Justified: City Primeval may not be the show some expected to find Aunjanue Ellis in this summer. But the draw in playing attorney Carolyn Wilder was not the Justified brand’s cult status. Instead, the original source material is what intrigued her most.
“I’m always interested in stories in film and television that have been adapted from books. So this was from Elmore Leonard originally [and] I’m always fascinated by characters who have novel beginnings,” she told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike.
Unlike Justified, where Harlan, Kentucky is the center, with Timothy Olyphant’s Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens dishing out his own unique blend of tough justice, Detroit is the setting for this FX offshoot. Traveling with his daughter Willa, played by Olyphant’s actual child Vivian, Raylan gets detoured in Detroit and tasked with catching sociopath Clement Mansell (an...
“I’m always interested in stories in film and television that have been adapted from books. So this was from Elmore Leonard originally [and] I’m always fascinated by characters who have novel beginnings,” she told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike.
Unlike Justified, where Harlan, Kentucky is the center, with Timothy Olyphant’s Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens dishing out his own unique blend of tough justice, Detroit is the setting for this FX offshoot. Traveling with his daughter Willa, played by Olyphant’s actual child Vivian, Raylan gets detoured in Detroit and tasked with catching sociopath Clement Mansell (an...
- 8/29/2023
- by Ronda Racha Penrice
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Academy Award-nominee Aunjanue Ellis has signed on to star in Ava DuVernay’s feature adaptation of “Caste.” The duo reunites following their Emmy-nominated collaboration, Netflix’s “When They See Us.”
Filming is underway on the project, which is inspired by Pulitzer Prize-winner Isabel Wilkerson’s bestseller “Caste: Origins of Our Discontent.” Described in The New York Times as “an instant American classic and almost certainly the keynote nonfiction book of the American century thus far,” the book — and subsequently DuVernay’s film — examines the system of hierarchy that has shaped America.
Written and directed by DuVernay, she is also producing alongside frequent collaborator Array Filmworks’ Paul Garnes. Announced in October 2020 and set at Netflix, the independent film is financed by J4A. Production began in Georgia in December, with additional filming set to take place in Germany and India.
News that Ellis will take on the lead role comes following...
Filming is underway on the project, which is inspired by Pulitzer Prize-winner Isabel Wilkerson’s bestseller “Caste: Origins of Our Discontent.” Described in The New York Times as “an instant American classic and almost certainly the keynote nonfiction book of the American century thus far,” the book — and subsequently DuVernay’s film — examines the system of hierarchy that has shaped America.
Written and directed by DuVernay, she is also producing alongside frequent collaborator Array Filmworks’ Paul Garnes. Announced in October 2020 and set at Netflix, the independent film is financed by J4A. Production began in Georgia in December, with additional filming set to take place in Germany and India.
News that Ellis will take on the lead role comes following...
- 1/12/2023
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Oscar-nominated “King Richard” and “The Help” actress Aunjanue Ellis is set to star in a feature adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s “The Nickel Boys” for writer-director RaMell Ross and MGM’s Orion Pictures.
The film will co-star Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, Hamish Linklater and Fred Hechinger. Along with Ross, Joslyn Barnes will write the script and produce on behalf of Louverture Films.
Based on a true story, Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel tells the story of Elwood Curtis, a Black boy growing up in 1960s Florida who has been unjustly shipped out to a juvenile reformatory called the Nickel Academy. While navigating the institution’s many brutalities, he befriends another inmate named Turner. Their unlikely friendship and opposing worldviews eventually take them down a road of disastrous and long-lasting consequences.
Also Read:
Lakeith Stanfield and Omar Sy to Star in ‘The Book of Clarence’ From Director Jeymes Samuel
In addition to Barnes,...
The film will co-star Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, Hamish Linklater and Fred Hechinger. Along with Ross, Joslyn Barnes will write the script and produce on behalf of Louverture Films.
Based on a true story, Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel tells the story of Elwood Curtis, a Black boy growing up in 1960s Florida who has been unjustly shipped out to a juvenile reformatory called the Nickel Academy. While navigating the institution’s many brutalities, he befriends another inmate named Turner. Their unlikely friendship and opposing worldviews eventually take them down a road of disastrous and long-lasting consequences.
Also Read:
Lakeith Stanfield and Omar Sy to Star in ‘The Book of Clarence’ From Director Jeymes Samuel
In addition to Barnes,...
- 10/27/2022
- by Harper Lambert
- The Wrap
Colson Whitehead’s 2020 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “The Nickel Boys” is getting a big-screen adaptation from MGM’s Orion Pictures, starring Oscar and Emmy-nominee Aunjanue Ellis.
Directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker RaMell Ross, Ellis will star alongside Ethan Herisse (“When They See Us”) and Brandon Wilson (“The Way Back”), who will lead the young cast, as well as Hamish Linklater (“The Big Short”) and Fred Hechinger.
“It is an honor to be working with such talented people and trusted with such an incredibly written story, with historical roots,” Ross said in a statement announcing the feature adaptation. “I’m constantly impressed by the passion and creativity of the collection of people moving this project forward.”
Ross adapted the screenplay alongside two-time Academy Award-nominee Joslyn Barnes of Louverture Films, which is producing the movie with Plan B Entertainment and Anonymous Content. Whitehead serves as executive producer.
Added Alana Mayo, president of Orion Pictures:...
Directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker RaMell Ross, Ellis will star alongside Ethan Herisse (“When They See Us”) and Brandon Wilson (“The Way Back”), who will lead the young cast, as well as Hamish Linklater (“The Big Short”) and Fred Hechinger.
“It is an honor to be working with such talented people and trusted with such an incredibly written story, with historical roots,” Ross said in a statement announcing the feature adaptation. “I’m constantly impressed by the passion and creativity of the collection of people moving this project forward.”
Ross adapted the screenplay alongside two-time Academy Award-nominee Joslyn Barnes of Louverture Films, which is producing the movie with Plan B Entertainment and Anonymous Content. Whitehead serves as executive producer.
Added Alana Mayo, president of Orion Pictures:...
- 10/27/2022
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Oscar nominee Aunjanue L. Ellis (King Richard) is set to star in The Nickel Boys, an adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s novel of the same name, to be directed by RaMell Ross.
The Nickel Boys is set in Jim Crow-era Florida and focuses on two boys unjustly sentenced to a brutal reform school. MGM’s Orion Pictures, Plan B Entertainment and Anonymous Content will produce the movie adaptation, which will also star Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, Hamish Linklater and Fred Hechinger.
Oscar nominee Joslyn Barnes of Louverture Films, who will pen the screenplay for the movie version along with Ross, is also set to produce, while Whitehead will executive produce.
“It is an honor to be working with such talented people and trusted with such an incredibly written story, with historical roots. I’m constantly impressed by the passion and creativity of the...
Oscar nominee Aunjanue L. Ellis (King Richard) is set to star in The Nickel Boys, an adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s novel of the same name, to be directed by RaMell Ross.
The Nickel Boys is set in Jim Crow-era Florida and focuses on two boys unjustly sentenced to a brutal reform school. MGM’s Orion Pictures, Plan B Entertainment and Anonymous Content will produce the movie adaptation, which will also star Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, Hamish Linklater and Fred Hechinger.
Oscar nominee Joslyn Barnes of Louverture Films, who will pen the screenplay for the movie version along with Ross, is also set to produce, while Whitehead will executive produce.
“It is an honor to be working with such talented people and trusted with such an incredibly written story, with historical roots. I’m constantly impressed by the passion and creativity of the...
- 10/27/2022
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Oscar-nominated filmmaker RaMell Ross has been tapped to direct a feature adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Nickel Boys for MGM’s Orion Pictures, with Oscar nom Aunjanue Ellis (King Richard), Ethan Herisse (When They See Us), Brandon Wilson (The Way Back), Hamish Linklater (The Big Short) and Fred Hechinger (News of the World) set to star.
The 2020 novel by Whitehead, who’d previously scored a Pulitzer for 2016’s The Underground Railroad, came in as a bestseller upon its publication by Doubleday and was named one of Time‘s best books of the decade. Based on the true story of a Florida reform school that damaged the lives of thousands of children over more than a century, its protagonist is Elwood Curtis, a Black boy growing up in 1960s Tallahassee who is unfairly sentenced to a juvenile reformatory called the Nickel Academy,...
The 2020 novel by Whitehead, who’d previously scored a Pulitzer for 2016’s The Underground Railroad, came in as a bestseller upon its publication by Doubleday and was named one of Time‘s best books of the decade. Based on the true story of a Florida reform school that damaged the lives of thousands of children over more than a century, its protagonist is Elwood Curtis, a Black boy growing up in 1960s Tallahassee who is unfairly sentenced to a juvenile reformatory called the Nickel Academy,...
- 10/27/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Serena Williams dropped her third-round U.S. Open match to Ajla Tomljanović, likely bringing an end to her storied career.
Tomljanović needed a little over three hours Friday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York to defeat Williams 7-5, 6-7(4), 6-1 to advance to the round of 16. Williams, widely considered the greatest player to ever play the sport, roared back in the second set following a huge momentum swing. But Williams struggled early in the third set, and it seemed all but inevitable that her sensational comeback would fall short.
Following the defeat, Williams was asked what everyone in the world wants to know: is this the end?
“I mean, I’m literally playing my way into this and getting better,” she said. “I don’t think so but you never know. I don’t know.”
Tomljanović paid her respects to Williams following her impressive win.
What a ride it’s been.
Tomljanović needed a little over three hours Friday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York to defeat Williams 7-5, 6-7(4), 6-1 to advance to the round of 16. Williams, widely considered the greatest player to ever play the sport, roared back in the second set following a huge momentum swing. But Williams struggled early in the third set, and it seemed all but inevitable that her sensational comeback would fall short.
Following the defeat, Williams was asked what everyone in the world wants to know: is this the end?
“I mean, I’m literally playing my way into this and getting better,” she said. “I don’t think so but you never know. I don’t know.”
Tomljanović paid her respects to Williams following her impressive win.
What a ride it’s been.
- 9/3/2022
- by Brent Furdyk
- ET Canada
New York, Sep 3 (Ians) Celebrities from various spectrums of life paid tributes to Serena Williams as she brought the curtains down on her illustrious career spanning 27 years, which saw the 40-year-old lift 23 major singles trophies and made her a household name across the world.
The American lost to Ajla Tomljanovic of Australia 7-5, 6-7(4), 6-1 in a third-round match in front of a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium, at the US Open on Saturday (Ist), signalling the end of her professional tennis career.
Michelle Obama, the wife for former US president Barack Obama tweeted, “Congrats on an amazing career, @SerenaWilliams! How lucky were we to be able to watch a young girl from Compton grow up to become one of the greatest athletes of all time. I’m proud of you, my friend-and I can’t wait to see the lives you continue to transform with your talents.”
Young Coco Gauff...
The American lost to Ajla Tomljanovic of Australia 7-5, 6-7(4), 6-1 in a third-round match in front of a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium, at the US Open on Saturday (Ist), signalling the end of her professional tennis career.
Michelle Obama, the wife for former US president Barack Obama tweeted, “Congrats on an amazing career, @SerenaWilliams! How lucky were we to be able to watch a young girl from Compton grow up to become one of the greatest athletes of all time. I’m proud of you, my friend-and I can’t wait to see the lives you continue to transform with your talents.”
Young Coco Gauff...
- 9/3/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
The poster for the documentary “On the Line: The Richard Williams Story” is cleverly acerbic. Against a white background stands one of the more derided — and more recently celebrated, via last year’s sports biopic, “King Richard” — figures in professional sports: Venus and Serena Williams’ father, Richard. He’s got a tennis racket in his hand and is clad in throwback tennis whites. It was not typically what he wore as he and wife Oracene (Price) trained their daughters on the public courts of Compton, Los Angeles. But the look was de rigueur for the white tennis establishment that Venus and Serena took on and then transformed.
In “On the Line,” Williams has his say. Unsurprisingly, he’s frank, occasionally funny, but also vulnerable, not least because he’s growing frail, having suffered from health issues. As directed by Stuart McClave, the documentary isn’t exactly a vanity project, but...
In “On the Line,” Williams has his say. Unsurprisingly, he’s frank, occasionally funny, but also vulnerable, not least because he’s growing frail, having suffered from health issues. As directed by Stuart McClave, the documentary isn’t exactly a vanity project, but...
- 7/19/2022
- by Lisa Kennedy
- Variety Film + TV
Venus Williams is a fierce warrior both on and off the court.
One of the all-time tennis greats and formerly ranked No. 1 in the world, she has advocated for pay equity for women in her profession for many years. For Williams, playing Wimbledon as a young athlete was an eye-opening experience in that regard.
“Getting there and realizing, ‘Wow, I’m not being paid equally,’ was just definitely a slap in the face to a 16-year-old. … It hit me hard,” says Williams, who at age 25 formally began crusading to close the pay gap so that women would earn equal prize money to men.
When she won her first major singles championship at Wimbledon in 2000, she was paid less than Pete Sampras, who took the men’s title. Seven years later when she won Wimbledon, she became the first woman to be paid equally to her male counterpart, Roger Federer.
“Two short years later,...
One of the all-time tennis greats and formerly ranked No. 1 in the world, she has advocated for pay equity for women in her profession for many years. For Williams, playing Wimbledon as a young athlete was an eye-opening experience in that regard.
“Getting there and realizing, ‘Wow, I’m not being paid equally,’ was just definitely a slap in the face to a 16-year-old. … It hit me hard,” says Williams, who at age 25 formally began crusading to close the pay gap so that women would earn equal prize money to men.
When she won her first major singles championship at Wimbledon in 2000, she was paid less than Pete Sampras, who took the men’s title. Seven years later when she won Wimbledon, she became the first woman to be paid equally to her male counterpart, Roger Federer.
“Two short years later,...
- 5/4/2022
- by Claudia Eller
- Variety Film + TV
Image Source: YouTube user Beyoncé
First-time Oscar nominee Beyoncé hit the tennis court for this year's ceremony to perform her power ballad "Be Alive" from "King Richard". The icon's neon-themed outdoor performance was everything we hoped for as she opened up the Oscars with a team of dancers, an orchestra, and her 10-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy, right by her side on Sunday. Beyoncé sang her Oscar-nominated song in Compton, CA, on the very same tennis court Serena and Venus Williams trained at as youth - a fact teased by the two sports legends as they introduced the singer.
Beyoncé is among this year's Oscar nominees for best original song. After scoring her first-ever nomination, the 28-time Grammy-winning singer is getting closer to securing Egot status. The hope is that Beyoncé will clinch a win for the song and further cement her name as a legend.
The singer's Oscar nomination is...
First-time Oscar nominee Beyoncé hit the tennis court for this year's ceremony to perform her power ballad "Be Alive" from "King Richard". The icon's neon-themed outdoor performance was everything we hoped for as she opened up the Oscars with a team of dancers, an orchestra, and her 10-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy, right by her side on Sunday. Beyoncé sang her Oscar-nominated song in Compton, CA, on the very same tennis court Serena and Venus Williams trained at as youth - a fact teased by the two sports legends as they introduced the singer.
Beyoncé is among this year's Oscar nominees for best original song. After scoring her first-ever nomination, the 28-time Grammy-winning singer is getting closer to securing Egot status. The hope is that Beyoncé will clinch a win for the song and further cement her name as a legend.
The singer's Oscar nomination is...
- 3/28/2022
- by Njera Perkins
- Popsugar.com
For much of the season the Oscar race for Best Original Song has appeared to be a head-to-head duel between Billie Eilish and Finneas‘s “No Time to Die” theme song and Lin-Manuel Miranda‘s “Encanto” ballad “Dos Oruguitas.” But there’s a chance we’re underestimating Beyonce‘s empowerment anthem “Be Alive” from “King Richard.” She reminds me of H.E.R., who upset to win this award last year for “Fight for You” from “Judas and the Black Messiah.”
SEEWill Smith on playing a ‘lion’ of a man in ‘King Richard’ and helping Aunjanue Ellis with her ‘poker face’ for awards season
The similarity isn’t just that both artists are R&b singer-songwriters. It’s also a matter of the films they were nominated for and the films they were up against. Last year the front-runner was Leslie Odom Jr. for “Speak Now” from “One Night in Miami,” for...
SEEWill Smith on playing a ‘lion’ of a man in ‘King Richard’ and helping Aunjanue Ellis with her ‘poker face’ for awards season
The similarity isn’t just that both artists are R&b singer-songwriters. It’s also a matter of the films they were nominated for and the films they were up against. Last year the front-runner was Leslie Odom Jr. for “Speak Now” from “One Night in Miami,” for...
- 3/24/2022
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Will Smith has Oscar advice for his costar Aunjanue Ellis: look less excited. “You need a poker face! Are you working on a poker face? Because you need one,” he chided with a roar. “The awards shows we’ve been going to,” Smith explained, “they announce her category and she starts yelling ‘Yaaaaah!’ before they even say her name. You need to dial it back,” he jokingly told a crowd of Oscar voters at a Crosby Hotel reception in SoHo in New York City. Smith was fresh off his Best Actor win at the Critics Choice Awards. Ellis was nominated there too but lost to Ariana DeBose (“West Side Story“). Still, both Smith and Ellis are obviously going to the Oscars on March 27.
“I did this film because 99% of the people out there didn’t know Ms. Oracene coached those girls,” Ellis revealed to moderator Tamron Hall. Ellis respectfully referred to her real-life counterpart,...
“I did this film because 99% of the people out there didn’t know Ms. Oracene coached those girls,” Ellis revealed to moderator Tamron Hall. Ellis respectfully referred to her real-life counterpart,...
- 3/16/2022
- by Bill McCuddy
- Gold Derby
When Daniel Kaluuya won the 2021 Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as Fred Hampton in “Judas and the Black Messiah,” he became the 77th performer to be honored for a portrayal of a real person. There has been at least one such case across the four acting categories in 19 of the last 20 years, with the 2017 quartet being the last to all win for playing fictional characters. This year, there are nine nominees with the potential to continue the trend, including two whose real-life counterparts are still living.
In Oscar history, it is most common for a win of this kind to come in the Best Actor category. In the nine decades since George Arliss prevailed here for playing Benjamin Disraeli in “Disraeli” (1930), 27 more lead male champs have followed, and they now account for 30% of all victories in the category. The six who have triumphed in the last decade alone...
In Oscar history, it is most common for a win of this kind to come in the Best Actor category. In the nine decades since George Arliss prevailed here for playing Benjamin Disraeli in “Disraeli” (1930), 27 more lead male champs have followed, and they now account for 30% of all victories in the category. The six who have triumphed in the last decade alone...
- 3/15/2022
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Will Smith took home the award for best actor at this year's Critics' Choice Awards for his portrayal of Richard Williams in "King Richard." Smith is expected to clean up this award season for his performance (he's already won a Golden Globe and SAG award), but during Sunday's award ceremony, the actor switched the focus back to the people who inspired the film: Venus and Serena Williams and their mother, Oracene Price.
"Thank you for entrusting me with your story," Smith said during his speech. "What you were able to do, your family was able to do, inspired everyone in this room, everyone in this country, everyone around the world. You all defined the American dream. You represent the best of what we all hope this country can be." Turning his attention to the Williams sisters, Smith added, "I loved that we were able to show what your mother did...
"Thank you for entrusting me with your story," Smith said during his speech. "What you were able to do, your family was able to do, inspired everyone in this room, everyone in this country, everyone around the world. You all defined the American dream. You represent the best of what we all hope this country can be." Turning his attention to the Williams sisters, Smith added, "I loved that we were able to show what your mother did...
- 3/14/2022
- by Njera Perkins
- Popsugar.com
As the 27th annual Critics Choice Awards celebrated the best in television and film, Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog” and “Ted Lasso” led the night’s winners with four trophies apiece. “Succession,” “Belfast” and “Dune” each took home three awards.
Hosted by Taye Diggs and Nicole Byer, the 2022 ceremony broadcast live on the CW and TBS, as the evening unfolded with celebrations held in both Los Angeles and London, as the Critics Choice Association (Cca) added the satellite location to include nominees who also attended the BAFTAs. The Los Angeles portion of the ceremony is held at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel, while stars gathered for a late-night event at the Savoy Hotel in London.
Campion first took the stage to accept the best director prize, hugging fellow New Zealand-born filmmaker Taika Waititi.
“It’s absolutely stunning to be here tonight among so many incredible women,” the filmmaker began,...
Hosted by Taye Diggs and Nicole Byer, the 2022 ceremony broadcast live on the CW and TBS, as the evening unfolded with celebrations held in both Los Angeles and London, as the Critics Choice Association (Cca) added the satellite location to include nominees who also attended the BAFTAs. The Los Angeles portion of the ceremony is held at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel, while stars gathered for a late-night event at the Savoy Hotel in London.
Campion first took the stage to accept the best director prize, hugging fellow New Zealand-born filmmaker Taika Waititi.
“It’s absolutely stunning to be here tonight among so many incredible women,” the filmmaker began,...
- 3/13/2022
- by Angelique Jackson and Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety Film + TV
Aunjanue Ellis is celebrating her very first Oscar nomination for her performance in “King Richard.” The actress plays Oracene Price, the mother of tennis icons Venus and Serena Williams, and the wife of the film’s protagonist, Richard Williams.
Ellis recently spoke with Gold Derby editor Christopher Rosen about Oscar nominations morning, her process of getting into character and the importance of honoring Price’s story onscreen. Watch the video interview above and read the complete transcript below.
SEETim and Trevor White interview: ‘King Richard’ producers
Gold Derby: Congratulations, I was so excited for you. We’re a week past the Oscar nominations, but what was that morning like for you before we talk about the film?
Aunjanue Ellis: Right, well, I hid all day and didn’t have my phone on at all. I didn’t have the expectation of it, but other people in my life did, and...
Ellis recently spoke with Gold Derby editor Christopher Rosen about Oscar nominations morning, her process of getting into character and the importance of honoring Price’s story onscreen. Watch the video interview above and read the complete transcript below.
SEETim and Trevor White interview: ‘King Richard’ producers
Gold Derby: Congratulations, I was so excited for you. We’re a week past the Oscar nominations, but what was that morning like for you before we talk about the film?
Aunjanue Ellis: Right, well, I hid all day and didn’t have my phone on at all. I didn’t have the expectation of it, but other people in my life did, and...
- 3/12/2022
- by Kevin Jacobsen
- Gold Derby
Welcome to Oscar Experts Typing, a weekly column in which Gold Derby editors and Experts Joyce Eng and Christopher Rosen discuss the Oscar race — via Slack, of course. This week, we look at Best Supporting Actress, the one acting category that appears dunzo.
Christopher Rosen: Hello, Joyce! It’s the end of a long week — remember 53 years ago when Sam Elliott made headlines for hating on “The Power of the Dog”? — which means it feels like the perfect time to stream “West Side Story”? Look, I don’t make the rules, but as we talked about earlier this week, with Steven Spielberg‘s epic musical now available on Disney+ and HBO Max, audiences are catching up to where we were in December. This movie is boss and it not only should have gotten at least three additional Oscar nominations, but I think the case can be made that it should...
Christopher Rosen: Hello, Joyce! It’s the end of a long week — remember 53 years ago when Sam Elliott made headlines for hating on “The Power of the Dog”? — which means it feels like the perfect time to stream “West Side Story”? Look, I don’t make the rules, but as we talked about earlier this week, with Steven Spielberg‘s epic musical now available on Disney+ and HBO Max, audiences are catching up to where we were in December. This movie is boss and it not only should have gotten at least three additional Oscar nominations, but I think the case can be made that it should...
- 3/4/2022
- by Joyce Eng and Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
[Editor’s note: This article was originally published in November 2021 and has been updated.]
Don’t let the title fool you: While Reinaldo Marcus Green’s crowd-pleasing biopic Best Picture contender “King Richard” gets its name from the tongue-in-cheek nickname of the father of the iconic Williams sisters, it’s Aunjanue Ellis’ Oscar-nominated turn as their mother Oracene Price that feels like the real revelation. Green’s film, produced by both Venus and Serena Williams (along with their sister Isha Price), tracks the rise of the tennis champs through the teachings of their mercurial, driven father. And while Will Smith turns in one of the best performances of his career as the eponymous Richard Williams, Ellis matches him at every turn.
For Ellis, bringing the full truth of Oracene Price — that’s “Ms. Oracene” to her — wasn’t just essential to the role; it became nothing less than a mission for the actress. But first, she had to counter her own misconceptions.
Ellis admits...
Don’t let the title fool you: While Reinaldo Marcus Green’s crowd-pleasing biopic Best Picture contender “King Richard” gets its name from the tongue-in-cheek nickname of the father of the iconic Williams sisters, it’s Aunjanue Ellis’ Oscar-nominated turn as their mother Oracene Price that feels like the real revelation. Green’s film, produced by both Venus and Serena Williams (along with their sister Isha Price), tracks the rise of the tennis champs through the teachings of their mercurial, driven father. And while Will Smith turns in one of the best performances of his career as the eponymous Richard Williams, Ellis matches him at every turn.
For Ellis, bringing the full truth of Oracene Price — that’s “Ms. Oracene” to her — wasn’t just essential to the role; it became nothing less than a mission for the actress. But first, she had to counter her own misconceptions.
Ellis admits...
- 3/3/2022
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
It was decades before “King Richard” earned six 2022 Oscar nominations including Best Picture and put star Will Smith in a position to win his first-ever Academy Award when producer Tim White first encountered the story of Richard Williams and his daughters Venus and Serena Williams.
“I grew up playing junior tennis around the circuit and I remember everyone was talking about Richard. He was this sort of controversial guy who was holding up signs during the matches and who was giving all these crazy interviews,” White tells Gold Derby in a new interview. One sign, in particular, stuck with White: At the 1999 Lipton Championship, when Venus and Serena became the first sisters to meet in a tournament final in 115 years, Richard was in the stands holding up a sign that read, “I told you so.”
“It was just an image that always stuck with me,” White, who produced “King Richard” with his brother,...
“I grew up playing junior tennis around the circuit and I remember everyone was talking about Richard. He was this sort of controversial guy who was holding up signs during the matches and who was giving all these crazy interviews,” White tells Gold Derby in a new interview. One sign, in particular, stuck with White: At the 1999 Lipton Championship, when Venus and Serena became the first sisters to meet in a tournament final in 115 years, Richard was in the stands holding up a sign that read, “I told you so.”
“It was just an image that always stuck with me,” White, who produced “King Richard” with his brother,...
- 3/2/2022
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
A Letter to My Daughters
Dear Exquisites:
So an errant fake lash led me to a Google search. This search led me to the L’Oreal Beauty Blog. Always looking for makeup wisdom, I glanced over their other articles and saw a piece called “How to Make Your Lips Smaller.” The artwork for the piece featured a Black woman who looked like me. Lips like mine. Skin like mine. Body like mine. I looked at this woman — my own reflection. I questioned my sight. I looked for the date thinking surely this article was a fossil from a more unenlightened time. Circa 1950. No. It was written and posted in 2021. Months ago. I sent the image to other Black women friends who were equally stunned. According to this article, my lips — replete, ancestral, a remnant of my majestic mother — were a thing to be made “small.”
Now, right now! Black women’s bodies,...
Dear Exquisites:
So an errant fake lash led me to a Google search. This search led me to the L’Oreal Beauty Blog. Always looking for makeup wisdom, I glanced over their other articles and saw a piece called “How to Make Your Lips Smaller.” The artwork for the piece featured a Black woman who looked like me. Lips like mine. Skin like mine. Body like mine. I looked at this woman — my own reflection. I questioned my sight. I looked for the date thinking surely this article was a fossil from a more unenlightened time. Circa 1950. No. It was written and posted in 2021. Months ago. I sent the image to other Black women friends who were equally stunned. According to this article, my lips — replete, ancestral, a remnant of my majestic mother — were a thing to be made “small.”
Now, right now! Black women’s bodies,...
- 2/28/2022
- by Aunjanue Ellis
- Variety Film + TV
“Black excellence” is one of those phrases that might be difficult to explain, but you know it when you see it. It almost instantly pops into my mind — often in hashtag form — when I see images of classic Black icons or beautiful Black bodies dressed to the nines and stunningly captured in photographs; everybody Black at award shows; the Obamas; or anything Beyoncé and Jay-Z do.
Black excellence is a feeling. Any time we see someone Black at the pinnacle of their field, achieving greatness, it’s a form of applause. There’s great pride in calling it out, as if to say, “That’s what we do!”
I’ve had the honor of composing the scores for projects that highlight the stories of individuals who embody that feeling of Black excellence: from Aretha Franklin in “Respect” to Billie Holiday in “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” and most recently,...
Black excellence is a feeling. Any time we see someone Black at the pinnacle of their field, achieving greatness, it’s a form of applause. There’s great pride in calling it out, as if to say, “That’s what we do!”
I’ve had the honor of composing the scores for projects that highlight the stories of individuals who embody that feeling of Black excellence: from Aretha Franklin in “Respect” to Billie Holiday in “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” and most recently,...
- 2/24/2022
- by Kris Bowers
- Variety Film + TV
When the 2022 Oscar nominations were announced on February 8, “King Richard” star Aunjanue Ellis wasn’t among those watching the live stream. As a result, it would be hours before Ellis found out she had landed among the five nominees for Best Supporting Actress.
“I just didn’t want to disappoint anybody, you know, if I didn’t get nominated, so I just cut my phone off and cleaned my house all day,” Ellis, a first-time Oscar nominee, tells Gold Derby of her choice to enter a cone of silence on the day of nominations. Watch the exclusive video interview above.
SEEZach Baylin interview: ‘King Richard’ writer
But the act of self-care had some unintended consequences, which Ellis realized when she turned her phone back on that evening.
“My sister called me immediately because she had been trying to call me all day. So she was just like, ‘Where have you been,...
“I just didn’t want to disappoint anybody, you know, if I didn’t get nominated, so I just cut my phone off and cleaned my house all day,” Ellis, a first-time Oscar nominee, tells Gold Derby of her choice to enter a cone of silence on the day of nominations. Watch the exclusive video interview above.
SEEZach Baylin interview: ‘King Richard’ writer
But the act of self-care had some unintended consequences, which Ellis realized when she turned her phone back on that evening.
“My sister called me immediately because she had been trying to call me all day. So she was just like, ‘Where have you been,...
- 2/18/2022
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
For Serena Williams, King Richard is about more than just tennis. Indeed, the film, which the athlete executive produced with her fellow tennis star sister Venus Williams, is also about family. The movie—which scored six Oscar nominations including Best Picture—tells the story of Venus and Serena's upbringing with their father Richard Williams and their journey to becoming some of the biggest icons in sports history. Throughout the film, viewers see not just Venus and Serena (played by Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton) and their dad Richard (portrayed by Will Smith) on the screen, but also their mother Oracene Price (played...
- 2/16/2022
- E! Online
When “King Richard” star Aunjanue Ellis was approached to portray Oracene “Brandy” Williams (née Price) in a film about the early years of Venus and Serena Williams’ tennis career, the actor was primarily excited to celebrate the first family of tennis. Ellis describes the opportunity to play Price as “one of the greatest honors I’ve ever had as an actor,” but admits that there was so much about the Williams household — and about Price specifically — that she didn’t know.
“I only knew of her from being in the stands and having these dope shades on every time. We see her, but I didn’t know her,” Ellis explained during a panel conversation with Price, moderated by Variety.
But once she started doing her research for the film, Ellis learned the full truth about the Williams family matriarch, including how much coaching she did for the girls on the court,...
“I only knew of her from being in the stands and having these dope shades on every time. We see her, but I didn’t know her,” Ellis explained during a panel conversation with Price, moderated by Variety.
But once she started doing her research for the film, Ellis learned the full truth about the Williams family matriarch, including how much coaching she did for the girls on the court,...
- 2/15/2022
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Since “The Help” hit theaters in 2011, four actresses have won Oscars, including one for “The Help,” and that hot streak can continue this year. Jessica Chastain (“The Eyes of Tammy Faye”) and Aunjanue Ellis (“King Richard”) earned nominations Tuesday for their respective lead and supporting performances, so the grand total could be six by the end of Oscar night.
The four women who’ve won Oscars since “The Help’s” release are Octavia Spencer, Viola Davis, Emma Stone and Allison Janney. Spencer, Chastain and Davis were all nominated for “The Help,” with Spencer beating Chastain in supporting, while Davis lost to Meryl Streep (“The Iron Lady”) in lead. Five years later, Davis won Best Supporting Actress for “Fences” and Stone won Best Actress for “La La Land.” The very next year, Janney nabbed Best Supporting Actress honors for “I, Tonya,” and we were treated to this selfie.
#TheHelp ladies doing it!
The four women who’ve won Oscars since “The Help’s” release are Octavia Spencer, Viola Davis, Emma Stone and Allison Janney. Spencer, Chastain and Davis were all nominated for “The Help,” with Spencer beating Chastain in supporting, while Davis lost to Meryl Streep (“The Iron Lady”) in lead. Five years later, Davis won Best Supporting Actress for “Fences” and Stone won Best Actress for “La La Land.” The very next year, Janney nabbed Best Supporting Actress honors for “I, Tonya,” and we were treated to this selfie.
#TheHelp ladies doing it!
- 2/10/2022
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Serena Williams is reveling in the success of "King Richard." On Feb. 8, the film - which is based on Serena and Venus's childhoods - earned a whopping six Oscar nominations, including best picture, best original screenplay, and best film editing. Will Smith also earned a best actor nod for his portrayal of Serena and Venus's father and coach, Richard Williams, along with Aunjanue Ellis, who is nominated for best actress in a supporting role for her portrayal of Serena and Venus's mother, Oracene Price. Joining them is Beyoncé, who picked up her first-ever Oscar nod for best song for the film's titular track, "Be Alive."
"I woke up to this. Our film is really nominated for an Oscar!!!!!!! This is Crazy!!!!!!! From Compton to Wimbledon to Academy awards," Serena wrote on Instagram. "Everyone can dream. And your dream can come true. Ok I am definitely crying this morning. Congrats to the entire film and crew.
"I woke up to this. Our film is really nominated for an Oscar!!!!!!! This is Crazy!!!!!!! From Compton to Wimbledon to Academy awards," Serena wrote on Instagram. "Everyone can dream. And your dream can come true. Ok I am definitely crying this morning. Congrats to the entire film and crew.
- 2/9/2022
- by Monica Sisavat
- Popsugar.com
Will Smith scored his third and fourth Oscar nominations this morning as the star and producer of King Richard, doubling his Oscar nominations haul and becoming only the ninth producer-actor to nab both nominations for the same film. “It’s six nominations total,” Smith tells Deadline, “and this is rarefied air for me. I’ve been nominated two other times, but it’s never been this kind of blanket love, you know?”
In addition to his Best Actor nod, and the Best Picture nomination he shares with Tim White and Trevor White, the film has been recognized for Zach Baylin’s Original Screenplay, Dixson and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter’s Original Song and Pamela Martin’s Editing. Aunjanue Ellis, who plays Oracene Price opposite Smith’s Richard Williams, was recognized in Supporting Actress.
It means so much to him, Smith says, because there wasn’t a part of the process he didn’t relish.
In addition to his Best Actor nod, and the Best Picture nomination he shares with Tim White and Trevor White, the film has been recognized for Zach Baylin’s Original Screenplay, Dixson and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter’s Original Song and Pamela Martin’s Editing. Aunjanue Ellis, who plays Oracene Price opposite Smith’s Richard Williams, was recognized in Supporting Actress.
It means so much to him, Smith says, because there wasn’t a part of the process he didn’t relish.
- 2/8/2022
- by Joe Utichi
- Deadline Film + TV
“Diversity sells” is the clarion call of the industry, yet progress with the Academy Awards has been incremental, as seen in today’s nominations for the 94th Oscars. Social media movements like #OscarsSoWhite have compelled the Academy to react. And, to their credit, they have, implementing broad changes designed to increasingly diversify its membership. But no matter how diverse, voters can’t vote for films and performances that aren’t always there. That’s up to the studios.
Diversity contenders like “King Richard,” “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” and “West Side Story,” don’t need Academy Awards to validate them, but the Academy may need these films to draw viewers. Ratings for the Oscar telecast reached an all-time low in 2021, but it was a strange year. And in a year as wacky as the last one was, surprises shouldn’t surprise.
Let’s take a look at the major categories.
Best Picture
Last year “Nomadland,...
Diversity contenders like “King Richard,” “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” and “West Side Story,” don’t need Academy Awards to validate them, but the Academy may need these films to draw viewers. Ratings for the Oscar telecast reached an all-time low in 2021, but it was a strange year. And in a year as wacky as the last one was, surprises shouldn’t surprise.
Let’s take a look at the major categories.
Best Picture
Last year “Nomadland,...
- 2/8/2022
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
Aunjanue Ellis (“King Richard”) and Regina King (“The Harder They Fall”) sat down for a virtual chat for Variety’s Actors on Actors, presented by Amazon Studios. For more, click here.
Regina King and Aunjanue Ellis have shared the screen twice, in 2004’s “Ray” and 2018’s “If Beale Street Could Talk.” In both outings, the actors played adversaries — first as songstresses competing for Ray Charles’ affections and then as the mothers of the central lovers in “Beale Street” who don’t see eye to eye about their children’s relationship.
“I feel like we’ve been robbed,” King says. “We need to have something where it’s just me and you all the way through.” To which Ellis jokes: “What do you mean? Two women actually talking on screen?”
The laughs continue as the actors discuss their creative process crafting their latest characters — King’s “Treacherous” Trudy Smith in “The Harder They Fall...
Regina King and Aunjanue Ellis have shared the screen twice, in 2004’s “Ray” and 2018’s “If Beale Street Could Talk.” In both outings, the actors played adversaries — first as songstresses competing for Ray Charles’ affections and then as the mothers of the central lovers in “Beale Street” who don’t see eye to eye about their children’s relationship.
“I feel like we’ve been robbed,” King says. “We need to have something where it’s just me and you all the way through.” To which Ellis jokes: “What do you mean? Two women actually talking on screen?”
The laughs continue as the actors discuss their creative process crafting their latest characters — King’s “Treacherous” Trudy Smith in “The Harder They Fall...
- 1/29/2022
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
The audition process to find the young actresses who would portray Venus and Serena Williams in “King Richard” was so secretive, the young performers who went out for roles thought they were perhaps auditioning for a film about spelling bee prodigies. But for breakout star Saniyya Sidney, who landed the coveted role of Venus in the film, what drew her to the story was not its depiction of the world’s greatest tennis champions, but the core message about the Williams family.
“I knew of Venus and Serena because my family was a big sports family. But I didn’t know much about their family or their father or just how driven their father was for their girls,” Sidney tells Gold Derby. “That’s what made me fall in love with the story the most, the relationship between Richard and his girls.” Watch the exclusive video interview above.
Set in...
“I knew of Venus and Serena because my family was a big sports family. But I didn’t know much about their family or their father or just how driven their father was for their girls,” Sidney tells Gold Derby. “That’s what made me fall in love with the story the most, the relationship between Richard and his girls.” Watch the exclusive video interview above.
Set in...
- 12/23/2021
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
With three features and several shorts and episodes of television series under his belt, director Reinaldo Marcus Green’s filmmaking career has quickly accelerated since the premiere of his debut feature, Monsters and Men, at the 2018 edition of the Sundance Film Festival. After directing three episodes of the British Netflix series, Top Boy, and a second feature, Joe Bell (starring Mark Wahlberg), Green’s latest film is King Richard, the Compton-set true story of Richard Williams, his wife Oracene Price, and their five daughters, most notably future tennis icons Venus and Serena Williams. As parents who want the best for their […]
The post “Boyz N the Hood Meets Moneyball“: Reinaldo Marcus Green on King Richard first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “Boyz N the Hood Meets Moneyball“: Reinaldo Marcus Green on King Richard first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 12/21/2021
- by Erik Luers
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Just a few years ago, in 2015, Reinaldo Marcus Green was a grad student at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, angling for extra time with his professor — Spike Lee. Flash-forward six years: Marcus Green has directed one of the best-reviewed dramas of 2021 — “King Richard,” starring Will Smith as Richard Williams, the father of tennis champs Venus (Saniyya Sidney) and Serena (Demi Singleton). And Lee is more than happy to set aside some time to talk with his star pupil over Zoom.
“I want to have the kind of staying power that Spike has,” Green says to Lee, noting the “Do the Right Thing” director’s influence over his career. “You graduated in 1982. I was born in ’81. I got some years to catch up, Spike, but I’m working on it.” In a candid conversation demonstrating their ongoing mentor-mentee relationship, the two filmmakers discuss the importance of showcasing Black families (and saluting Black mothers) on-screen.
“I want to have the kind of staying power that Spike has,” Green says to Lee, noting the “Do the Right Thing” director’s influence over his career. “You graduated in 1982. I was born in ’81. I got some years to catch up, Spike, but I’m working on it.” In a candid conversation demonstrating their ongoing mentor-mentee relationship, the two filmmakers discuss the importance of showcasing Black families (and saluting Black mothers) on-screen.
- 12/17/2021
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
In King Richard, Aunjanue Ellis is Oracene Price, mother and oft-unsung hero in the success story of tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams. As a determined and driven father and coach, the titular character Richard Williams (played by Will Smith) has long been known in the public eye as the man behind the sporting family’s magic. But while King Richard documents the incredible efforts and support Williams gave his daughters, it also sheds new light on the powerful athleticism, care and skill provided by Price. Ellis explains her own drive to allow Oracene to shine and the experience of selecting roles that Black women can get behind.
Deadline: Tell me about first seeing the King Richard script?
Aunjanue Ellis: Well, I was sent the script in the fall of 2019, and I think they had other people that they had in mind for the role. But it was interesting,...
Deadline: Tell me about first seeing the King Richard script?
Aunjanue Ellis: Well, I was sent the script in the fall of 2019, and I think they had other people that they had in mind for the role. But it was interesting,...
- 12/6/2021
- by Antonia Blyth
- Deadline Film + TV
The Oscars could use some help — from the stars of “The Help.” Since the drama was released in 2011, four actresses have won Oscars, including one for “The Help” itself, and this year, six of them have eligible contenders: Jessica Chastain (“The Eyes of Tammy Faye”), Viola Davis (“The Unforgivable”), Aunjanue Ellis (“King Richard”), Octavia Spencer (“Encounter”), Mary Steenburgen (“Nightmare Alley”) and Emma Stone (“Cruella”). Will any of them continue “The Help’s” golden run?
The four women who’ve taken home Oscars since “The Help’s” release are Spencer, Davis, Stone and Allison Janney. Spencer, of course, kicked things off by winning Best Supporting Actress for “The Help,” defeating Chastain, while Davis lost Best Actress to Meryl Streep (“The Iron Lady”). Five years later, Davis won Best Supporting Actress for “Fences,” the same year Stone nabbed Best Actress for “La La Land.” The following year, Janney was crowned Best Supporting Actress for “I, Tonya.
The four women who’ve taken home Oscars since “The Help’s” release are Spencer, Davis, Stone and Allison Janney. Spencer, of course, kicked things off by winning Best Supporting Actress for “The Help,” defeating Chastain, while Davis lost Best Actress to Meryl Streep (“The Iron Lady”). Five years later, Davis won Best Supporting Actress for “Fences,” the same year Stone nabbed Best Actress for “La La Land.” The following year, Janney was crowned Best Supporting Actress for “I, Tonya.
- 11/29/2021
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
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“King Richard” is finally here. The critically acclaimed biopic starring Will Smith as Venus and Serena Williams’ father, Richard Williams, arrived in theaters and on HBO Max November 19.
Smith’s performance is already generating Oscar buzz, and for fans who want to experience the movie from the comfort of home, it will remain on the streaming platform for the next 31 days.
“King Richard” showcases Richard’s instrumental role in helping his daughters become two of the most phenomenally gifted athletes in the world. From his extraordinary determination and unflinching drive to his carefully drafted 78-page plan, “King Richard” brings the “nuances and intricacies” of Richard’s life story “and the Williams family in general to the screen,...
“King Richard” is finally here. The critically acclaimed biopic starring Will Smith as Venus and Serena Williams’ father, Richard Williams, arrived in theaters and on HBO Max November 19.
Smith’s performance is already generating Oscar buzz, and for fans who want to experience the movie from the comfort of home, it will remain on the streaming platform for the next 31 days.
“King Richard” showcases Richard’s instrumental role in helping his daughters become two of the most phenomenally gifted athletes in the world. From his extraordinary determination and unflinching drive to his carefully drafted 78-page plan, “King Richard” brings the “nuances and intricacies” of Richard’s life story “and the Williams family in general to the screen,...
- 11/19/2021
- by Latifah Muhammad
- Indiewire
Jon Bernthal has played a surfeit of tough guys in massive projects like acclaimed television series “The Walking Dead” and “The Punisher” and hit films such as “The Wolf of Wall Street” and “Baby Driver.” So he wasn’t necessarily the first actor Reinaldo Marcus Green had in mind to play buoyant tennis coach Rick Macci in “King Richard.”
“He rolled up to our meeting wearing a hoodie and his sweatpants high above his ripped waistline, his pit bull, Bam Bam, riding in the front seat of his car,” Green told Variety in a recent interview. “He looked nothing like Rick Macci.”
But Bernthal and Green connected on the material and it’s now hard to imagine anyone else playing the part of Macci, who was instrumental in helping Venus and Serena Williams become the greatest tennis stars in the world.
SEEKris Bowers interview: ‘King Richard’ composer
“For me, I’m an ex-athlete,...
“He rolled up to our meeting wearing a hoodie and his sweatpants high above his ripped waistline, his pit bull, Bam Bam, riding in the front seat of his car,” Green told Variety in a recent interview. “He looked nothing like Rick Macci.”
But Bernthal and Green connected on the material and it’s now hard to imagine anyone else playing the part of Macci, who was instrumental in helping Venus and Serena Williams become the greatest tennis stars in the world.
SEEKris Bowers interview: ‘King Richard’ composer
“For me, I’m an ex-athlete,...
- 11/19/2021
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
The Ghostbusters are back this weekend in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, opening in 4,300 theaters including IMAX and other large screens. It is the fourth film in Sony’s franchise and a direct sequel to the first two films, disregarding the 2016 reboot. Afterlife is a family affair, being written and directed by Jason Reitman, whose father Ivan Reitman directed Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II and is producing Afterlife. Even the story keeps it the family, focusing on the grandchildren of O.G. ghostbuster Egon Spengler, who was played in the original films by the late Harold Ramis. The cast is headlined by Paul Rudd, Finn Wolfhard ("Stranger Things"), Carrie Coon, and Mckenna Grace, but the real treat for fans is the return of the old gang as the film brings back Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver and Annie Potts.
The original Ghostbusters was the highest grossing film of 1984, and it was...
The original Ghostbusters was the highest grossing film of 1984, and it was...
- 11/18/2021
- by Sam Mendelsohn <mail@boxofficemojo.com>
- Box Office Mojo
Image Source: Red Table Talk / Alan Silfen
Serena and Venus Williams are so loved! The tennis legends appeared on a special Red Table Talk takeover episode on Nov. 17, hosted by Will Smith. The actor, who plays Serena and Venus's father, Richard Williams, in the upcoming movie King Richard, secretly arranged for their famous friends to make remote appearances for a Q&a, and it was so wholesome. "Some of your biggest fans heard you were coming here to the Red Table so they have some questions of their own. This one comes from a trailblazing champion sister, so let's hear it," Will said as Simone Biles appeared on the screen.
The Olympic gymnast went on to tell the sisters about the "huge impact" they've had on her career and other Black athletes and Black women. "I'm really grateful that I have them to look up to. I wish we were friends,...
Serena and Venus Williams are so loved! The tennis legends appeared on a special Red Table Talk takeover episode on Nov. 17, hosted by Will Smith. The actor, who plays Serena and Venus's father, Richard Williams, in the upcoming movie King Richard, secretly arranged for their famous friends to make remote appearances for a Q&a, and it was so wholesome. "Some of your biggest fans heard you were coming here to the Red Table so they have some questions of their own. This one comes from a trailblazing champion sister, so let's hear it," Will said as Simone Biles appeared on the screen.
The Olympic gymnast went on to tell the sisters about the "huge impact" they've had on her career and other Black athletes and Black women. "I'm really grateful that I have them to look up to. I wish we were friends,...
- 11/17/2021
- by Naledi Ushe
- Popsugar.com
“King Richard,” the true saga of how Richard Williams (Will Smith) turned his athletic daughters into tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams, started off as an idea from Tim White, who co-founded Star Thrower Entertainment with his filmmaker brother, Trevor. Once they decided to pursue the Williams family’s story, the Whites proceeded to do just about everything right. In Hollywood, this is rare.
Here are the ways the White brothers delivered an entertaining, authentic, and uplifting movie that Warner Bros. is pushing for the Best Picture Oscar.
1. A relatable narrative, tied to recognizable names.
Tim grew up in Annapolis, Maryland playing competitive tennis, from the junior nationals to the minor leagues. He knew the Richard Williams story, and when he was a teenager, saw him in the stadiums rooting for his kids. “I remember him holding up the signs and hearing people talking about him as this controversial guy,...
Here are the ways the White brothers delivered an entertaining, authentic, and uplifting movie that Warner Bros. is pushing for the Best Picture Oscar.
1. A relatable narrative, tied to recognizable names.
Tim grew up in Annapolis, Maryland playing competitive tennis, from the junior nationals to the minor leagues. He knew the Richard Williams story, and when he was a teenager, saw him in the stadiums rooting for his kids. “I remember him holding up the signs and hearing people talking about him as this controversial guy,...
- 11/16/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
“King Richard,” the true saga of how Richard Williams (Will Smith) turned his athletic daughters into tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams, started off as an idea from Tim White, who co-founded Star Thrower Entertainment with his filmmaker brother, Trevor. Once they decided to pursue the Williams family’s story, the Whites proceeded to do just about everything right. In Hollywood, this is rare.
Here are the ways the White brothers delivered an entertaining, authentic, and uplifting movie that Warner Bros. is pushing for the Best Picture Oscar.
1. A relatable narrative, tied to recognizable names.
Tim grew up in Annapolis, Maryland playing competitive tennis, from the junior nationals to the minor leagues. He knew the Richard Williams story, and when he was a teenager, saw him in the stadiums rooting for his kids. “I remember him holding up the signs and hearing people talking about him as this controversial guy,...
Here are the ways the White brothers delivered an entertaining, authentic, and uplifting movie that Warner Bros. is pushing for the Best Picture Oscar.
1. A relatable narrative, tied to recognizable names.
Tim grew up in Annapolis, Maryland playing competitive tennis, from the junior nationals to the minor leagues. He knew the Richard Williams story, and when he was a teenager, saw him in the stadiums rooting for his kids. “I remember him holding up the signs and hearing people talking about him as this controversial guy,...
- 11/16/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Chicago – It’s Closing Night of the 57th Chicago International Film Festival (Ciff), and the fest will wrap with “King Richard, the based-on-truth journey of Richard Williams (Will Smith), the father of Serena and Venus (click King Richard for details).
The 57th Chicago International Film Festival closes on the highest note, as it successfully navigated an in-theater/drive in and virtual/online film event. And click Closing for the complete line up of the films on October 24th, 2021. See you in 2022!
King Richard
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival
Event Of The Day: Best Of The Fest is a line-up of the Award Honorees of the 57th Ciff, repeated throughout the final day (click Best Of Fest for details).
Film Of The Day: “King Richard” – The Closing Night Film humbly follows the journey of Richard Williams, an undeterred father instrumental in raising two of the most extraordinarily gifted athletes of all time,...
The 57th Chicago International Film Festival closes on the highest note, as it successfully navigated an in-theater/drive in and virtual/online film event. And click Closing for the complete line up of the films on October 24th, 2021. See you in 2022!
King Richard
Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival
Event Of The Day: Best Of The Fest is a line-up of the Award Honorees of the 57th Ciff, repeated throughout the final day (click Best Of Fest for details).
Film Of The Day: “King Richard” – The Closing Night Film humbly follows the journey of Richard Williams, an undeterred father instrumental in raising two of the most extraordinarily gifted athletes of all time,...
- 10/24/2021
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Welcome to Oscar Experts Typing, a weekly column in which Gold Derby editors and Experts Joyce Eng and Christopher Rosen discuss the Oscar race — via Slack, of course. This week, we discuss if it’s advantage Smith in the Best Actor race.
Christopher Rosen: Hello, Joyce! It’s Friday, Timothee Chalamet fans are ready to have a great weekend with the long-awaited releases of both “Dune” and “The French Dispatch,” and we’re fresh off a major awards season moment: the debut of a new “King Richard” trailer complete with Beyonce’s Best Original Song contender “Be Alive.” What a time to… be alive? I’ve been in on “King Richard” since its Telluride Film Festival premiere and the new teaser does little to dim my enthusiasm. It’s selling the movie I saw — a rousing crowd-pleaser with a huge Will Smith performance just sitting there waiting to win Best Actor.
Christopher Rosen: Hello, Joyce! It’s Friday, Timothee Chalamet fans are ready to have a great weekend with the long-awaited releases of both “Dune” and “The French Dispatch,” and we’re fresh off a major awards season moment: the debut of a new “King Richard” trailer complete with Beyonce’s Best Original Song contender “Be Alive.” What a time to… be alive? I’ve been in on “King Richard” since its Telluride Film Festival premiere and the new teaser does little to dim my enthusiasm. It’s selling the movie I saw — a rousing crowd-pleaser with a huge Will Smith performance just sitting there waiting to win Best Actor.
- 10/22/2021
- by Joyce Eng and Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
Distance isn't keeping Meghan Markle from supporting bestie Serena Williams! On Saturday, the 38-year-old royal attended the Us Open in NYC to cheer on her pal at Arthur Ashe Stadium; Serena was bested by 19-year-old Bianca Andreescua, who made history as the first Canadian to win a Grand Slam title. At the event, Meghan glowed in a buttoned denim dress as she smiled in the stands and chatted with Vogue Editor in Chief Anna Wintour. She also spent time with Serena's mother, Oracene Price, and shared a hug with the tennis star's husband, Alexis Ohanian. We last saw Meghan join a tennis crowd in July when she and sister-in-law Kate Middleton hung out at Wimbledon.
Meghan's sporty outing comes just a couple of weeks before she takes off on an African tour with Prince Harry and their 4-month-old son, Archie. The trio will begin the trip on Sept. 23 in Cape Town before Harry visits Botswana,...
Meghan's sporty outing comes just a couple of weeks before she takes off on an African tour with Prince Harry and their 4-month-old son, Archie. The trio will begin the trip on Sept. 23 in Cape Town before Harry visits Botswana,...
- 9/9/2019
- by Brea Cubit
- Popsugar.com
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