News

Lifetime offered viewers a first look at its Aaliyah biopic this weekend, releasing a brief, 15-second trailer that shows its new star, Alexandra Shipp, taking on the role of the late R&B singer.

While the short trailer shows little more than a moody glimpse of Shipp undertaking some of Aaliyah's distinctive choreography and channeling her fashion and attitude, it also provides some reassurance that the production is back on track after a rocky start earlier this summer. At the end of the clip comes a note that Aaliyah: The...

After being put on hold following the high-profile exit of its leading lady, Lifetime's unauthorized Aaliyah biopic is back on track, with a new star and a premiere date.

The network will air "Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B" on November 15, and it will feature actress Alexandra Shipp in the title role. Shipp, who starred on Nickelodeon series "House of Anubis," takes over for Zendaya Coleman, the actress and singer who landed the part earlier this year, but backed out this summer over concerns about the quality of the film.

Coleman's exit -- which caused a temporary shutdown of the production -- wasn't the only controversy the flick faced, with Aaliyah's family publicly denouncing the project as unworthy of the late singer, who died in a plane crash in 2001 at the age of 22. Aaliyah's estate blocked the use of her recordings in the flick, but does not own publishing rights to her music,...

Casting choices for Lifetime's Aaliyah biopic are once again under attack. Cries of Hollywood colorism were made after TheWrap reported who had been cast in the roles of Aaliyah's mentors, rapper-producers Missy Elliott and Timbaland, on Saturday. The duo worked with Aaliyah on her second album, “One In A Million,” which sold 3.7 million copies in the United States and more than eight million copies worldwide. Now under the microscope, Canadian singer and dancer Chattrisse Dolabaille will play Missy Elliott while “So You Think You Can Dance Canada” alum Izaak Smith has been chosen to play Timbaland. Also read: Lifetime's Aaliyah Biopic Finds Its Missy.

You're likely all up-to-speed on the online outrage over the actors cast to play Missy Elliott and Timbaland in Lifetime's Aaliyah biopic, which Alexandra Shipp is attached to star in - a project that's already riddled with controversy, if only because Aaliyah's family opposes it. Relative newcomers Chattrisse Dolabaille and Izaak Smith have been cast as Missy Elliott and Timbaland respectively in film. The reasons for the public outrage over their casting should be obvious, based on the photos of both actors above, so I won't bother spoon-feeding. Make up your own mind. Also added to the cast are Rachael Crawford and Sterling Jarvis as Aaliyah’s...

Spotlight

Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Aaron Eckhart, Liev Schreiber and Stanley Tucci are all onboard to star in "Spotlight," Tom McCarthy's film about the efforts of the journalists at the Boston Globe to uncover the now famous Catholic church sex scandal.

The group discovered and exposed Cardinal Bernard Law, America's Senior Catholic Prelate, who was protecting priests accused of sexual assault by moving them to different parishes where they offended again.  Production begins this Fall. [Source: The Wrap]

Roadrunner

Scott Eastwood and country singer Trace Adkins are attached to star in the "Smokey And The Bandit"-esque road action comedy "Roadrunner".

Greg Coolidge and Kirk Ward are penning the script while Scott Mednick ("300," "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles") is producing. [Source: Deadline]

Aaliyah: Princess of R&B

Newcomer Chattrisse Dolabaille and Izaak Smith ("Mirror Mirror") have been cast as Missy Elliott and Timbaland respectively in Lifetime's upcoming Aaliyah telemovie biopic "Aaliyah: Princess of...

With the Aaliyah role finally locked into place for the upcoming Lifetime biopic about the singer, other pivotal roles are being set.  Chattrisse Dolabaille and Izaak Smith have been cast as Aaliyah's collaborators Missy Elliott and Timbaland, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. The rapper-producers worked closely with the star on her album One in a Million, released in 1996. They also worked with her on her 2001 self-titled release, the same year she died at the age of 22 in a plane crash. Dolabaille is a newcomer, while Smith previously appeared in Percy Jackson & the Olympians:

read more...

You can't have a movie about Aaliyah without her musical mentors. A network representative told TheWrap that Lifetime's Aaliyah biopic has cast Chattrisse Dolabaille and Izaak Smith as producer-rappers Missy Elliott and Timbaland, respectively. Dolabaille is a newcomer to Hollywood. She's a Canadian actress, singer and dancer. Watch her video resume below. See photo: Alexandra Shipp Replaces Zendaya as Aaliyah in Lifetime Biopic Izaak Smith, on the other hand, was a contender on “So You Think You Can Dance Canada.” He has appeared in “Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief” and “Mirror Mirror” as a dancer. He also played Cal Rice on.

From levelFILM, Sneak Peek writer/director Damien Lee's boxing drama "A Fighting Man", available on Blu-ray and DVD, June 24, 2014, starring Dominic Purcell ("Prison Break"), Famke Janssen ("X-Men"), James Caan ("Rollerball"), Kim Coates ("Sons Of Anarchy"), Oscar winner Louis Gosset Jr. and Izaak Smith:

"...'A Fighting Man' is a brutal, disquieting look at two men who meet head to head in the ring for a fight that will change their lives. As one man (Purcell) fights for redemption and forgiveness, the other (Smith) fights for change and hope. Intense, fierce and highly dramatic, it's as much of a character story as it is a boxing movie, and by the end, they realize, whether win or lose, they'll need each other to make it through..."

Producers are Gary Howsam and Bill Marks and executive produced by Jeff Sackman.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "A Fighting Man...

An aging fighter who has never been knocked down in his career begs for one final round in our exclusive clip for A Fighting Man, debuting on DVD June 17. Dominic Purcell plays Sailor O'Connor, a pugilist way past his prime who agrees to fight an up and coming young boxer (Izaak Smith), as they both battle their own demons on their way to the ring. James Caan, Michael Ironside and boxing legend Freddie Roach are also featured in this scene from director Damian Lee's boxing drama. You can clickHere to read our exclusive interview with Dominic Purcell.

Haunted by a tragic past, undefeated washed up boxer Sailor O'Connor (Dominic Purcell) is a broken man. When a fluke opportunity arises to step back in the ring, he takes it. His opponent is younger and faster, but with the support of his old fight team (Michael Ironside and James Caan), Sailor...

Boxing stories have been told since cinema was first invented, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a boxing movie told like A Fighting Man, which debuts on DVD June 17. Writer-director Damian Lee takes viewers through an unorthodox narrative, going back and forth between a big fight where aging pugilist Sailor O'Connor (Dominic Purcell) battles with young up and comer King (Izaak Smith), and the dramatic events that unfolded, leading both of these boxers to step in the ring with one another. I recently had the chance to speak with Dominic Purcell over the phone, where he spoke about his boxing training, how parts of the story were taken from his actual life, bringing this amazing cast together which includes James Caan, Louis Gossett Jr., Famke Janssen, Michael Ironside, Adam Beach, Kim Coates and an appearance by boxing legend Freddie Roach, and much more. Here's what he had to say in our exclusive interview.

This Monday sees the release of A Fighting Man on DVD. Written and directed by Damian Lee, it stars Dominic Purcell as washed-up boxer Sailor O’Connor, who is given one more chance for redemption as he steps into the ring to fight a hungry young fighter, played by Izaak Smith. It also stars James Caan and Louis Gossett Jr.

A Fighting Man is a boxing drama about a one on one fight that means everything to both combatants. It’s not an original device in Hollywood movies, but some films handle it really well. Here follows six of the best examples.

Neo vs Agent Smith (The Matrix)

The Matrix may be best remembered for gunplay, existentialism and terrible sequels, but the first movie’s finale came down to the one on one battle between Neo and Agent Smith. Neo represented the hopes of all mankind, and whilst Agent Smith represented the oppressive machines,...

Guardians of the Galaxy

Michael Rooker ("The Walking Dead") has signed on to star at Yondu in Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy".

The charters is a skilled hunter with a limited empathic abilities. He's also blue skinned and sports a tall red mohawk. [Source: Deadline]

The Expendables 3

He was already linked, but now Sylvester Stallone has confirmed via Twitter that Wesley Snipes has officially joined the third installment of "The Expendables".

Said tweet has since been deleted. Snipes is currently serving out his failure to pay tax jail sentence under house arrest at his home until July 19th. [Source: The Film Stage]

A Fighting Man

James Caan and Louis Gossett Jr. are set to star in Damian Lee's boxing drama "A Fighting Man." Dominic Purcell, Famke Janssen, Adam Beach, Kim Coates, Michael Ironside, Sheila McCarthy and Izaak Smith also star.

The story follows two men who meet head to head in the ring for...

Louis Gossett Jr. has signed up to co-star alongside James Caan in the boxing drama A Fighting Man, which is written and directed by Damian Lee. The film will tell the story of two men who meet head to head in the ring for a fight that will change their lives. One man fights for redemption and forgiveness while the other fights for hope and change. In the end, win or lose, they realize they need each other to make it through.  In A Fighting Man, Gossett Jr and Caan will be joined by Dominic Purcell, Famke Janssen, Adam Beach, Kim Coates, Michael Ironside, Sheila McCarthy and Izaak Smith.  No word yet on what character each actor has signed up to play. Rollercoaster...