). Reina’s parents, Cassandra (Vanessa E. Williams), and Donald (Rodney Van Johnson), favor their younger daughter, Reilly, (Janeva Stoute), and consistently remind Reina not to be the “angry black woman” at the firm. The pressure to be perfect and uphold the family’s image wreaks havoc on Reina’s mental state.

B.J. Britt, Kareem Grimes, Brely Evans and Asia’h Epperson also star.

The film reunites Calloway with Smallwood, who has overseen the production of all the...

Exclusive: Umc, the streaming service operated by AMC Networks, has ordered its latest original drama – a male dating series created by newcomer Trell Woodberry.

For the Love of Jason looks at being single in your 30s from the male perspective.

Woodberry stars as Jason alongside an ensemble cast that features Sister, Sister’s Jackée Harry, All American’s Kareem Grimes, Being Mary Jane’s B.J. Britt and Brely Evans and Laila Odom, who features in Lifetime’s upcoming Salt-n-Pepa drama.

Jason is the guy who always has it together. In fact, he’s one of the most desirable guys in Los Angeles – educated, financially stable, and no baby mama drama. After ending a long-term relationship, Jason gets caught up in the bachelor lifestyle not realizing life is passing him by. As he watches his friends move on and settle down one by one, Jason feels pressured to catch up. Instead,...

Producer Tressa Azarel Smallwood of MegaMind Media has teamed with BET Networks on a new BET Her initiative for four female-centric original short films, which will be directed by prominent African American Hollywood stars Sheryl Lee Ralph (Sister Act 2), Kim Fields (Living Single), Vanessa Bell Calloway (Coming to America) and Victoria Rowell (Dumb and Dumber).

Shooting began this week in Maryland. The 20-minute dramatic shorts will cover a range of vital topics to today’s Black families ranging from breast cancer to mental health. The films will live under the BET Her “Her Stories” franchise, a platform to empower the next generation of Black women filmmakers.

“Even though I’ve licensed films to BET previously, being chosen to produce these crucial initiatives with all African-American women is such an honor,” said Smallwood.

“BET Her is dedicated to telling stories that support and celebrate Black women in front of and...

Newly launched streaming platform Bet Plus is debuting its first new original unscripted series, “American Gangster: Trap Queens,” an inside look at the lives of some of the country’s most notorious female gangsters, Variety has learned exclusively. Narrated by rapper and actor Jeezy, the first five episodes of the two-part series — an adaptation of “American Gangster” — are now available on the service.

“Bet is excited to bring “American Gangster: Trap Queens” to Bet+,” said Bet’s head of unscripted programming Marisa Levy. “We’ve reimagined this long running series by letting women take center stage. Each episode features one of America’s most successful and notorious female criminal masterminds recounting her cautionary tale. Given the success of the original long running American Gangster television series, we hope ‘Trap Queens’ will become a fresh fan favorite in the true crime genre as well.”

Storylines include that of Delrhonda “Big 50” Hood,...

In today’s film news roundup, SXSW winner “Saint Frances” gets a home, Kyle Chandler gets cast, Jeannine Tang gets promoted, and the La Film School honors its graduates.

Acquisition

Oscilloscope Laboratories has acquired U.S. rights to SXSW winner “Saint Frances,” written by and starring Kelly O’Sullivan.

The film premiered at the 2019 SXSW Film Festival and won the Audience Award in the narrative feature competition as well as a special jury recognition for breakthrough voice.

Oscilloscope will release the film in theaters before a roll out to digital platforms. O’Sullivan plays a flailing 34-year-old who lands a much-needed job nannying six-year-old Frances (played by Ramona Edith-Williams), but an unwanted pregnancy introduces an unexpected complication.

The film was produced by James Choi, Pierce Cravens, Ian Keiser, Eddie Linker, and Raphael Nash. Ryan Kampe of Visit Films negotiated the sale on behalf of the filmmakers.

Casting

Kyle Chandler will...