Angelique Jackson: Celebs Rumors

Angelique Jackson “The Inspection” writer-director Elegance Bratton is living out a prayer. “I was in a homeless shelter on my way to joining the Marine Corps, give or take a few years. I didn’t even necessarily understand exactly what I was praying for,” Bratton tells Variety, thinking back to 20 years ago. “I had gotten the job title Combat Camera, which was the first job title I ever had that sounded cool —most times it’s like, I’m the shift supervisor at whatever — so I was just praying that this could mean something more,” he continues. “I wanted it to change my life and it really did.”

Angelique Jackson The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) has set its lineup of narrative and documentary features for its 28th edition, including Jussie Smollett’s return to acting in “The Lost Holliday,” filmmaker Christine Swanson’s latest drama “Albany Road” and the acclaimed Luther Vandross doc “Never Too Much.” This year’s festival takes place June 12-16 in Miami Beach, Fla., followed by a virtual segment June 17-24 on ABFF PLAY. Winners of film festival competition will be announced on June 15, during the “Best of ABFF Awards” hosted by Emmy-nominee Dondré Whitfield.

Angelique Jackson CBS has announced the winners of the studio’s Leadership Pipeline Challenge short film competition, which supports local L.A. nonprofits. Now in its third year, the competition challenges early-career storytellers to create short films in collaboration with and highlighting the mission of hyper-local nonprofit organizations.

Angelique Jackson In a competitive situation, Warner Bros. has landed “The Color Purple” director Blitz Bazawule’s next project, which takes on the legendary Yasuke, an African warrior who became the first Black samurai.

Angelique Jackson Noted civil rights attorney Ben Crump has inked a seven-figure deal to author a series of crime novels for Bantam Books. Under the deal, Bantam Books will publish the first two installments of a crime fiction series written by Crump, who has defended and won significant settlements for the families of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Henrietta Lacks, the residents of Flint, Michigan and several others.

Angelique Jackson As Impact Network rebrands from a faith and gospel-focused multiplatform channel to include family-friendly lifestyle entertainment designed for Black audiences, Variety can exclusively reveal its first “Impact Original” movie, “The Life of Me.” Brian White (ABC’s “Scandal”), Brandon T. Jackson (BET’s “Family Business: New Orleans,” “Percy Jackson”) and Danielle Nicolet (CW’s “The Flash”) star in the film about a wealthy businessman, who “disillusioned by his family’s illicit business dealings, escapes to a small town and finds friendship, love, and a new focus on life until he must confront his past, reveal his identity, and redefine his future.” White plays Marcus Banks, a real estate mogul and heir to his family’s multi-billion dollar development business, who is described in the film’s official description as a “man with a conscience.” The film’s synopsis explains: Marcus becomes disgruntled with the family’s greedy tactics after learning his family would put the lives of innocent people in harm’s way to make a profit. He flees his big-time lifestyle to a small town where he assumes a new under-the-radar identity as a handyman named “Dom.” Nicolet plays Kennedy, a single mother, dance instructor and owner of the local cafe (and love interest to Marcus/Dom). Kennedy and her brother try to keep their small business, which was passed down by their late parents, alive despite the economic devastation experienced from the COVID-19 pandemic. Marcus faces a moral dilemma when his family’s company comes to his small-town hideout and tries to snatch land from his newfound friends. Jackson is Simon, the Banks family’s ruthless fixer, who informs Marcus of the plot.

Angelique Jackson “The Righteous Gemstones” star Tony Cavalero has joined the cast of “Lips Like Sugar,” a crime thriller set during the 1984 summer Olympics Games in Los Angeles, starring Woody Harrelson and Owen Wilson. Cavalero is best known for his breakout performance as Keefe, the lovable ex-Satanist turned fan-favorite mullet man, in Danny McBride’s cult hit HBO series. “The Righteous Gemstones” was renewed for a fourth season last July.

Angelique Jackson The upcoming Michael Jackson biopic “Michael” is embracing the Motown sound — announcing key castings including Larenz Tate as Motown Records founder Berry Gordy and Kat Graham as the legendary Diana Ross. Other new cast members of the Lionsgate and Universal Pictures International project include Jessica Sula (“Split”) as La Toya Jackson; Liv Symone (“Power Book III: Raising Kanan”) as Gladys Knight; Kevin Shinick (“Robot Chicken”) as Dick Clark; KeiLyn Durrel Jones (“The Other Two,” “How to Die Alone”) as Jackson’s trusted friend and confidante Bill Bray; and Kendrick Sampson (“Insecure”) as industry icon Quincy Jones. “Michael,” from director Antoine Fuqua, is currently in production and has added a slew of stars in recent weeks.

Angelique Jackson DC Young Fly, Issa Rae and “A Black Lady Sketch Show” joined the list of early winners at the 2024 NAACP Image Awards. DC Young Fly picked up two awards during the second of three nights of virtual Image Awards ceremonies, hosted by Khleo Thomas.

Variety’s senior entertainment reporter Angelique Jackson earned a nomination from ICG in the Press Award category. In film, the team at Warner Bros.

Angelique Jackson March 6 is a special day for Nicole Avant — because she and her mother, the late Jacqueline Avant, share the same birthday. This year, Nicole Avant spent the occasion working. The former U.S.

Angelique Jackson The documentary “Sue Bird: In the Clutch,” about the basketball legend’s final WNBA season and her impact on sports, has been acquired following its buzzy Sundance debut. Wolfe Releasing, the largest exclusive distributor of LGBTQ+ films, has picked up the North American distribution rights the feature documentary, which will become available for digital purchase and rental on Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, VUDU and Wolfe On Demand beginning March 29.

Angelique Jackson “And Just Like That” and The Morning Show” star Karen Pittman is adding to her stacked TV slate by joining Mara Brock Akil’s “Forever” alongside “The Wire” alum and “Creed” franchise stalwart Wood Harris. Brock Akil’s highly-anticipated adaptation of Judy Blum’s 1975 Judy Blume novel “Forever” was originally ordered at Netflix in 2022 under the “Girlfriends” creator’s overall deal.

Angelique Jackson Queen Latifah will return to host the 55th annual NAACP Image Awards after emceeing the ceremony for the first time last year. The NAACP also announced that writer, poet and activist Amanda Gorman will be honored with the prestigious Chairman’s Award, while this year’s Vanguard Award will go to costume designer, designer and tastemaker June Ambrose in honor of her decades as a pioneer in the fashion industry.

Angelique Jackson Taraji P. Henson is going to keep telling her truth. As she took the stage at the 2024 ABFF Honors on Sunday night, “The Color Purple” star pointed to a tattoo on her left bicep that spells out those words exactly: “The Truth.” “If you are alive and God blessed you with another day to live, it is your job to tell your truth,” Henson told the crowd gathered for the American Black Film Festival’s marquee gala.

Angelique Jackson “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans” star Tom Hollander has signed with CAA for representation.

Angelique Jackson The Jackson 5 have found their harmony once again for the upcoming biopic “Michael” from director Antoine Fuqua and Oscar winning producer Graham King. After a worldwide search led filmmakers to cast Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson, as the King of Pop, with 9-year-old Juliano Krue Valdi as the younger Michael, fans have been eagerly waiting to see who would round out the rest of the Jackson family. The film, which is scheduled to hit theaters on April 18, 2025, is currently in production.

Angelique Jackson Emmy and BAFTA nominee Dominique Fishback is set to receive the Culture Certified award at The Creative Collective’s inaugural Creative Class celebration. The Culture Certified award will honor both established and emerging Black talent and seeks to recognize individuals whose contributions “significantly impact, influence, and shape cultural landscapes at large.” The special award is presented by the Create Collective (CCNYC) in partnership with Prime Video’s Culture Rated initiative, which champions Black creatives, perspectives, and community across social media, on Prime Video and with in-person events, like CultureCon.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Rachel Brosnahan spoke to Variety On the Carpet presented by DIRECTV at the 2024 SAG Awards about gearing up to start filming James Gunn’s “Superman: Legacy,” in which she’s taking on the role of Lois Lane. The filmmaker posted the first cast photo last week after a table read of the script, and then Warner Bros. execs confirmed filming would officially begin next week.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director “Moana” voice actor Auli’i Cravalho attended her first SAG Awards this year and spoke to Variety On the Carpet presented by DIRECTV about the hit Disney animated movie becoming a full blown franchise. The studio surprised fans earlier this month by announcing the “Moana” television series it had been developing was now a movie sequel set for a theatrical release this November. “It feels like the ‘Moana’ universe is expanding and I love that,” Cravalho told Variety’s Angelique Jackson.

Angelique Jackson In a year where the box office was dominated by the $1.4 billion-grossing “Barbie” — produced by its star Margot Robbie and directed by Greta Gerwig — one might expect to find a plethora of other hit films led by women and girls among Hollywood’s top earners. However, 2023 marked a historic low for women in leading roles among the year’s 100 top-grossing films, according to the latest USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative report. Researchers led by Dr.

Rainn Wilson‘s desire to start a spiritual revolution in Hollywood and beyond to Hilary Swank‘s latest film “Ordinary Angels,” and a first look at the Amazon Prime Video series “The Baxters” the Variety Spirituality in Entertainment Breakfast, presented by FAMI, explored representations of faith and spirituality throughout media. Tuesday’s event, held at the Los Angeles London hotel, featured five in-depth conversations that dove into varied perspectives on the role of spirituality in entertainment and how industry leaders find inspiration from meditation to a whale’s song.

Angelique Jackson In “Madame Web,” Isabela Merced stars as Anya Corazon, a teenager who learns she’ll one day develop spider-like superpowers. But given Merced’s incredibly busy production schedule over the next few months, she might want to look into the power of teleportation. On Monday night, Merced posed on the black carpet outside the Regency Village Theatre in Westwood with “Madame Web” stars Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney and Celeste O’Connor for the world premiere of Sony and Marvel’s superhero movie.

Angelique Jackson Ballet dancer turned producer Misty Copeland, director, writer and producer George C. Wolfe and newly-minted Academy Award nominee Jeffrey Wright are set to receive special honors at this year’s AAFCA Awards. Roy Wood Jr.

Angelique Jackson The cast of Universal’s live-action “How to Train Your Dragon” movie is shaping up with the additions of Julian Dennison (A24’s “Y2K,” “Deadpool 2,” “Hunt for the Wilderpeople”), Gabriel Howell (BBC’s “Nightsleeper,” “Bodies”), Bronwyn James (“Wicked,” “Masters of the Air”) and Harry Trevaldwyn (“The Bubble,” “Ten Percent”). Dennison, Howell, James and Trevaldwyn have been respectively cast as Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruffnut and Tuffnut in the live-action adaptation of the hit DreamWorks Animation movie. The quartet join Mason Thames and Nico Parker, who are set to star as Hiccup and Astrid; Gerard Butler, who reprises his role from the animated movies as Stoick the Vast; and Nick Frost, who joins the franchise as Gobber the Belch.

Variety’s Angelique Jackson at the Sundance Film Festival as a part of Adobe’s Fireside Chats with Changemakers in Film. Watch all three conversations below: Andra Day and Kyle Bowser, Senior Vice President of NAACP Hollywood Bureau “I’ve been hearing this thing in the past few years about no more slave stories, no more past and all this stuff, and no more Black pain porn. And I don’t like the term because I think it boils it down.

Diego Ramos Bechara editor The role of a storyteller goes beyond simply bringing the words on a page to life. “We’ve been trained from a very young age and educated to think a certain way,” Giancarlo Esposito said.

Angelique Jackson Lionel Richie has been very emotional lately, but he wants to reassure everyone that he’s okay. According to Richie, it’s just been a heady experience to look back nearly 40 years and relive all the wondrous and chaotic memories of writing and recording “We Are the World” for the new Netflix documentary “The Greatest Night in Pop.” “Every segment of this journey, I cry,” Richie said at the Variety Studio presented by Audible at Sundance Film Festival, where the film made its world premiere.

Angelique Jackson When basketball legend Sue Bird decided to let a team of filmmakers capture her final season after playing 21 years in the WNBA, she wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from watching her career be contextualized on film, but it turned out to be wonderful. “You play such a long time — so many different moments, so many different memories — and to have it now, in this one film is amazing,” Bird said, visiting the Variety Studio presented by Audible at the Sundance Film Festival.

William Earl administrator Jonathan Majors has lost a buzzy upcoming film role after his recent assault conviction. The actor will no longer be playing controversial basketball player Dennis Rodman in a film with the working title “48 Hours In Vegas,” Variety has confirmed. CNN first reported the news.

Angelique Jackson Michael Jackson will be back on the big screen on April 18, 2025 with “Michael,” a biopic directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring the late King of Pop’s nephew Jaafar Jackson in his first major role. Lionsgate is releasing the movie domestically, while Universal is handling overseas distribution. The film will begin production on Jan.

Angelique Jackson Warner Bros. has undated Bong Joon Ho‘s “Mickey 17,” starring Robert Pattinson and moved “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” into its March 29 release date.

William Earl Variety and “Entertainment Tonight” have partnered to produce the official digital red carpet pre-show for the 81st annual Golden Globe Awards, which will air Jan. 7 live on CBS and Paramount+ The digital pre-show will air live starting at 3:30 p.m. PT on Variety‘s digital and social platforms, ETOnline.com, the Golden Globe Awards website and on the digital platforms of 20 other publications owned by Penske Media Corp., parent company of Variety, which also owns the Globes in a joint venture with Eldridge.

Angelique Jackson The Paramount Pictures adaptation of the hit YA book “Children of Blood and Bone” is taking another step toward the big screen, with Gina Prince-Bythewood signing on to direct. Prince-Bythewood will develop the next pass of a draft penned by author Tomi Adeyemi. The action fantasy novel follows heroine Zélie Adebola, who belongs to a class of magic practicioners know as the maji, as she attempts to restore magic to the kingdom of Orïsha, following the ruling class kosidáns’ brutal suppression of her people.

Angelique Jackson Colman Domingo and Shonda Rhimes are among the special honorees for the 2024 Black Reel Awards and set to accept prizes named for the late Chadwick Boseman and Diahann Caroll, respectively. The annual Black Reel Awards, which salute the excellence of African Americans and the cinematic achievements of the African diaspora in the global entertainment industry, as assessed by the Foundation for the Augmentation of African Americans in Film’s (FAAAF) voting membership.

Angelique Jackson On Friday night, Oprah Winfrey hosted a swanky celebration for “Lawmen: Bass Reeves” executive producer and star David Oyelowo at the Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood. Photographers lined the driveway of the iconic hotel while a who’s who of Hollywood — including Gayle King, Lupita Nyong’o, Niecy Nash-Betts and the cast of the hit Paramount+ series — posed in front of a black and gold backdrop. Inside the luxurious venue, even more stars — like Macro chief Charles D.

Angelique Jackson Veteran television executive Jamila Hunter has been named president of Macro Television Studios, Macro founder and CEO Charles D. King announced Hunter’s new role at the company, where she will oversee the television team and the slate of projects in development and production. “I couldn’t be more excited to welcome Jamila to the company,” stated King.