Projects centered around the left-wing revolutionary group, the Black Panther Party, continue to fascinate popular culture. In 2022, Daniel Kaluuya won an Oscar for portraying the betrayed deputy chairman, Fred Hampton, in the bio-crime drama, “Judas and the Black Messiah.” Now, a new limited series, “The Big Cigar,” based on a Playboy Article by Joshuah Bearman (known for the Wired Article that inspired “Argo”), tells the too-good-to-be-true story of Black Panther co-founder Huey Percy Newton’s escape to Cuba with the assistance of a famous film producer.
Continue reading ‘The Big Cigar’ Trailer: André Holland Stars As Black Panther Huey Newton For Apple Series In May at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘The Big Cigar’ Trailer: André Holland Stars As Black Panther Huey Newton For Apple Series In May at The Playlist.
- 4/24/2024
- by Megan Fisher
- The Playlist
Jeff Skoll, the billionaire philanthropist who launched Participant 20 years ago to champion socially conscious films, is closing down the impact producer-financier behind Spotlight, Roma, and Green Book.
In a memo to staff on Tuesday morning eBay co-founder Skoll said, ”I founded Participant with the mission of creating world-class content that inspires positive social change, prioritizing impact alongside commercial sustainability. Since then, the entertainment industry has seen revolutionary changes in how content is created, distributed and consumed.”
The statement hinted at what may have driven the Canadian’s “very difficult decision”. Studios and streamers are scrutinising their spend more than ever,...
In a memo to staff on Tuesday morning eBay co-founder Skoll said, ”I founded Participant with the mission of creating world-class content that inspires positive social change, prioritizing impact alongside commercial sustainability. Since then, the entertainment industry has seen revolutionary changes in how content is created, distributed and consumed.”
The statement hinted at what may have driven the Canadian’s “very difficult decision”. Studios and streamers are scrutinising their spend more than ever,...
- 4/16/2024
- ScreenDaily
Financier and producer Participant is shuttering after 20 years. Founder Jeff Skoll alerted staff at 10:30Am, Deadline has confirmed.
The production’s m.o. was to bring content to the world that was socially conscious, read their Oscar Best Picture winners Spotlight and Universal’s Green Book, as well as DreamWorks’ Oscar winner Lincoln. All in Participant counts 135 films, five series, 21 Oscars including two Best Pictures, four Best Documentaries and two Best International Features, 18 Primetime Emmys and north of $3.3 billion in global box office.
Skoll told staffers, as you can read below, that it was a “very difficult decision” and stems from it being “the right time for me to evaluate my next chapter and approach to tackling the pressing issues of our time.” He also mentioned that he hasn’t been involved in the day-to-day management of the studio.
Skoll is a Canadian engineer, billionaire who was the first president of eBay.
The production’s m.o. was to bring content to the world that was socially conscious, read their Oscar Best Picture winners Spotlight and Universal’s Green Book, as well as DreamWorks’ Oscar winner Lincoln. All in Participant counts 135 films, five series, 21 Oscars including two Best Pictures, four Best Documentaries and two Best International Features, 18 Primetime Emmys and north of $3.3 billion in global box office.
Skoll told staffers, as you can read below, that it was a “very difficult decision” and stems from it being “the right time for me to evaluate my next chapter and approach to tackling the pressing issues of our time.” He also mentioned that he hasn’t been involved in the day-to-day management of the studio.
Skoll is a Canadian engineer, billionaire who was the first president of eBay.
- 4/16/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Around 8 a.m. on a cool, clear Monday in mid-November, James Cox Chambers Jr. is in Gresham Park, in southeast Atlanta, bouncing on the balls of his feet, shadowboxing the air in front of him. Dressed in a black hoodie with a Palestinian flag on it, black sweatpants, black New Balances, black-and-red work gloves, a white-and-black keffiyeh, with a balaclava ski mask perched on his head, Chambers is surrounded by a growing crowd. But at that moment, focused on his warmup routine, he looks very much alone.
Paige Belanger joins him on the grass,...
Paige Belanger joins him on the grass,...
- 3/24/2024
- by David Peisner
- Rollingstone.com
Since the Academy Awards were first handed out in 1929, only 23 Oscars have been awarded to performances given by Black actresses and actors. Hattie McDaniel made history for Black performers by winning for “Gone With the Wind” (supporting in 1939), while Sidney Poitier was the first male actor to prevail for “Lilies of the Field” (lead in 1963). Denzel Washington became the first two-time Black acting champion when he claimed victory for “Glory” (supporting in 1989) and “Training Day” (lead in 2001), with Mahershala Ali joining him years later for “Moonlight” (supporting in 2016) and “Green Book” (supporting in 2018). Halle Berry was the first, and so far only, Black Best Actress thanks to “Monster’s Ball” (2001). The acting category with the most Black winners is Best Supporting Actress, with 10 including recent champ Da’Vine Joy Randolph for “The Holdovers” (2023). Tour our photo gallery above of every Black actress and actor who won Academy Awards.
Let’s take a...
Let’s take a...
- 3/11/2024
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
Where are the Skins cast now? Short answer: absolutely everywhere.
While the show did earn critical acclaim as well as a cult following over the course of its seven series, when this scrappy teen comedy drama launched on E4 in 2007 few could have predicted just how many household names it would spawn.
Among Skins’ impressive alumni are actors who went on to win Oscars and Baftas, play lead roles in hit movies like Slumdog Millionaire and Get Out, not to mention star in hit shows like Game of Thrones and Peaky Blinders.
Let’s take a look at some of the Skins cast’s best roles:
Joe Dempsie – Game of Thrones
Playing party animal Chris in Skins was in a way good preparation for Joe Dempsie’s later role as Gendry in Game of Thrones, as both characters have some pretty serious daddy issues: Chris’ dad (played by Green Wing...
While the show did earn critical acclaim as well as a cult following over the course of its seven series, when this scrappy teen comedy drama launched on E4 in 2007 few could have predicted just how many household names it would spawn.
Among Skins’ impressive alumni are actors who went on to win Oscars and Baftas, play lead roles in hit movies like Slumdog Millionaire and Get Out, not to mention star in hit shows like Game of Thrones and Peaky Blinders.
Let’s take a look at some of the Skins cast’s best roles:
Joe Dempsie – Game of Thrones
Playing party animal Chris in Skins was in a way good preparation for Joe Dempsie’s later role as Gendry in Game of Thrones, as both characters have some pretty serious daddy issues: Chris’ dad (played by Green Wing...
- 9/13/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Image Source: Getty / Axelle/Bauer-Griffin
Kelvin Harrison Jr. is currently making music magic as the talented violinist Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges in the film "Chevalier." The 28-year-old actor has been steadily building his résumé for a while now, appearing in hit titles like "Elvis" and "The Trial of the Chicago 7," but "Chevalier" - which released in theaters on April 21 - is poised to be his biggest star turn yet.
Bologne was a French violinist and composer who worked to take leadership of the Paris Opera during the onset of the French Revolution. Harrison Jr. himself is a talented musician and plays violin, jazz and gospel piano, and trumpet, in addition to being a vocalist. For his role in "Chevalier," though, he had to take his violin skills to a new level. A violinist named Ronald Long was originally brought on to be Harrison Jr.'s hand double -...
Kelvin Harrison Jr. is currently making music magic as the talented violinist Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges in the film "Chevalier." The 28-year-old actor has been steadily building his résumé for a while now, appearing in hit titles like "Elvis" and "The Trial of the Chicago 7," but "Chevalier" - which released in theaters on April 21 - is poised to be his biggest star turn yet.
Bologne was a French violinist and composer who worked to take leadership of the Paris Opera during the onset of the French Revolution. Harrison Jr. himself is a talented musician and plays violin, jazz and gospel piano, and trumpet, in addition to being a vocalist. For his role in "Chevalier," though, he had to take his violin skills to a new level. A violinist named Ronald Long was originally brought on to be Harrison Jr.'s hand double -...
- 4/21/2023
- by Eden Arielle Gordon
- Popsugar.com
H.E.R. is coming to Broadway … Well, a show she’s producing is. She’s joining the producing team of “Here Lies Love,” which tells the story of Imelda Marcos, the former First Lady of the Philippines and the mother of current president Bongbong Marcos. The show opens July 20 and will be eligible for Tony Awards in 2024. If it wins Best Musical, H.E.R. will achieve Egot. What’s more, she’d achieve it faster and younger than anyone else in history.
SEEPatina Miller (‘Into the Woods’) on how motherhood helped her understand what The Witch is ‘fighting for’ [Exclusive Video Interview]
The R&b singer-songwriter is still only 25-years-old, but she already has an impressive awards resume. She broke through at the 2019 Grammys where she was nominated for Album of the Year and Best New Artist and won Best R&b Performance and Best R&b Album. Altogether she has won five Grammys out of 25 nominations,...
SEEPatina Miller (‘Into the Woods’) on how motherhood helped her understand what The Witch is ‘fighting for’ [Exclusive Video Interview]
The R&b singer-songwriter is still only 25-years-old, but she already has an impressive awards resume. She broke through at the 2019 Grammys where she was nominated for Album of the Year and Best New Artist and won Best R&b Performance and Best R&b Album. Altogether she has won five Grammys out of 25 nominations,...
- 4/21/2023
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Dominique Fishback is making gains in the Emmy race for Best Movie/Limited Actress for her performance as an obsessed fan in the Amazon limited series “Swarm.” She recently moved into our top six based on the combined predictions of thousands of Gold Derby users. Do you think she’ll make the cut for the first time after a few years of near-misses in the awards derby?
Fishback has TV and film credits going back a decade, but it was a couple of HBO projects that raised her profile: the limited series “Show Me a Hero” in 2015 and the drama “The Deuce” from 2017 to 2019. Then came her 2021 performance in “Judas and the Black Messiah” as Deborah Johnson, a Black Panthers activist and the girlfriend of assassinated Panthers leader Fred Hampton. That performance earned her Best Supporting Actress noms from multiple critics’ groups, as well as the BAFTA Awards, though she...
Fishback has TV and film credits going back a decade, but it was a couple of HBO projects that raised her profile: the limited series “Show Me a Hero” in 2015 and the drama “The Deuce” from 2017 to 2019. Then came her 2021 performance in “Judas and the Black Messiah” as Deborah Johnson, a Black Panthers activist and the girlfriend of assassinated Panthers leader Fred Hampton. That performance earned her Best Supporting Actress noms from multiple critics’ groups, as well as the BAFTA Awards, though she...
- 4/11/2023
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Much like its protagonist, Anthony Mandler’s Monster is a film obsessed with aesthetics. Main character Steve Harmon says he makes sense of his humanity through understanding the shapes and textures of the world around him, and with an occasionally heavy hand, director Mandler similarly captures Steve’s world through a stylized lens. It’s there in the postcard perfect sunsets of a youth spent growing up in Harlem, and it’s here again in the film’s unnaturally gray, sterile courtroom scenes.
But the hardness of Monster, which speaks to the very dehumanizing nature of its title, comes from where we’re first introduced to Steve as played by a riveting Kelvin Harrison Jr.: He’s a teenager, terrified by a criminal justice system that has vilified him as the proverbial monster from the minute he was charged with felony murder. If we’re asked to see the world as Steve does,...
But the hardness of Monster, which speaks to the very dehumanizing nature of its title, comes from where we’re first introduced to Steve as played by a riveting Kelvin Harrison Jr.: He’s a teenager, terrified by a criminal justice system that has vilified him as the proverbial monster from the minute he was charged with felony murder. If we’re asked to see the world as Steve does,...
- 5/7/2021
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Somehow, writer-director Shaka King, the Lucas Brothers, and Will Berson wrote one movie, “Judas and the Black Messiah.” Disparate perspectives on Fred Hampton meant that outcome was by no means pre-ordained, but after more than eight years and countless drafts they agreed to coalesce around a single narrative so compelling that a studio would be forced to greenlight the movie.
Two powerful producers, Ryan Coogler (“Black Panther”) and Charles King (“Mudbound”), backed director Shaka King, who kept on track a complex story that kept changing, especially after two people joined the team who knew it better than anyone: Chairman Fred Hampton Jr. and his mother, Deborah Johnson, now known as Akua Njeri.
This collaboration yielded a film that debuted at Sundance 2021 to rave reviews, landed in theaters and HBO Max on February 12, and on March 15 earned six Oscars including Best Picture, Original Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor (Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield), Original Song,...
Two powerful producers, Ryan Coogler (“Black Panther”) and Charles King (“Mudbound”), backed director Shaka King, who kept on track a complex story that kept changing, especially after two people joined the team who knew it better than anyone: Chairman Fred Hampton Jr. and his mother, Deborah Johnson, now known as Akua Njeri.
This collaboration yielded a film that debuted at Sundance 2021 to rave reviews, landed in theaters and HBO Max on February 12, and on March 15 earned six Oscars including Best Picture, Original Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor (Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield), Original Song,...
- 4/12/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
With tight races for Best Ensemble and Lead Actress, suspense was running high before the pre-taped hourlong SAG Awards show Sunday night — at least for those insiders who did not hear leaks of Thursday’s real-time winners.
As it turns out, the SAG Awards and Oscars may not sync up as easily as last year, when all the Ensemble nominees went on to win Oscars, along with all the SAG acting winners — Renée Zellweger (“Judy”), Joaquin Phoenix (“Joker”), Brad Pitt (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”), and Laura Dern (“Marriage Story”). This time, SAG was full of surprises that will shake up the Oscar race.
The evening’s big shocker was the double-whammy SAG Awards for not only the expected Best Male in a Leading Role winner Chadwick Boseman — but also his costar Viola Davis in the bigger-than-life, dazzling title role in Netflix’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Boseman gave the performance of his life,...
As it turns out, the SAG Awards and Oscars may not sync up as easily as last year, when all the Ensemble nominees went on to win Oscars, along with all the SAG acting winners — Renée Zellweger (“Judy”), Joaquin Phoenix (“Joker”), Brad Pitt (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”), and Laura Dern (“Marriage Story”). This time, SAG was full of surprises that will shake up the Oscar race.
The evening’s big shocker was the double-whammy SAG Awards for not only the expected Best Male in a Leading Role winner Chadwick Boseman — but also his costar Viola Davis in the bigger-than-life, dazzling title role in Netflix’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Boseman gave the performance of his life,...
- 4/5/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Twins Kenny and Keith Lucas, known collectively as The Lucas Brothers, have built comedy careers out of their laidback – some have called it “stoner” – style of comedy. They were named two of Variety’s “10 Comics to Watch” in 2014 and are probably best known for roles in “22 Jump Street,” their Netflix comedy special “On Drugs” and their animated series “Lucas Bros. Moving Co.”
So, it’s somewhat surprising that the duo has just earned Academy Award nominations for their work on the original screenplay of “Judas and the Black Messiah,” a film that portrays the betrayal of Black Panther Chairman Fred Hampton by William O’Neal, a petty criminal who infiltrated the party on behalf of the FBI.
On this week’s episode of Variety’s Awards Circuit podcast, the Lucas Brothers admit that when they when they first started pitching the film, it wasn’t what people expected. “Honestly, the...
So, it’s somewhat surprising that the duo has just earned Academy Award nominations for their work on the original screenplay of “Judas and the Black Messiah,” a film that portrays the betrayal of Black Panther Chairman Fred Hampton by William O’Neal, a petty criminal who infiltrated the party on behalf of the FBI.
On this week’s episode of Variety’s Awards Circuit podcast, the Lucas Brothers admit that when they when they first started pitching the film, it wasn’t what people expected. “Honestly, the...
- 3/26/2021
- by Jenelle Riley
- Variety Film + TV
Andra Day was just 11 years old when she first heard Billie Holiday’s iconic anti-lynching song “Strange Fruit.” She recalls “prostrating before the speaker, just listening. It was scary and I just felt overwhelming sadness.”
Even at that young age, Day says she wanted to help Holiday and “whatever it was she was singing about.” As she got older, the truth behind the lyrics took the deeper meaning, resonating with her. “She was holding a mirror up to the nation,” Day says.
Now, the singer and actress is earning rave reviews for her performance as Holiday in the Lee Daniels-helmed film “The United States Vs. Billie Holiday.” The movie follows Holiday as she is targeted by the Federal Department of Narcotics, who wanted her to stop singing “Strange Fruit.” The defiant Holiday refused and under the guise of drug abuse, the Fbn continued to pursue her.
Day recently won...
Even at that young age, Day says she wanted to help Holiday and “whatever it was she was singing about.” As she got older, the truth behind the lyrics took the deeper meaning, resonating with her. “She was holding a mirror up to the nation,” Day says.
Now, the singer and actress is earning rave reviews for her performance as Holiday in the Lee Daniels-helmed film “The United States Vs. Billie Holiday.” The movie follows Holiday as she is targeted by the Federal Department of Narcotics, who wanted her to stop singing “Strange Fruit.” The defiant Holiday refused and under the guise of drug abuse, the Fbn continued to pursue her.
Day recently won...
- 3/25/2021
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Shaka King‘s new film “Judas and the Black Messiah” just earned six Oscar nominations including Best Picture. King himself is nominated for Best Original Screenplay alongside Will Berson, Kenny Lucas and Keith Lucas.
King recently spoke with Gold Derby senior editor Daniel Montgomery about the research process for the film, casting Daniel Kaluuya as Fred Hampton and how the film fits in with the current Black Lives Matter movement. Watch the exclusive interview above and read the complete transcript below.
Seeh.E.R. could follow her Grammys upset for Song of the Year with an Oscar for ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’
Gold Derby: Was this a story that you wanted to tell onscreen for a while?
Shaka King: Actually, no. The story was really first brought to me by the Lucas brothers and I was aware of Fred Hampton. Quite honestly, I was more aware of the tragic...
King recently spoke with Gold Derby senior editor Daniel Montgomery about the research process for the film, casting Daniel Kaluuya as Fred Hampton and how the film fits in with the current Black Lives Matter movement. Watch the exclusive interview above and read the complete transcript below.
Seeh.E.R. could follow her Grammys upset for Song of the Year with an Oscar for ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’
Gold Derby: Was this a story that you wanted to tell onscreen for a while?
Shaka King: Actually, no. The story was really first brought to me by the Lucas brothers and I was aware of Fred Hampton. Quite honestly, I was more aware of the tragic...
- 3/23/2021
- by Kevin Jacobsen
- Gold Derby
If there’s one thing we know to be true about Oscar voters, it’s that they love to award young women and old men for their acting prowess. That’s why it would be noteworthy if Daniel Kaluuya took home the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in “Judas and the Black Messiah” come April 25, as he would become the seventh youngest actor to ever win the award, at just 32 years, 60 days old.
Kaluuya, who is competing alongside his “Judas” co-star Lakeith Stanfield after voters nominated the latter actor in supporting instead of lead where he was campaigning, is currently in first place in Gold Derby’s combined odds to win the Oscar. Thirteen Experts are currently predicting him to triumph over the competition, which includes, in order, Sacha Baron Cohen, Leslie Odom, Jr., Paul Raci and Stanfield (9/2 odds).
Should he prevail, Kaluuya will join an...
Kaluuya, who is competing alongside his “Judas” co-star Lakeith Stanfield after voters nominated the latter actor in supporting instead of lead where he was campaigning, is currently in first place in Gold Derby’s combined odds to win the Oscar. Thirteen Experts are currently predicting him to triumph over the competition, which includes, in order, Sacha Baron Cohen, Leslie Odom, Jr., Paul Raci and Stanfield (9/2 odds).
Should he prevail, Kaluuya will join an...
- 3/23/2021
- by Kaitlin Thomas
- Gold Derby
Tons of British actors have been in the running for Oscars over the years. And of course there have been countless British actors who have made their way through “Doctor Who” since the sci-fi series was revived in 2005. So it makes sense that the Venn diagram would include some overlap. But it’s still significant that three of this year’s four acting races at the Oscars could be won by “Doctor Who” alums: Carey Mulligan (“Promising Young Woman“), Olivia Colman (“The Father”) and Daniel Kaluuya (“Judas and the Black Messiah“).
According to the combined predictions of Gold Derby users, Mulligan is the current front-runner to win the Best Actress Oscar for her “Promising” role as a former med student exacting revenge on abusive men. But in 2007, at age 22 — a couple of years before her breakthrough performance in “An Education” made her an international household name — she starred in the...
According to the combined predictions of Gold Derby users, Mulligan is the current front-runner to win the Best Actress Oscar for her “Promising” role as a former med student exacting revenge on abusive men. But in 2007, at age 22 — a couple of years before her breakthrough performance in “An Education” made her an international household name — she starred in the...
- 3/22/2021
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
This year’s Writers Guild Awards were an efficient pre-taped affair (with the two coasts united in one show) perfunctorily hosted by new member Kal Penn. A smattering of Oscar contenders such as Riz Ahmed, Sacha Baron Cohen, Leslie Odom Jr., and Andra Day joined other celebrities from Daveed Diggs to Jimmy Fallon to present this year’s film and television winners. (You can read the full list of winners here.)
Every year, because the WGA always leaves out non-wga signatories in its award nominations — among them Oscar-contending screenplays — it’s not always as Oscar-predictive as the other Guilds. Last year’s WGA award winners, Taika Waititi and Bong Joon Ho did go on to repeat at the Oscars. Bong won in a category for which Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” wasn’t eligible. (He never joined the WGA.)
This year, there were three ineligible movies...
Every year, because the WGA always leaves out non-wga signatories in its award nominations — among them Oscar-contending screenplays — it’s not always as Oscar-predictive as the other Guilds. Last year’s WGA award winners, Taika Waititi and Bong Joon Ho did go on to repeat at the Oscars. Bong won in a category for which Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” wasn’t eligible. (He never joined the WGA.)
This year, there were three ineligible movies...
- 3/22/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Keith and Kenny Lucas were two of the writers on “Judas and the Black Messiah,” alongside Will Berson and the film’s director, Shaka King. The four were just nominated at the Oscars in Best Original Screenplay for the film.
The Lucas brothers spoke with Gold Derby senior editor Daniel Montgomery before the Oscar nominations about how the story of Fred Hampton and William O’Neal affected them personally, the influx of Black cinema in recent years and how the film is resonating today despite being a period piece. Watch the exclusive interview above and read the complete transcript below.
SEEHow to watch ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’
Gd: Your work was recently nominated for a Writers Guild Award alongside Shaka King and Will Berson. Did it mean a lot to be recognized by writers in the industry for this?
Keith Lucas: Oh, yeah. It’s a huge honor. Being...
The Lucas brothers spoke with Gold Derby senior editor Daniel Montgomery before the Oscar nominations about how the story of Fred Hampton and William O’Neal affected them personally, the influx of Black cinema in recent years and how the film is resonating today despite being a period piece. Watch the exclusive interview above and read the complete transcript below.
SEEHow to watch ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’
Gd: Your work was recently nominated for a Writers Guild Award alongside Shaka King and Will Berson. Did it mean a lot to be recognized by writers in the industry for this?
Keith Lucas: Oh, yeah. It’s a huge honor. Being...
- 3/21/2021
- by Kevin Jacobsen
- Gold Derby
As the awards calendar hurtles toward the delayed Oscars on April 25, we have a clear frontrunner for Best Picture. Last year, Bong Joon Ho’s dark drama “Parasite” rode the Palme d’Or from May through to a Best Picture win. But it was, finally, a global blockbuster that appealed to the mainstream.
That wasn’t an option this pandemic award season. Even if the list of 2021 Oscar contenders is smaller-scale and more independent than usual, the film that boasts wide appeal across the Academy’s 23 branches will finally take home the Best Picture Oscar. With six nominations including Best Picture, Actress, Director, Editor, Adapted Screenplay, and Cinematography, Chloé Zhao’s hybrid cinéma vérité “Nomadland” (Searchlight/Hulu) is the film that hits the lonely pandemic zeitgeist in this weird year — even if the film didn’t score the SAG Ensemble nomination that “Parasite” did in 2020. “Nomadland” did win the Venice...
That wasn’t an option this pandemic award season. Even if the list of 2021 Oscar contenders is smaller-scale and more independent than usual, the film that boasts wide appeal across the Academy’s 23 branches will finally take home the Best Picture Oscar. With six nominations including Best Picture, Actress, Director, Editor, Adapted Screenplay, and Cinematography, Chloé Zhao’s hybrid cinéma vérité “Nomadland” (Searchlight/Hulu) is the film that hits the lonely pandemic zeitgeist in this weird year — even if the film didn’t score the SAG Ensemble nomination that “Parasite” did in 2020. “Nomadland” did win the Venice...
- 3/20/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
You know, once the floodgates open, it’s kinda hard to stop. After a 26-year drought, the Best Supporting Actor Oscar category has now featured double nominees from one film for the third time in four years. Granted, no one expected the head-scratching combo of “Judas and the Black Messiah” stars Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield to be nominated in this category, but hey, it happened. Their bids come a year after “The Irishman” produced nominations for Al Pacino and Joe Pesci and three years after “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” ended the dry spell with Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell, the latter of whom won. Kaluuya remains the frontrunner to win — by a wide margin — which would mark the seventh time a Best Supporting Actor champ defeated a co-star.
“Judas” is the 20th film to yield multiple supporting actor nominations. The first was Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” (1939), whose...
“Judas” is the 20th film to yield multiple supporting actor nominations. The first was Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” (1939), whose...
- 3/17/2021
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Daniel Kaluuya and Carey Mulligan will make their “Saturday Night Live” hosting debuts next month, continuing the NBC comedy’s string of first-time emcees in its 46th season.
Kaluuya will host the April 3 show with musical guest St. Vincent, while Mulligan goes the following week on April 10 with Kid Cudi, who has somehow never performed on the long-running series before.
“SNL” returns on March 27 with Maya Rudolph as host (so expect to see her impression of VP Kamala Harris) and Jack Harlow as the musical guest. That will also be Harlow’s first time on the Studio 8H stage.
Kaluuya and Mulligan both expect to be major winners come Oscar night on April 25. Kaluuya, who already won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Black Panther founder Fred Hampton in “Judas and the Black Messiah,” is up for Best Supporting Actor Oscar as well. He’ll face co-star Lakeith Stanfield in that category.
Kaluuya will host the April 3 show with musical guest St. Vincent, while Mulligan goes the following week on April 10 with Kid Cudi, who has somehow never performed on the long-running series before.
“SNL” returns on March 27 with Maya Rudolph as host (so expect to see her impression of VP Kamala Harris) and Jack Harlow as the musical guest. That will also be Harlow’s first time on the Studio 8H stage.
Kaluuya and Mulligan both expect to be major winners come Oscar night on April 25. Kaluuya, who already won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Black Panther founder Fred Hampton in “Judas and the Black Messiah,” is up for Best Supporting Actor Oscar as well. He’ll face co-star Lakeith Stanfield in that category.
- 3/16/2021
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
If you went with the Gold Derby odds to make your Oscar predictions, then you got 19 of the 20 acting nominees correct. The one we missed (and likely everyone did as well): Lakeith Stanfield for “Judas and the Black Messiah” in Best Supporting Actor. Because we had him in lead, where he was campaigned and was in 11th place. The shocking thing is not just that Stanfield got in — with zero precursors — but that both he and co-star Daniel Kaluuya, who had been campaigned in supporting and is the favorite to win, made the supporting actor final five. For a two-hander film in which they play the title characters. So how the hell did this happen?
Obviously we don’t know for sure and we, sadly, do not have access to the vote totals, but we have a very plausible theory. As most Oscar fans know, academy voters can nominate...
Obviously we don’t know for sure and we, sadly, do not have access to the vote totals, but we have a very plausible theory. As most Oscar fans know, academy voters can nominate...
- 3/16/2021
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
When Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Nick Jonas announced the nominations for the 93rd Academy Awards, the most shocking inclusion was Lakeith Stanfield in best supporting actor for his performance in Warner Bros’ “Judas and the Black Messiah.” Not surprising from the standpoint of quality, as he delivers a career-best turn as William O’Neal — an FBI informant that betrays the trust of his friend Fred Hampton, who is played by his fellow nominee and Oscar frontrunner Daniel Kaluuya — but shocking because he campaigned in lead actor.
Kaluuya and Stanfield’s categorization has been debated within social media circles, believing that the former is the co-lead of Shaka King’s historical drama and should have campaigned there appropriately. Even on my personal ballot, I recognized Kaluuya in the lead actor lineup. One theory was that the acting branch might have seen the film as an ensemble piece, similar to “The Trial of the Chicago 7,...
Kaluuya and Stanfield’s categorization has been debated within social media circles, believing that the former is the co-lead of Shaka King’s historical drama and should have campaigned there appropriately. Even on my personal ballot, I recognized Kaluuya in the lead actor lineup. One theory was that the acting branch might have seen the film as an ensemble piece, similar to “The Trial of the Chicago 7,...
- 3/16/2021
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Lots of people got good news from the Oscars on Monday morning, but not many of them also got it from the Grammys on Sunday night. And it’s hard to imagine anybody ever winning Song of the Year at the Grammys and landing an Oscar nomination less than 10 hours later.
But H.E.R. did, picking up an Oscar nom for her song “Fight for You” from “Judas and the Black Messiah” only hours after winning one of the top Grammys for “I Can’t Breathe.”
She’s had a pretty interesting 10 hours, right?
“Man, I have,” she told TheWrap with a laugh. “It’s been life-changing.”
The 23-year-old singer and songwriter said she didn’t hesitate when she was approached by the filmmakers of “Judas” to write and perform a song for their film about the FBI campaign to target the Black Panther Party and its chairman, Fred Hampton, in late 1960s Chicago.
But H.E.R. did, picking up an Oscar nom for her song “Fight for You” from “Judas and the Black Messiah” only hours after winning one of the top Grammys for “I Can’t Breathe.”
She’s had a pretty interesting 10 hours, right?
“Man, I have,” she told TheWrap with a laugh. “It’s been life-changing.”
The 23-year-old singer and songwriter said she didn’t hesitate when she was approached by the filmmakers of “Judas” to write and perform a song for their film about the FBI campaign to target the Black Panther Party and its chairman, Fred Hampton, in late 1960s Chicago.
- 3/15/2021
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Just a day after winning two Grammys, renowned R&b artist H.E.R. earned her first Oscar nomination. The nom came in recognition of her original song “Fight for You,” which she penned and performed for Warner Bros. Pictures’ Judas and the Black Messiah.
For H.E.R., the recognition on the part of the Academy means the world. “I couldn’t believe it. You know, I feel like I’m part of history, I’m making history, and I’m doing what I love. So, it’s all really a blessing,” she told Deadline. “To be spreading such an important message, and hopefully, leading this generation into some changes, I pray that’s what I’m doing.”
From the artist’s perspective, both Judas and its “uptempo, soulful” end title track arrived at just the right time. “It’s the perfect time because in 2020, we had to be still, and we witnessed very hurtful,...
For H.E.R., the recognition on the part of the Academy means the world. “I couldn’t believe it. You know, I feel like I’m part of history, I’m making history, and I’m doing what I love. So, it’s all really a blessing,” she told Deadline. “To be spreading such an important message, and hopefully, leading this generation into some changes, I pray that’s what I’m doing.”
From the artist’s perspective, both Judas and its “uptempo, soulful” end title track arrived at just the right time. “It’s the perfect time because in 2020, we had to be still, and we witnessed very hurtful,...
- 3/15/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Mere hours after the conclusion of the Grammys, the organizers of the Academy Awards have announced five more songs worthy of a golden statuette.
The nominees for Best Original Song are a fun mix of highbrow and lowbrow tunes, spanning H.E.R.’s soulful anthem from Judas and the Black Messiah to Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams’ melodramatically hilarious track from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. Songwriter Diane Warren, who has yet to win an Oscar, earns her 12th nomination this year for her contribution to the Italian film,...
The nominees for Best Original Song are a fun mix of highbrow and lowbrow tunes, spanning H.E.R.’s soulful anthem from Judas and the Black Messiah to Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams’ melodramatically hilarious track from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. Songwriter Diane Warren, who has yet to win an Oscar, earns her 12th nomination this year for her contribution to the Italian film,...
- 3/15/2021
- by Kory Grow
- Rollingstone.com
David Fincher’s frontrunner Mank is a brilliant but nostalgic choice, while there are no nominations for stunning sexual politics drama The Assistant
News: Two female directors and nine actors of colour nominated for 2021 OscarsFull list of Oscars 2021 nominations
As ever when the Oscar nominations are announced, there is a sense of mystery about the industry’s revealed groupthink, that consensus which is unveiled as solemnly as the half-time score at the Super Bowl. This is an interesting and lively Oscar nomination list, but is there something a bit retrograde and nostalgic about the frontrunner – however brilliant it assuredly is? Will the 2021 Oscars reflect modern America and contemporary issues in the way increasingly demanded of awards ceremonies? I’m not sure.
David Fincher’s Mank is a gorgeously rendered monochrome fantasy about the genesis of Orson Welles’s classic 1941 movie Citizen Kane, and the role played by its co-writer Herman Mankiewicz,...
News: Two female directors and nine actors of colour nominated for 2021 OscarsFull list of Oscars 2021 nominations
As ever when the Oscar nominations are announced, there is a sense of mystery about the industry’s revealed groupthink, that consensus which is unveiled as solemnly as the half-time score at the Super Bowl. This is an interesting and lively Oscar nomination list, but is there something a bit retrograde and nostalgic about the frontrunner – however brilliant it assuredly is? Will the 2021 Oscars reflect modern America and contemporary issues in the way increasingly demanded of awards ceremonies? I’m not sure.
David Fincher’s Mank is a gorgeously rendered monochrome fantasy about the genesis of Orson Welles’s classic 1941 movie Citizen Kane, and the role played by its co-writer Herman Mankiewicz,...
- 3/15/2021
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Judas and The Black Messiah helmer Shaka King picked up two Oscar nominations this morning for Best Original Screenplay as a co-writer of the Fred Hampton and Bill O’Neal feature, alongside Will Berson, Kenneth Lucas, and Keith Lucas, as well as a Best Picture nomination as a producer on the film. “It was a wonderful surprise. I wasn’t anticipated it,” said King, speaking to Deadline after the nominations were read.
The marquee Best Picture nomination for Judas and The Black Messiah marked the first time in the award’s history that the nominated producing team for any Best Picture nominee is an all-Black team led by King, MacRo CEO Charles D. King, and Ryan Coogler.
“Anytime you’re the first black anything and you talk about something in a positive light, it’s very bittersweet,” said King, likening the achievement to his upbringing as a “vegetarian” who “grew up in a black neighborhood.
The marquee Best Picture nomination for Judas and The Black Messiah marked the first time in the award’s history that the nominated producing team for any Best Picture nominee is an all-Black team led by King, MacRo CEO Charles D. King, and Ryan Coogler.
“Anytime you’re the first black anything and you talk about something in a positive light, it’s very bittersweet,” said King, likening the achievement to his upbringing as a “vegetarian” who “grew up in a black neighborhood.
- 3/15/2021
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
With two female directors nominated and a record nine nonwhite actors earning nods, this year’s Oscar nominations have given Hollywood plenty of reasons to smile.
This year, Chloe Zhao and Emerald Fennell have become only the sixth and seventh women to earn nods in the Best Director category, while the late Chadwick Boseman leads an acting field that includes Black actors like Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield for “Judas and the Black Messiah” as well as Korean actors like Steven Yeun and Yuh-Jung Youn for “Minari.”
“Never in my dreams did I ever think a Korean actress would be nominated for an Oscar, and I can’t believe it’s me!” Youn said in a statement on Monday. “I am incredibly humbled by the honor. Thank you so much AMPAS, A24, Plan B, my ‘Minari’ family and our entire cast and crew. We made this film with love, and...
This year, Chloe Zhao and Emerald Fennell have become only the sixth and seventh women to earn nods in the Best Director category, while the late Chadwick Boseman leads an acting field that includes Black actors like Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield for “Judas and the Black Messiah” as well as Korean actors like Steven Yeun and Yuh-Jung Youn for “Minari.”
“Never in my dreams did I ever think a Korean actress would be nominated for an Oscar, and I can’t believe it’s me!” Youn said in a statement on Monday. “I am incredibly humbled by the honor. Thank you so much AMPAS, A24, Plan B, my ‘Minari’ family and our entire cast and crew. We made this film with love, and...
- 3/15/2021
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
While Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon could hardly be accused of setting the box office on fire, the animated film held over the weekend and easily outstripped the competition.
Indeed, the box office office rankings look little different than last week, as new releases Cosmic Sin, Then Came You, Judas and the Black Messiah did middling numbers.
Overall, the top 20 films made $5 million, or 13 per down on the previous, with the box office sluggish ahead of new releases such as Godzilla Vs. Kong and Peter Rabbit 2 later this month.
Local feature doc Girls Can’t Surf, from Madman, bowed shy of the top 10 on $103,818 from 113 screens, taking it to a respectable $344,961 with previews.
Directed by Christopher Nelius, the film tells the story of how a “ragtag bunch of inspired, punk girls” took on the male-dominated sport of professional surfing in order to achieve equality. Featured are surfing greats Jodie Cooper,...
Indeed, the box office office rankings look little different than last week, as new releases Cosmic Sin, Then Came You, Judas and the Black Messiah did middling numbers.
Overall, the top 20 films made $5 million, or 13 per down on the previous, with the box office sluggish ahead of new releases such as Godzilla Vs. Kong and Peter Rabbit 2 later this month.
Local feature doc Girls Can’t Surf, from Madman, bowed shy of the top 10 on $103,818 from 113 screens, taking it to a respectable $344,961 with previews.
Directed by Christopher Nelius, the film tells the story of how a “ragtag bunch of inspired, punk girls” took on the male-dominated sport of professional surfing in order to achieve equality. Featured are surfing greats Jodie Cooper,...
- 3/15/2021
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield give award-worthy performances as party leader Fred Hampton and the man who betrayed him
In the Oscar-tipped current release The United States vs Billie Holiday, a federal agent with deeply divided loyalties is dispatched to infiltrate and undermine a powerful voice of civil rights. That scenario is echoed in this superior “Inspired By True Events” drama from director and co-writer Shaka King, in which Lakeith Stanfield plays a petty car thief strong-armed into spying on prominent Black Panther leader Fred Hampton, charismatically portrayed by dead-cert Oscar contender Daniel Kaluuya.
“A badge is scarier than a gun,” explains William O’Neal (Stanfield) when he’s arrested for impersonating an FBI agent to steal a flashy ride. “It’s like you got a whole damn army behind you.” Instead, he now has agent Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons) on his case, offering him a choice between several years in prison or becoming an informant.
In the Oscar-tipped current release The United States vs Billie Holiday, a federal agent with deeply divided loyalties is dispatched to infiltrate and undermine a powerful voice of civil rights. That scenario is echoed in this superior “Inspired By True Events” drama from director and co-writer Shaka King, in which Lakeith Stanfield plays a petty car thief strong-armed into spying on prominent Black Panther leader Fred Hampton, charismatically portrayed by dead-cert Oscar contender Daniel Kaluuya.
“A badge is scarier than a gun,” explains William O’Neal (Stanfield) when he’s arrested for impersonating an FBI agent to steal a flashy ride. “It’s like you got a whole damn army behind you.” Instead, he now has agent Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons) on his case, offering him a choice between several years in prison or becoming an informant.
- 3/14/2021
- by Mark Kermode Observer film critic
- The Guardian - Film News
The strangely elongated 2021 Oscar race will come down to what Academy voters actually saw — and this year, that’s something we have no way of knowing. Usually, the most popular box-office hits are Best Picture contenders, along with upscale quality films that make voters feel good about themselves. Best Picture winners “Green Book” and “Parasite” were both. How do we know what’s popular now?
Box-office metrics are irrelevant; streamers sparingly share data. Academy members were a distracted lot, and some confess they were watching more politics and escapist TV than movies. “I’m not sure they sampled as wide a selection as the press,” said one veteran publicist who is in touch with members.
When they did watch movies at home, they didn’t always stay glued start to finish. For filmmakers fussing over suspenseful editing patterns, Dolby sound levels, and color corrections, this is not good. Can anyone...
Box-office metrics are irrelevant; streamers sparingly share data. Academy members were a distracted lot, and some confess they were watching more politics and escapist TV than movies. “I’m not sure they sampled as wide a selection as the press,” said one veteran publicist who is in touch with members.
When they did watch movies at home, they didn’t always stay glued start to finish. For filmmakers fussing over suspenseful editing patterns, Dolby sound levels, and color corrections, this is not good. Can anyone...
- 3/12/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Shaka King disagreed “a bit” with Aaron Sorkin tonight about how much artistic license filmmakers should take when dealing with historic characters and events. His remarks came during the WGA West’s Beyond Words virtual panel discussion, which featured this year’s WGA Awards nominees for best original and adapted screenplays. Their exploration of truth vs. accuracy was fascinating and altogether respectful and friendly.
Sorkin’s film, The Trial of the Chicago 7, and King’s Judas and The Black Messiah share a common character: Black Panther leader Fred Hampton, who was gunned down by police in 1969 during a pre-dawn raid at his apartment in Chicago. Hampton is the central figure in King’s film, and plays a small but important role – as Bobby Seale’s courtroom advisor – in Sorkin’s.
“For me, The Chicago Seven is a painting; it’s not a photograph,” Sorkin said. “It’s not a piece of journalism.
Sorkin’s film, The Trial of the Chicago 7, and King’s Judas and The Black Messiah share a common character: Black Panther leader Fred Hampton, who was gunned down by police in 1969 during a pre-dawn raid at his apartment in Chicago. Hampton is the central figure in King’s film, and plays a small but important role – as Bobby Seale’s courtroom advisor – in Sorkin’s.
“For me, The Chicago Seven is a painting; it’s not a photograph,” Sorkin said. “It’s not a piece of journalism.
- 3/12/2021
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
Judas and the Black Messiah has inspired a new congressional bill which aims to strip J. Edgar Hoover’s name from the FBI building in Washington, D.C. The Oscar-contending Shaka King drama about the death of Illinois Black Panther Party Chairman Fred Hampton at the hands of Hoover’s FBI department has renewed conversations about the first director of […]
The post ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’ Inspires Bill to Remove J. Edgar Hoover’s Name From FBI Building appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’ Inspires Bill to Remove J. Edgar Hoover’s Name From FBI Building appeared first on /Film.
- 3/11/2021
- by Hoai-Tran Bui
- Slash Film
Daniel Kaluuya emerged on the scene in 2017 with “Get Out,” a dark comedy hit that unexpectedly took the awards season by storm. He was nominated for his first two Screen Actors Guild awards that year, for his lead performance and as part of the ensemble. This year, he contends in supporting for “Judas and the Black Messiah.” Kaluuya is fresh off of Golden Globe and Critics Choice wins for the performance.
In the Warner Bros. film, Kaluuya portrays Fred Hampton, chairman of the Chicago chapter of the Black Panther Party, a man so persuasive as a progressive political figure that the FBI and Chicago Police Department orchestrated his assassination in 1969. As Hampton, Kaluuya weaves together a portrait of a man who is in one palm falling in love with an equally young Deborah Johnson (Dominique Fishback) and in the other, inspiring a community of disenfranchised people with his powerful speeches.
In the Warner Bros. film, Kaluuya portrays Fred Hampton, chairman of the Chicago chapter of the Black Panther Party, a man so persuasive as a progressive political figure that the FBI and Chicago Police Department orchestrated his assassination in 1969. As Hampton, Kaluuya weaves together a portrait of a man who is in one palm falling in love with an equally young Deborah Johnson (Dominique Fishback) and in the other, inspiring a community of disenfranchised people with his powerful speeches.
- 3/11/2021
- by John Benutty
- Gold Derby
Judas and the Black Messiah screenwriters Will Berson, Shaka King, Kenny Lucas and Keith Lucas will be honored with the 2021 Paul Selvin Award during the WGA Awards later this month, the Writers Guild said Wednesday.
Taking its name from the late Paul Selvin, who served as general counsel to the WGA West for 25 years, the award is given annually to the Wgaw member, or members, whose script best embodies “the spirit of the constitutional and civil rights and liberties that are indispensable to the survival of free writers everywhere.” Past honorees include Charles Randolph, Adam McKay, Dustin Lance Black, and Alex Gibney.
Berson shared screenplay credit with King on the Warner Bros pic, with story credit shared among all four writers. The Judas scribes will receive the award—presented by New Yorker staff writer Jelani Cobb—at the WGA’s joint virtual ceremony, March 21. The pic is also competing for Best Original Screenplay this year.
Taking its name from the late Paul Selvin, who served as general counsel to the WGA West for 25 years, the award is given annually to the Wgaw member, or members, whose script best embodies “the spirit of the constitutional and civil rights and liberties that are indispensable to the survival of free writers everywhere.” Past honorees include Charles Randolph, Adam McKay, Dustin Lance Black, and Alex Gibney.
Berson shared screenplay credit with King on the Warner Bros pic, with story credit shared among all four writers. The Judas scribes will receive the award—presented by New Yorker staff writer Jelani Cobb—at the WGA’s joint virtual ceremony, March 21. The pic is also competing for Best Original Screenplay this year.
- 3/10/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Variety breaks down each category at the 27th annual SAG Awards ceremony, to be held on April 4.
Cast in a Motion Picture
There was a time when it seemed a film couldn’t win a best picture Oscar without a SAG ensemble nom, but in recent years, several films — such as “Green Book” and “The Shape of Water” — have done away with that theory. The five contenders have great casts and numbers in common, from “One Night in Miami” to “Da 5 Bloods” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7.” Also nominated are “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” whose two leads are individually nommed, and “Minari,” which scored in the male lead and female supporting categories. It all feels too close to call at this point.
Stunt Ensemble (Film)
Of the five stunt ensembles, “Da 5 Bloods” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7” are the two films also nominated for cast performance,...
Cast in a Motion Picture
There was a time when it seemed a film couldn’t win a best picture Oscar without a SAG ensemble nom, but in recent years, several films — such as “Green Book” and “The Shape of Water” — have done away with that theory. The five contenders have great casts and numbers in common, from “One Night in Miami” to “Da 5 Bloods” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7.” Also nominated are “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” whose two leads are individually nommed, and “Minari,” which scored in the male lead and female supporting categories. It all feels too close to call at this point.
Stunt Ensemble (Film)
Of the five stunt ensembles, “Da 5 Bloods” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7” are the two films also nominated for cast performance,...
- 3/10/2021
- by Danielle Turchiano and Jenelle Riley
- Variety Film + TV
Daniel Kaluuya plays Black Panther Party Chairman Fred Hampton in the new film “Judas and the Black Messiah.” He has won the Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award for his performance in addition to a nomination from the SAG Awards.
Kaluuya recently spoke with Gold Derby senior editor Daniel Montgomery about the research process for playing Hampton, the weight of the role itself and what he hopes audiences will get from the film. Watch the exclusive interview above and read the complete transcript below.
See(Almost) all of our Editors now predict Daniel Kaluuya (‘Judas and the Black Messiah’) to win Oscar
Gold Derby: You star as Black Panther Chairman Fred Hampton in “Judas and the Black Messiah.” He was assassinated by the FBI when he was just 21 but he wasn’t as widely known as other civil rights figures of the era. Were you reluctant at all to take...
Kaluuya recently spoke with Gold Derby senior editor Daniel Montgomery about the research process for playing Hampton, the weight of the role itself and what he hopes audiences will get from the film. Watch the exclusive interview above and read the complete transcript below.
See(Almost) all of our Editors now predict Daniel Kaluuya (‘Judas and the Black Messiah’) to win Oscar
Gold Derby: You star as Black Panther Chairman Fred Hampton in “Judas and the Black Messiah.” He was assassinated by the FBI when he was just 21 but he wasn’t as widely known as other civil rights figures of the era. Were you reluctant at all to take...
- 3/10/2021
- by Kevin Jacobsen
- Gold Derby
Dominique Fishback has signed on to co-star with Samuel L. Jackson in the Apple drama series “The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey,” Variety has learned.
In addition, Ramin Bahrani has come onboard to direct and executive produce the limited series, which is based on the novel of the same name by Walter Mosley.
Jackson stars as Grey, a 91 year old man forgotten by his family, by his friends, by even himself. On the brink of sinking even deeper into a lonely dementia, Grey experiences a seismic shift when he’s given the tremendous opportunity to briefly regain his memories, and uses this precious and fleeting lucidity to solve his nephew’s death and come to terms with his past.
Fishback will star as Robyn, a friend of the family who helps Ptolemy. The casting comes on the heels of Fishback picking up a BAFTA Award nomination for her role in...
In addition, Ramin Bahrani has come onboard to direct and executive produce the limited series, which is based on the novel of the same name by Walter Mosley.
Jackson stars as Grey, a 91 year old man forgotten by his family, by his friends, by even himself. On the brink of sinking even deeper into a lonely dementia, Grey experiences a seismic shift when he’s given the tremendous opportunity to briefly regain his memories, and uses this precious and fleeting lucidity to solve his nephew’s death and come to terms with his past.
Fishback will star as Robyn, a friend of the family who helps Ptolemy. The casting comes on the heels of Fishback picking up a BAFTA Award nomination for her role in...
- 3/9/2021
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Judas and the Black Messiah co-star Dominique Fishback is set as a lead alongside Samuel L. Jackson in Apple TV+’s The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey limited series. The White Tiger writer-director-producer Ramin Bahrani has signed on to direct and executive produce the six-episode series based on the acclaimed novel by best-selling author Walter Mosley, who will write the screen adaptation and also executive produce alongside Jackson.
Both Fishback and Bahrani received BAFTA nominations earlier today for their work on Judas and the Black Messiah (supporting actress) and The White Tiger (adapted screenplay), respectively.
In The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, produced by Apple Studios, Jackson stars as Ptolemy Grey, a 91-year-old man forgotten by his family, by his friends, by even himself. On the brink of sinking even deeper into a lonely dementia, Ptolemy experiences a seismic shift when he’s given the tremendous opportunity to briefly regain his memories,...
Both Fishback and Bahrani received BAFTA nominations earlier today for their work on Judas and the Black Messiah (supporting actress) and The White Tiger (adapted screenplay), respectively.
In The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, produced by Apple Studios, Jackson stars as Ptolemy Grey, a 91-year-old man forgotten by his family, by his friends, by even himself. On the brink of sinking even deeper into a lonely dementia, Ptolemy experiences a seismic shift when he’s given the tremendous opportunity to briefly regain his memories,...
- 3/9/2021
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
From The Deuce to Random Acts of Flyness to The Hate U Give to Project Power, Dominique Fishback has built an acting career that has a strong foundation of perspective and point of view. With her most recent role in Judas and the Black Messiah, Fishback takes her career to a new level.
The film directed by Shaka King, who co-wrote the script with Will Berson, chronicles the lives of Chairman Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya) of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, and William O’Neal (Lakeith Stanfield), who served as an FBI informant to help silence Hampton and the Party. Fishback takes a powerful turn as Hampton’s fellow revolutionary and romantic interest Deborah Johnson (who is now known as Akua Njeri). The film speaks true to today’s landscape of Black Lives Matter and social justice — even though the real-life events took place in the 1960s.
Fishback...
The film directed by Shaka King, who co-wrote the script with Will Berson, chronicles the lives of Chairman Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya) of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, and William O’Neal (Lakeith Stanfield), who served as an FBI informant to help silence Hampton and the Party. Fishback takes a powerful turn as Hampton’s fellow revolutionary and romantic interest Deborah Johnson (who is now known as Akua Njeri). The film speaks true to today’s landscape of Black Lives Matter and social justice — even though the real-life events took place in the 1960s.
Fishback...
- 3/9/2021
- by Dino-Ray Ramos and Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s not quite a reunion, but two “Black Panther” (2018) actors could become Oscar winners on the same night come April 25. Chadwick Boseman, the late actor who portrayed T’Challa, aka the Black Panther, in multiple Marvel films, and Daniel Kaluuya, who portrayed T’Challa’s best friend W’Kabi in the “Black Panther” solo film, are both poised to receive Oscar nominations on Monday — and both men are currently frontrunners in their respective races.
Boseman, who died Aug. 28 after a silent and secret battle with stage four colon cancer, is contending for Best Actor for his performance in the Netflix film “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” which hit the streaming service late last year. It would be the actor’s first Oscar nomination (he’s also in the running for a supporting bid for “Da 5 Bloods”) and win, but not his first award for this performance. Boseman has already...
Boseman, who died Aug. 28 after a silent and secret battle with stage four colon cancer, is contending for Best Actor for his performance in the Netflix film “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” which hit the streaming service late last year. It would be the actor’s first Oscar nomination (he’s also in the running for a supporting bid for “Da 5 Bloods”) and win, but not his first award for this performance. Boseman has already...
- 3/9/2021
- by Kaitlin Thomas
- Gold Derby
The African American Film Critics Association has picked Shaka King’s acclaimed “Judas and the Black Messiah” as the best film of the year. This is the 12th such awards in the history of the organization, which last year gave top honors to Jordan Peele’s “Us.”
“Judas and the Black Messiah” was the big winner, as it also picked up Best Supporting Actor for Daniel Kaluuya and Best Supporting Actress for Dominique Fishback. “One Night in Miami” tied “Judas” for the most overall wins, however, with three total prizes: Best Director for Regina King, Best Screenplay for Kemp Powers, and Best Ensemble. The wins for both these films help them gain momentum as awards season advances.
Also gaining momentum? Chadwick Boseman, voted Best Actor by the critics group for his performance as a tormented trumpeter in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” That follows Best Actor wins for the late performer...
“Judas and the Black Messiah” was the big winner, as it also picked up Best Supporting Actor for Daniel Kaluuya and Best Supporting Actress for Dominique Fishback. “One Night in Miami” tied “Judas” for the most overall wins, however, with three total prizes: Best Director for Regina King, Best Screenplay for Kemp Powers, and Best Ensemble. The wins for both these films help them gain momentum as awards season advances.
Also gaining momentum? Chadwick Boseman, voted Best Actor by the critics group for his performance as a tormented trumpeter in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” That follows Best Actor wins for the late performer...
- 3/9/2021
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
“Judas and the Black Messiah” has been named best film by the African American Film Critics Association (Aafca), leading the list of winners at the 12th Aafca awards with four awards, including accolades for stars Daniel Kaluuya and Dominique Fishback. Director Shaka King will also be honored with the breakout director prize.
“Serving alongside an all-Black producing team, “Judas and the Black Messiah” director Shaka King created a project that permanently enshrines pivotal Black Panther leader Fred Hampton as an American hero,” Aafca President/Co-Founder Gil Robertson said in a statement announcing the winners. “Released against the backdrop of the present-day Black Lives Matter movement, the film’s message of commitment and sacrifice to social justice is empowering.”
Describing Kaluuya’s portrayal of the late Black Panther Party Chairman Fred Hampton as “literally on fire” and Fishback as “an actress to watch,” Robertson added, “our members are thrilled to award...
“Serving alongside an all-Black producing team, “Judas and the Black Messiah” director Shaka King created a project that permanently enshrines pivotal Black Panther leader Fred Hampton as an American hero,” Aafca President/Co-Founder Gil Robertson said in a statement announcing the winners. “Released against the backdrop of the present-day Black Lives Matter movement, the film’s message of commitment and sacrifice to social justice is empowering.”
Describing Kaluuya’s portrayal of the late Black Panther Party Chairman Fred Hampton as “literally on fire” and Fishback as “an actress to watch,” Robertson added, “our members are thrilled to award...
- 3/9/2021
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
The African American Film Critics Association (Aafca), the world’s largest group of Black film critics, named “Judas and the Black Messiah” as Best Picture on Tuesday.
In addition to Best Picture, the film also earned two additional awards for Best Actor for Daniel Kaluuya and Best Supporting Actress for Dominique Fishback.
“One Night In Miami” won three awards: Regina King was named Best Director, Kemp Powers won Best Screenplay and the cast won for Best Ensemble.
Other acting awards went to Andra Day for “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” and the late Chadwick Boseman for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Day and Boseman won Golden Globe acting awards last week.
Powers also co-wrote and co-directed “Soul,” the Best Animation winner. See the complete list of the 12th Aafca Awards below:
Best Picture: “Judas and the Black Messiah” (Warner Bros.)
Best Director: Regina King, “One Night In Miami” (Amazon Studios)
Best Actor: Chadwick Boseman,...
In addition to Best Picture, the film also earned two additional awards for Best Actor for Daniel Kaluuya and Best Supporting Actress for Dominique Fishback.
“One Night In Miami” won three awards: Regina King was named Best Director, Kemp Powers won Best Screenplay and the cast won for Best Ensemble.
Other acting awards went to Andra Day for “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” and the late Chadwick Boseman for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Day and Boseman won Golden Globe acting awards last week.
Powers also co-wrote and co-directed “Soul,” the Best Animation winner. See the complete list of the 12th Aafca Awards below:
Best Picture: “Judas and the Black Messiah” (Warner Bros.)
Best Director: Regina King, “One Night In Miami” (Amazon Studios)
Best Actor: Chadwick Boseman,...
- 3/9/2021
- by Lawrence Yee
- The Wrap
African American Film Critics Association has released its annual list of recipients for the 12th Aafca Awards with Judas and the Black Messiah being named the year’s Best Picture by the world’s largest group of Black film critics. The Fred Hampton-Bill O’Neal drama took home the most awards with a Breakout Director nod for Shaka King as well as Best Supporting Actor and Actress wins for Daniel Kaluuya and Dominique Fishback, respectively.
“Serving alongside an all-Black producing team, Judas and the Black Messiah director Shaka King created a project that permanently enshrines pivotal Black Panther leader Fred Hampton as an American hero,” commented Aafca President and co-founder Gil Robertson. “Released against the backdrop of the present-day Black Lives Matter movement, the film’s message of commitment and sacrifice to social justice is empowering. Daniel Kaluuya as Hampton is literally on fire and is supported well by...
“Serving alongside an all-Black producing team, Judas and the Black Messiah director Shaka King created a project that permanently enshrines pivotal Black Panther leader Fred Hampton as an American hero,” commented Aafca President and co-founder Gil Robertson. “Released against the backdrop of the present-day Black Lives Matter movement, the film’s message of commitment and sacrifice to social justice is empowering. Daniel Kaluuya as Hampton is literally on fire and is supported well by...
- 3/9/2021
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
Judas and the Black Messiah took top honors from the African American Film Critics Association, the world’s largest group of Black film critics.
The film was named best picture, with star Daniel Kaluuya winning best supporting actor for his portrayal of Black Panther Party deputy chairman Fred Hampton and Dominique Fishback named best supporting actress for her role as Deborah Johnson, Hampton’s fiancee and mother of his child. Helmer Shaka King also won breakout director.
“Serving alongside an all-Black producing team, Judas and the Black Messiah director Shaka King created a project that permanently enshrines pivotal Black Panther leader Fred Hampton ...
The film was named best picture, with star Daniel Kaluuya winning best supporting actor for his portrayal of Black Panther Party deputy chairman Fred Hampton and Dominique Fishback named best supporting actress for her role as Deborah Johnson, Hampton’s fiancee and mother of his child. Helmer Shaka King also won breakout director.
“Serving alongside an all-Black producing team, Judas and the Black Messiah director Shaka King created a project that permanently enshrines pivotal Black Panther leader Fred Hampton ...
Judas and the Black Messiah took top honors from the African American Film Critics Association, the world’s largest group of Black film critics.
The film was named best picture, with star Daniel Kaluuya winning best supporting actor for his portrayal of Black Panther Party deputy chairman Fred Hampton and Dominique Fishback named best supporting actress for her role as Deborah Johnson, Hampton’s fiancee and mother of his child. Helmer Shaka King also won breakout director.
“Serving alongside an all-Black producing team, Judas and the Black Messiah director Shaka King created a project that permanently enshrines pivotal Black Panther leader Fred Hampton ...
The film was named best picture, with star Daniel Kaluuya winning best supporting actor for his portrayal of Black Panther Party deputy chairman Fred Hampton and Dominique Fishback named best supporting actress for her role as Deborah Johnson, Hampton’s fiancee and mother of his child. Helmer Shaka King also won breakout director.
“Serving alongside an all-Black producing team, Judas and the Black Messiah director Shaka King created a project that permanently enshrines pivotal Black Panther leader Fred Hampton ...
Shaka King, the director and co-writer of Judas And The Black Messiah, shares some of his favorite movies.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Judas And The Black Messiah (2021)
Goodfellas (1990)
Casino (1995)
Taxi Driver (1976)
The Friends Of Eddie Coyle (1973)
A Prophet (2009)
The Godfather (1972)
The Godfather Part II (1974)
The Pope Of Greenwich Village (1984)
Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
Network (1976)
Serpico (1973)
Prince Of The City (1981)
The Battle Of Algiers (1966)
Z (1969)
Animal House (1978)
King Of New York (1990)
Oldboy (2003)
Crooklyn (1994)
Memories Of Murder (2003)
Do The Right Thing (1989)
Capernaum (2018)
Chop Shop (2007)
Gloria (1980)
Dazed And Confused (1993)
Malcolm X (1992)
The Hospital (1971)
Little Murders (1971)
Newlyweeds (2013)
Other Notable Items
Fred Hampton
The Panther 21
Jamal Joseph
Akua Njeri, formerly Deborah Johnson
Ray Liotta
Martin Scorsese
Robert De Niro
I Love Lucy TV series (1951-1957)
Robert Mitchum
Jesse Plemons
Eric Clapton
Ryan Coogler
John Cazale
Burt Young
The Rocky franchise
Sidney Lumet
Al Pacino
Making Movies memoir by Sidney Lumet
Jackie Cooper
Jean Martin...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Judas And The Black Messiah (2021)
Goodfellas (1990)
Casino (1995)
Taxi Driver (1976)
The Friends Of Eddie Coyle (1973)
A Prophet (2009)
The Godfather (1972)
The Godfather Part II (1974)
The Pope Of Greenwich Village (1984)
Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
Network (1976)
Serpico (1973)
Prince Of The City (1981)
The Battle Of Algiers (1966)
Z (1969)
Animal House (1978)
King Of New York (1990)
Oldboy (2003)
Crooklyn (1994)
Memories Of Murder (2003)
Do The Right Thing (1989)
Capernaum (2018)
Chop Shop (2007)
Gloria (1980)
Dazed And Confused (1993)
Malcolm X (1992)
The Hospital (1971)
Little Murders (1971)
Newlyweeds (2013)
Other Notable Items
Fred Hampton
The Panther 21
Jamal Joseph
Akua Njeri, formerly Deborah Johnson
Ray Liotta
Martin Scorsese
Robert De Niro
I Love Lucy TV series (1951-1957)
Robert Mitchum
Jesse Plemons
Eric Clapton
Ryan Coogler
John Cazale
Burt Young
The Rocky franchise
Sidney Lumet
Al Pacino
Making Movies memoir by Sidney Lumet
Jackie Cooper
Jean Martin...
- 3/9/2021
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
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