With the success of the Broadway play of “Cat On A Hot Tin Roof”, which earned reportedly $2.1 million dollars, Producer Stephen Byrd will begin production on a movie version starring the same all-black cast:
Byrd said he had secured the rights to a new film version of ‘Cat’ from the estate of scribe Tennessee Williams and intends to begin lensing in 2009, subject to the availability of thesps Terrence Howard, Anika Noni Rose, James Earl Jones and Phylicia Rashad…
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ centers on a tempestuous family gathering on the birthday of a Southern patriarch. Williams’ 1955 play was made into a 1958 film that starred Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman. SOURCE
Michael w/ Spike & his wife last year (Wire)Director Spike Lee is gearing up for another film and his latest anticipated flick will be a documentary on basketball great Michael Jordan.
Spike Lee is set to shoot a feature-length documentary about Michael Jordan. Helmer told a Cannes crowd that he hopes to bring the basketball legend to the fest with the pic next year.
The NBA is financing the docu, with Lee’s 40 Acres & a Mule Filmworks shingle producing. SOURCE
The documentary is also said to feature extensive unseen footage shot by NBA cameras during the final two years in Jordan’s career, the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons with the Washington Wizards. Spike Lee and Jordan previously worked together on a series of Nike TV commercials.
Cast of ‘Mama Black Widow’ (Wire/Splash)And speaking of buzzed about films, the upcoming film “Mama Black Widow” has been getting a lot of attention – mainly because of Rihanna who reportedly just joined the cast:
The Caribbean singer will be star alongside Mos Def, Macy Gray, Anthony Anderson and Kerry Washington.
‘Mama Black Widow’ is adapted from the novel written by Iceberg Slim, who was one of America’s most famous and bestselling African-American authors. It is the portrait of a black family’s migration from the Mississippi fields of the segregated south to the supposedly more open-minded underground of Chicago in the 1930s. SOurce
Otis Tilson will be played by actor Brian White (‘Stomp The Yard’) and Rihanna will be playing his sister Carol.
Rihanna along side those seasoned actors should be interesting to say the least.
You guys are some straight up haters….and don’t say you’re not because if you weren’t you would atleast wait to SEE the girl act before you start criticizing. Everyone of ya’ll are pathetic,stupid and insecure.I am not going to this movie because I am a Rih fan because i was when i heard Brian/Kerry were in it. If she were in fact a bad actor,WTF! y would they keep her in a cast with such talent…I swear do you people have brains?? if she were in fact that bad (like other artist who debuted into the acting world roughly,not speakin on just beyonce,either,lots have) y would they keep her in a movie that’s going to be AMAZING,with alot of great talent. You can have your opinions on whether she can sing,because we all know the only reason americans don’t like her is her accent which is another black vs. black situation,but i digress. PLEASE if you are going to say un-educated things keep it to yourself and don’t let the world know how self-concious you are. Rihanna may not be your favorite musician (and idk y you guys are bringing that up if we’re talking about acting) and she may have not did good in BIO:AON (which was nearly 3 years and a VERY much stronger accent ago) but you honestly owe it to yourself as a CIVIL human being to atleast wait until she acts to give an opinion. Because right now,I can only imagine our ancestors seeing these comments and breaking down that they fought for our freedom and equality just so we can criticize each other and prevent others from making it. IDK about you but while i don’t like: Beyonce,Plies,T-Pain,etc. you don’t see me going on their post and saying they’re “untalented” or calling someone idk a “hoe”. This is juvenile and reminiscent of a Jr. High classroom,im sorry but i refuse to act in a way that would cause me to lose dignity. Does typing all of these negative comments help you in life? I thought not,while I,now feel very good about myself that I have never said stuff about another african-american woman,and disrespected her even though I’ve never met her. To quote comedian,Charlie Murphy, “We’ve Got to do better,black people”,so simple but nearly 80% of these comments prove that its true.And if you feel that she has infact “no talent” why are you talking about her?? Why not hate on me,a fan,or maybe Jay-Z,her managers,her other fans,her label,etc. there are so many people that believe in this girl’s talent yet you sit here and instead of finding amazing people like this you hate.Karma is all to real people,and sooner or later you will realize that “hating” on someone is not the road to success.
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The reason why they casted Rihanna is because of popularity…not talent, we know she cant act, didnt you see Bring it on? She is overexposed, obviously they wanted to cast Rihanna because of her large fanbase wanting to go see the movie, AKA you and other Rihanna stans/fans, these movie folks arent stupid they know how to get the bucks rolling in..Rihanna is just a product in the acting industry thats why you have these other amazing actors casted, I know the majority of fans/stans who will go and see this movie is because she is in it..do you realise how big her fanbase is because of her overexposion..
And you got to face and deal with opinions of her either negative or positive…you cant expect everyone to have the same opinion about how ‘great’ she is, there will be lots of people who will not think that and you just got to respect their opinion good or bad thats why this is a blogging site, you’ve just got to deal with it…
you obviously didn’t read my post…which for the most part,wasn’t concerning rih
plz go back,read again and try to tell me about that.idc what you think of her,and if you read and not skimmed it you would know that.
i love that book Mama Black Widow. i read it a while back and placed it on my dresser and never moved it. i would advised that to someone who love to read stories of trial, tribulation, and being strong enough to overcome problems.
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I indeed read your comment before I even wrote mine. I answered on your first part of your paragraph – ” If she were in fact a bad actor,WTF! y would they keep her in a cast with such talent…” And there you go I explained my opinion on WHY they would cast her in such a great talented cast because of popularity. I wasnt speaking on the WHOLE of your comment…didnt you know which bit of your comment I was on about? My bad then I guess
ANd I also said aswell just dealing with opinions on this site because the rest of your comment you seem distraught over the ‘hateness’ of this girl, and the fact you wouldnt comment like that over other people you dont like. Thats how the world is, they are not going to have the same opinions as everybody else. Shame there is HATE in the world but can anyone stop it? You just got to deal with it Im sorry..
It’s hilarious to see that non-blacks find Rihanna’s accent exotic, yet blacks are quick to clown “her english”! But some of you times out of 10 can’t make the difference between “there”, “they’re” and “their”. And you’re laughing at some else’s english? Damn shame!
* 9 times out of 10
WELL NICOLE KIDMAN IS FROM OVERSEAS WITH AN ACCENT AND WHEN SHE ACTS U CANT EVEN TELL THAT SHE HAS AN ACCENT…SOOO YEAH..AND PEOPLE DONT KNOW WHAT RIHANNA IS DOING TO PREPARE FOR THIS ROLE
I hate this trend of “others” getting roles when seasoned thespians cannot. Honestly, I hate the idea of Rihanna in this movie because it IS such a good storyline for us. This movie sounds like a really, really good movie, ya’ll. And because it does, I have no idea why Rihanna would have been chosen. But, in the same breath, I’ve got to say I love Macy Gray as an actress and I cannot wait to see her in this film. She blew me away in “Training Day,” “Lackawana Blues,” and “Shadow Boxer.” And, #69 Rihanna has been touring and getting tats for a year straight as far as I can tell…so I don’t know when she would have prepared. But then again, she did say she went to strip club to do research for a film. And that was early last summer.
I think it is wonderful that they believe enough in a paying audience that will support a movie after the broadway sucess it has had but PLEASE bring Borris somewhere in the movie because don’t count out the women who went to go see the show SPECIFICALLY when T “Babywipe” Howard was away and Borris filled in for his absence!!!!!! Love him all day, married or single!
You know @WTF? at first I laughed w/you at your comment when it hit me how deep it is? I don’t have anything against my Sistahs doin’ it 4 theyselves! But when
you think of the myriad of talent that lies in the pool of Black women. Then you see talentless skanky caucasian chicks featured almost daily, it becomes upsetting when they pull from a flash-in-the-pan or the latest mediocre talent of R&B singer or rapper and true thespians are left by the side of the road?
What do we have to do to see fresh new Black talented females on the silver screen again? Guess y’all better get you sex tapes ready…
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