INSIDe Ho l lY W ooD with Neily Dickerson I get excited about Holiday movie releases. I actually plan which films I will see, but every once in a while the release dates change and I miss them completely. So, to make sure we’re on top of our movie seeing here’s a list of films for you to keep on your radar, if you decide to take a break from shopping out in these Holiday streets. I’ll start with - The Green Book. I have seen it and I loved everything about it, I see it Oscar in this films future. If you are a music fan, check out the reboot of A Star Is Born or Bohemian Rhapsody, the story of Freddie Mercury and the group Queen both are superb. Widows – is so underrated - and Creed II will definitely hold your attention. I haven’t seen these, but out for the babies are Ralph Breaks
The Internet and Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch and the teenage babies will be able to check out Spider-Man Into The Spider-Verse and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindlewald. Don’t let films like Robin Hood and Instant Family get lost in the shuffle. There are a couple of films that might be exclusive to my taste, but I’m really interested in seeing, Welcome To
DUe IN THeATerS THIS moNTH
HollYWooD BUZZ
Tyrel December 5
If Beale Street Could Talk December 14
Viola Davis Set To Play Shirley Chisholm
Oscar-winning actress Viola Davis is set to portray legendary politician Shirley Chisholm in a feature film for Amazon Studios, “The Fighting Shirley Chisholm.” Chisholm—who died in 2005 at 80 years old— was the first African American woman in U.S. history be elected to Congress and the first African American to mount a major party run for President. Davis will produce and star as the U.S. Representative” following a bidding war for the rights to the movie, which marks the first project from the first look feature production deal struck by Amazon with Davis’ JuVee Productions. “JuVee Productions is beyond excited about our new relationship with Amazon Studios. We share the same vision of creating a vast and rich array of narratives that are inclusive and reflective of our world,” co-Presidents Viola Davis and Julius Tennon said in a statement. “We started this company with a fierce commitment to integrity and the encouragement of emerging and/or established artists who have the courage and
Marwen and I will prolly see, Mary Queen Of Scots two times. Mid-month will mark the release of the highly anticipated “If Beale Street Could Talk.” Based on the book by celebrated writer James Baldwin, this love story taking place in Harlem in the early 70’s, is Barry Jenkins’ followup to his critically acclaimed 2016 film, Moonlight. And at the end of the month there are the Holiday blockbusters, Aquaman - I’m going just to see Jason Momoa, Mary Poppins Returns, Vice, On The Basis Of Sex, Second Act and Bumblebee. There is enough to keep us in the theaters during the month of Hometown: Brooklyn, New York December so as you plan your Holiday Big Break: “Apocalypse Now” outings include a lil’ movie time. Current Projects: “Black-ish” Upcoming Films: “The Mule”
Q&A
Laurence Fishburne
The Mule December 14
talent to be disruptors. We are thrilled that we can continue to share our vision on a global scale alongside Amazon Studios. It is our legacy.”
Family Matters Bobby Brown is claiming that a 2017 documentary about his late wife, Whitney Houston entitled “Whitney: Can I Be Me”, used more than a halfhour’s worth of footage of him and his children without his consent. To that end, the R&B star has brought a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against Showtime and BBC over the film. According to the lawsuit filed last month in New York District Court, Brown and [his late daughter] appear in the film for a substantial period of time, in excess of thirty minutes and that no release was ever signed by Brown for the airing of the material.” The filing also maintains “The film contains images of [Brown’s] other children, Landon Brown, Robert ‘Bobby’ Brown Jr. and LaPrincia Brown as minor children. Brown never consented to have his children appear in the film Can I Be Me and his children never consented.” Whitney: Can I Be Me aired on Showtime.
Coming Soon n between movies, Idris Elba is returning to his iconic role as the titular detective in BBC crime drama Luther. In season five, John Luther is once more called to immerse himself in the deepest depths of human depravity. Seemingly indis-
Aquaman December 21
criminate killings become ever more audacious and public, Luther is confounded by a complex tangle of leads and misdirection that seems designed to protect an untouchable corruption…. A TV series remake of the hit film, First Wives Club starring Ryan Michelle Bathe, Jill Scott and Michelle Buteau is heading to BET this January. The series, like the movie that starred Diane Keaton, Bette Midler and Goldie Hawn, follows Bathe, Buteau and Scott, who band together after their marriages fall apart and find strength in their sisterhood…and revenge… The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) has announced the start of production of the new multi-generational family saga "Ambitions," produced by Will Packer and starring Robin Givens, Essence Atkins, Brian White, Kendrick Cross and Brely Evans. The drama centers around Robin Givens’ character, who having recently relocated and intent on revitalizing her marriage, finds herself going head to head with some of the most powerful and deceitful players in the city. Finally: Whoopi Goldberg is reportedly set to adapt the Romanian game show Win Your Country! in the U.S. The series is a studio-based game show where contestants win big if they can prove they really know their country, battling it out state by state, region by region, or city by city. Each contestant must “conquer” neighboring regions by answering a series of questions about that specific territory. Only then will they be able to make it to the next level where a cat-and-mouse game ensues and the remaining opponents try to reach each other’s territory first, leaving just one to battle for the prize money in the final round.
One of Hollywood's most talented and versatile performers-- and the recipient of a truckload of awards-Laurence Fishburne III won a recurring role on the daytime soap “One Life To Live” for three seasons at the age of 12 in 1968, but his big break came two years later when he was cast in Francis Ford Coppola’s “Apocalypse Now”. As an adult he now boasts credits as and producer, writer and director, as well as actor with 30+ credits to his name including memorable performances in “The Color Purple”, “School Daze”, “Boyz N the Hood”, “The Matrix”, “What’s Love Got To Do With It” (where he was nominated for a “Best Actor” Academy Award), “Searching For Bobby Fischer”, “Deep Cover”, three seasons on “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” and so much more. Was there a moment when you realized you were an actor? When I was ten I did a play at the Henry Street Settlement Playhouse, it was Charles Fuller’s first play. He went on to write A Soldier’s Story, among other things. I realized ‘Oh, I can be anything doing this.’ What is your preparation method for roles like? Do you do a lot of research or rely primarily on intuition? It depends on the part, but mostly it’s intuition, script, and really what’s going on in the moment. It’s the present moment that’s important for me. If you’re playing a real person, then you want to do a certain amount of research, but that’s only going to be so useful to you. Each role requires a different kind of approach to get ready. What’s the process like for you selecting roles? Projects don't need to be special for me to sign up, but I do need them to have something that speaks to me in some way. When I was a younger actor, I always thought if I did serious television it would be in my 50s. I was 47 when I landed CSI and although it wasn't artistically challenging, I learned a lot and now I'm really grateful for that experience. Do you have any pet projects you’re trying to make happen? Paulo Coelho's book “The Alchemist” means a lot to me. I've been trying to develop it as a movie for 12 years. Why does it mean so much? Because it's a tale of discovering who you are and what you're doing – and that's the story of us all. Do you ever consider doing theater again? I've always got the theatre bug. If I haven't done it for a while I start thinking I need to get back on stage. Working on a TV show is not the same, but you are working every day and it's intense, so I suppose it keeps the instrument sharp. Where do you see room for improvement as far as opportunities for people of color in the industry? Things have become considerably better for men of color since I was born. But I'd say that we'll be really getting somewhere when things get better for women of color.