News

Mona Lisa and The Blood Moon Trailer — Ana Lily Amirpour‘s Mona Lisa and The Blood Moon (2021) movie trailer has been released by Saban Films. The Mona Lisa and The Blood Moon trailer stars Jeon Jong-seo, Kate Hudson, Craig Robinson, Altonio Jackson, Ed Skrein, and Evan Whitten. Crew Ana Lily Amirpour wrote the screenplay for Mona [...]

Continue reading: Mona Lisa And The Blood Moon (2021) Movie Trailer: Kate Hudson stars in Ana Lily Amirpour’s Single-mom Film...

"If you see this girl - do not look in her eyes!!" Saban Films has debuted a trailer for a wacky superpowers thriller titled Mona Lisa & The Blood Moon, the latest from filmmaker Ana Lily Amirpour (best known for A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night). This first premiered at the 2021 Venice Film Festival a year ago, but so many critics hate that it has been forgotten until now. The film is a "mind-bending adventure" set in the swampy neon-lit streets of New Orleans. At its center is a girl with strange and dangerous abilities who escapes from a mental asylum and rejoins the chaos of modern-day civilization, on the hedonistic streets of the French Quarter. It stars Jeon Jong-seo (from Burning) as Mona, Kate Hudson, Craig Robinson, Altonio Jackson, Ed Skrein, and Evan Whitten. I really, really did not like this watching it in Venice, it's trashy and hollow and aimless.

Netflix debuted a first look at “Inventing Anna,” Shonda Rhimes’ new limited series set to premiere in 2022.

Inspired by Jessica Pressler’s New York Magazine article “How Anna Delvey Tricked New York’s Party People,” the series follows Vivian Kent (Anna Chlumsky), a journalist investigating the case of Anna Delvey (Julia Garner), the German heiress and Instagram celebrity who broke into New York’s social scene to make friends and then steal their money. As Vivian questions whether Anna is anything more than a con woman, the two begin to develop a love-hate bond. Arian Moayed, Katie Lowes, Alexis Floyd, Anders Holm , Anna Deavere Smith, Jeff Perry, Terry Kinney and Laverne Cox also star.

The first look photos show Anna at both high and low points — enjoying herself while dressed in designer fashion and being visited by Vivian in jail.

Rhimes serves as creator and showrunner. Writers include Matt Byrne,...

Blue Bayou Review — Blue Bayou (2021) Film Review, a movie directed by Justin Chon and starring Justin Chon, Alicia Vikander, Mark O’Brien, Linh Dan Pham, Sydney Kowalske, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Emory Cohen, Geraldine Singer, Toby Vitrano, Altonio Jackson, Sage Kim Gray, Renell Gibbs, Martin Bats Bradford and Susan McPhail. Director Justin Chon has crafted an [...]

Continue reading: Film Review: Blue Bayou (2021): Justin Chon’s Moving Film is an Emotionally Powerful Triumph...

No, the following is not a parody.

BET on Tuesday announced that Karen, a made-for-tv movie about a racist white woman named — you guessed it! — Karen, is set to premiere on Tuesday, Sept. 14 (at 10/9c).

More from TVLineSistas Aftershow: Tyler Perry Defends Not Having a Writers' Room, Announces Season 3B Will Premiere in OctoberTyler Perry's Sistas: Andi Chooses [Spoiler] in Season 3 Midseason FinaleTyler Perry's Sistas Recap: Andi Flirts With an Office Romance... But What's Gary Doing Behind Closed Doors?

The film stars Orange Is the New Black vet Taryn Manning (aka Pennsatucky) as Karen, an entitled, bigoted Caucasian woman who “pulls...

BET is closing out the summer with a block of original feature films, including the Taryn Manning lightning rod “Karen.”

Titled “Summer of Chills,” the slate of suspense thrillers includes three BET original movies and the linear debut of two titles from streaming service BET Plus.

Stars including Paula Patton, Lauren London, LisaRaye McCoy, Loretta Devine, Wood Harris, V. Bozeman, Columbus Short, Deborah Cox, Anthony Hamilton and Ledisi.

“Karen,” a suspense thriller about an entitled and twisted racist woman who comes undone after a Black couple moves into the McMansion next door, will air on Sept. 14. An early look at the title, a pejorative term for toxic white women who’d like to speak to the manager, caused a stir on social media and drew comparisons to Jordan Peele’s “Get Out.”

Cory Hardrict and Jasmine Burke play the couple attempting to assimilate into their new neighborhood, thwarted by microaggressions...

In today’s TV news roundup, BET announced that “Sacrifice” has been picked up for 10 episodes following the same characters as in the 2019 film.

Greenlights

BET announced that “Sacrifice,” the legal thriller film starring Paula Patton, has now been picked up to series. The movie released in 2019 as the first original film on the BET Plus streaming platform. Patton plays entertainment lawyer Daniella Hernandez, and the 10-episode series will follow her dealings with rich clients who are often up to no good. Other cast members include Marques Houston, James Trevena Brown, Veronika Bozeman, Altonio Jackson, Liliana Montenegro, Michael Toland, and Nelson Bonilla.

Production

Season 18 of “Top Chef” will showcase Portland, Ore. in 2021. The announcement came in partnership with Travel Portland and Travel Oregon. Padma Lakshmi will host the show, with Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons stationed at the judges’ table. The upcoming season will also a rotating judging and dining...

The world of Sacrifice will expand at BET+.

The streamer has picked up a series starring Paula Patton

The movie, which served as a back-door pilot, launched on BET+ in December 2019 and was the first original film on the streaming service.

Sacrifice takes place in Los Angeles following Daniella Hernandez (Patton), a highly sought-after entertainment lawyer, as she navigates the nefarious lives of her rich and famous clients.

Patton will resume her role in the 10-episode series, accompanied by returning cast members Marques Houston, James Trevena Brown, Veronika Bozeman, Altonio Jackson, Liliana Montenegro, Michael Toland, and Nelson Bonilla.

The series marks the first film made to series from executive producers Chris Stokes and Marques Houston for Footage Films.

"I am excited to reprise the role of Daniella Hernandez, her strength and ability to overcome incredible challenges is inspiring, and I am grateful for the opportunity to continue working with BET,...

BET has ordered to series Sacrifice, a legal thriller starring Paula Patton (Somewhere Between) and based on a BET+ TV-movie/backdoor pilot that premiered last December.

Set in Los Angeles, Sacrifice follows Daniella Hernandez (played by Patton), a highly sought-after entertainment lawyer, as she navigates the nefarious lives of her rich and famous clients.

More from TVLineHouse of Payne Returns With a Baby Bombshell -- Grade the BET Premiere!Tyler Perry's Sistas Returning for Season 2 in October -- Watch TeaserThe Oval Finale: Who Got Exposed? And Who Didn't Survive Season 1?

As a series, Sacrifice will delve deeper into Daniella...

Exclusive: BET has handed a 10-episode series order to legal thriller Sacrifice, headlined by Paula Patton.

The project, from Footage Films, originated as a movie written, executive produced and directed by Chris Stokes, which served as a back-door pilot. It debuted in December 2019 on BET+ as the streaming service’s first original film.

Sacrifice takes place in Los Angeles and follows Daniella Hernandez (Patton), a highly sought-after entertainment lawyer, as she navigates the nefarious lives of her rich and famous clients. Patton will reprise her role in the series, accompanied by returning cast members Marques Houston, James Trevena Brown, Veronika Bozeman, Altonio Jackson, Liliana Montenegro, Michael Toland, and Nelson Bonilla.

The series will delve deeper into Daniella’s complicated personal life. She is a recovering alcoholic who compensates for her suppressed addiction with men and the adrenaline of defending the worst in the entertainment world against an over-zealous D.A.

Exclusive: Last August, BET+ announced Sacrifice, an original movie headlined by Paula Patton. Written, executive produced and directed by Chris Stokes, the movie was designed to serve as backdoor pilot for a potential series. The thriller debuted on Dec. 19 as BET Networks streaming service’s first original film.

Six months later, on June 18, the original options on the cast expired. In the days leading to the expiration date, business affairs and casting executives from BET reached out to the Sacrifice series regulars, asking them to extend their contracts for six additional weeks without additional pay, I have learned.

Citing the challenges faced by the industry amid the coronavirus pandemic, BET informed the cast that series orders had been delayed across the company, including a pickup decision on Sacrifice, I hear. The network went on to request “gratis extensions” until July 31 to give it more time.

Granting extensions, even short-term, without additional payment,...

Bet+, Bet Networks’ new streaming service is ramping up production on its original content. Paula Patton is set to star in Sacrifice, a new original movie set for premiere on Bet+ in 2020.

Written, executive produced and directed by Chris Stokes, Los Angeles-set Sacrifice stars Patton as Daniella Hernandez, a highly sought after entertainment lawyer. The legal thriller tracks Daniella as she navigates the nefarious lives of her rich and famous clients. Daniella has a reputation that proves problematic to La Law enforcement, forcing her to be at odds with her sorority sister turned nemesis District Attorney Beverly Rucker (Erica Ash). In an attempt to protect her often unscrupulous clients, Daniella enlists the services of her resourceful assistant and a young ex-hacker and tech genius.

Cast also includes Juan Antonio (Empire) as hip artist and mogul Dominiq Mayfield aka Big Dom; V. Bozeman (Empire) as Tamika Bland, Daniella’s...

Paula Patton is set to star in a legal thriller for Viacom’s upcoming BET+ streaming service. The project, called “Sacrifice” is a two-hour film that could end up becoming a series.

Patton will star as an entertainment lawyer navigating the nefarious lives of the rich and famous. Chris Stokes, who wrote and directed “You Got Served,” will write, direct and executive produce, with Marques Houston as a co-executive producer and cast member.

“We are thrilled to have Paula and the talented ensemble cast join our first original film on BET+, as we continue to strengthen our commitment to quality storytelling while meeting our audience on all platforms,” said Connie Orlando, Head of Programming, Bet Networks.

Also Read: Can ViacomCBS' 5 Separate Streaming Services Compete Against Bulked-Up Competitors?

The cast also includes Erica Ash, Juan Antonio, V. Bozeman, Altonio Jackson, Nelson Bonilla, Michael Toland, James Trevena-Brown, Liliana Montenegro and Josue Ramon Gutierrez.