TheNewsGuru

Tag: hollywood

  • Veteran American actor James Caan, passes away

    Veteran American actor James Caan, passes away

    Veteran Hollywood actor  and one of America’s greatest of his generation, James Caan has given up the ghost due to an unspecified reason at the age of 82.

    His family confirmed his death in a statement on his verified Twitter account.

    The twitter post reads in  part, “It’s with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Jimmy on the evening of July 6.

    “The family appreciates the outpouring of love and heartfelt condolences and asks that you continue to respect their privacy during this difficult time.”

    Some of his colleagues took to Twitter to mourn the actor.

    Adam Sandler, who worked with him in “Bulletproof” and “That’s My Boy”, on his Twitter page, wrote, “Loved him very much. Always wanted to be like him. So happy I got to know him.

    “Never ever stopped laughing when I was around that man. His movies were the best of the best.”

    The American actor was Oscar-nominated in 1973 for his performance as Sonny Corleon of ‘The Godfather’.

    James Edmund Caan was an American actor who was nominated for several awards, including four Golden Globes, an Emmy, and an Oscar. Caan was awarded a motion pictures star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1978.

    He has 92 credits in films as an actor and 18 in television. But no doubt, his most iconic role was Sonny Corleone in ‘The Godfather‘ series directed by Francis Ford Coppolla.

  • Disney, Warner Bros., Sony pausing film releases in Russia over Ukraine invasion

    Disney, Warner Bros., Sony pausing film releases in Russia over Ukraine invasion

    Hollywood studios, Disney, Warner Bros., and Sony Pictures Entertainment said they would pause theatrical releases of upcoming films in Russia.

    This they said was in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the unfolding humanitarian crisis.

    The Walt Disney Company said it was pausing the release of theatrical films in Russia, starting with the upcoming Pixar Animation Studios release, “Turning Red.”

    Within hours, WarnerMedia said it would pause this week’s release of “The Batman” in Russia.

    “We will make future business decisions based on the evolving situation,” Disney said in a statement.

    “In the meantime, given the scale of the emerging refugee crisis, we are working with our NGO partners to provide urgent aid and other humanitarian assistance.”

    Given the ongoing military action in Ukraine, “we will be pausing our planned theatrical releases in Russia, including the upcoming release of Morbius”, a Sony Pictures Entertainment spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

    Over the weekend, the Ukrainian Film Academy created an online petition that called for an international boycott of Russian cinema and the Russian film industry following the invasion.

    Russia remained a significant market for Hollywood, accounting for $601 million dollars in box office in 2021, or about 2.8 per cent of worldwide ticket sales, which totaled $21.4 billion dollars in 2021 according to Comscore.

    Several major films were slated for global release, “The Batman,” scheduled to open in Russia on March 3 as part of a worldwide roll-out, and Paramount Pictures’ “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” which made its global debut on April 8.

    WarnerMedia said it would continue to monitor the situation as it awaited “a swift and peaceful resolution to this tragedy.”

    One Hollywood trade publication reported studio executives were wrestling with the Russia question, as the U.S. and its European allies enacted economic sanctions.

    “If the U.S. and its allies want to cut off Russia from the rest of the world, then how will we go ahead and release our movies there?” one studio executive told The Hollywood Reporter.

  • Jimmy Odukoya to make Hollywood debut in ‘The Woman King’

    Jimmy Odukoya to make Hollywood debut in ‘The Woman King’

    Actor, Jimmy Odukoya will be making his Hollywood debut in the upcoming historical Hollywood film ‘The woman king’.

    He will be starring in the movie alongside Angelique Kidjo, the Grammy-winning South African singer.

    The movie also enlisted Thando Dlomo, a South African producer, and Jordan Bolger, a British actor.

    ‘The Woman King’ is billed to premiere on September 16, 2022.

    Starred in the movie are Viola Davis, US actress-producer, and South Africa’s Thuso Mbedu.

    Also involved are Lashana Lynch, Adrienne Warren, and John Boyega while Gina Prince-Bythewood is to direct the film.

    According to Deadline, the film is one of Sony Pictures’ four expected movies by African-American filmmakers, including ‘A Journal For Jordan’, the ‘George Foreman’ biopic, and ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’.

    ‘The Woman King’ is based on an original screenplay by Dana Stevens, who is said to be working on a new draft alongside the director.

    The film is produced by Cathy Schulman via her Welle Entertainment alongside Davis and Julius Tennon of JuVee Productions and Maria Bello of Jack Blue Productions.

    For Odukoya, the project would be a follow-up to his roles in several hit movies including ‘Mamba’s Diamond’, ‘The Bling Lagosians’, ‘Celebrity Marriage’, ‘The Wait’ and many others.

    Taking to Instagram to further announce that he was cast for the project, Odukoya wrote: “The timing of this is crazy to me but God has a way of continuing to shine a light during difficult times.

    “Truly humbled and honoured to star alongside the iconic Viola Davis and all the amazing cast.”

     

  • Legendary Hollywood actress, Cicely Tyson is dead

    Legendary Hollywood actress, Cicely Tyson is dead

    Cicely Tyson, an award-winning icon of the stage and screen who broke barriers for Black actresses with surpassing dignity, died Thursday, her longtime manager Larry Thompson confirmed to CNN.

    She was 96. A family statement did not reveal the cause of death.
    The actress chronicled her lengthy career in her first memoir, “Just As I Am,” which was just released Tuesday.
    Tyson embodied African American women who demanded attention — and more than that, respect. She played former slaves, civil rights icons, sharecroppers, truthtellers, mothers and other complicated women — bringing a sense of depth, nobility and grace to every character.
    Her filmography includes some of the most celebrated movies and television shows featuring Black women in major roles: “Sounder” (1972), “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman” (1974), “Roots” (1977), “The Marva Collins Story” (1981), “The Women of Brewster Place” (1989), and “The Help” (2011).
    Yet she said her most important accomplishment happened in 2016 when President Barack Obama awarded her the Medal of Freedom.
    “In her long and extraordinary career, Cicely Tyson has not only exceeded as an actor, she has shaped the course of history,” Obama said that day.
    Tyson described that moment as “the most important thing that could happen to me.”
    “I am one of three children, grew up in the area that is now known as El Barrio and that was the East Side (of New York),” she told TV host Steve Harvey. “To come from there to the White House with the first black President … to put that medal around my neck: Where can you go from there?”
    Tyson continued to act well into her 90s, telling Time magazine that she had no plans to retire.
    “We have to honor this blessed gift that we have. That’s what keeps you going. Keeps your mind fluid — your heart, your whole being,” Tyson, then 94, said. “You can’t just stop, because that will be the end of you.”
    Tyson was born December 19, 1924, in New York to William and Theodosia Tyson. Early on, she gravitated toward performing, playing piano and reciting in her family’s church when she was a child. She later attended New York University.
  • Hollywood mogul found guilty of sex crimes

    Hollywood mogul found guilty of sex crimes

    Jurors in Harvey Weinstein’s trial on Monday found the disgraced Hollywood mogul guilty of a criminal sexual act and rape in the third degree, though not of the most serious charges of predatory sexual assault.

    Weinstein was convicted of a criminal sexual act for forcing oral sex on former production assistant Mimi Haleyi in 2006 and of the third-degree rape of aspiring actress Jessica Mann in 2013.

    He was found not guilty of predatory sexual assault, which could have landed him in prison for life.

    The jury’s decision will be closely scrutinised as a watershed moment for the #MeToo movement, a global reckoning about sexual harassment and assault that was triggered by revelations of numerous allegations against Weinstein in U.S media in 2017.

  • Three Nigerian movies selected for Hollywood showcase

    Three Nigerian movies selected for Hollywood showcase

    Merry Men 2, Living in Bodage: Breaking Free and The Ghost and The House of Truthhave been selected as the three best Nollywood films to be showcased in Hollywood, California at the Third edition of Nollywood In Hollywood.

    The event, which holds on March 27 and 28, would start with an opening night premiere at the historic Egyptian Theater in Hollywood. The prestigious theatre which has been instrumental in introducing Nollywood films to the Hollywood industry in the first two editions of the event ,hosts an annual showcase of the best five foreign films in the world. It was chosen to show the special black and white version of PARASITE in the run-up to its historical feat at the Academy Awards.

    “We’re delighted to continue this event, which is fast becoming a staple of the Hollywood calendar. Thanks to our airline partner, KLM/Air France for making this possible. Their belief in Nigeria and Nollywood has seen them fly the selected filmmakers and actors to Hollywood where they have been exposed to the industry. We believe Nollywood In Hollywood is making a huge difference in Nollywood and positively impacts how the world perceives the Nigerian nation,” says Maceo Willis, director of operations for Nollywood in Hollywood.

    The event continues on Saturday, March 28, at the famous Norris Theatre on the campus of the University of Southern California. The theatre has hosted films by the most notable filmmakers in global history, many of them alumni, from Steven Spielberg to Ryan Coogler.

    “In only its third edition, Nollywood In Hollywood is arguably Nigeria’s biggest cultural showcase outside Africa. It has been covered by the world’s leading media institutions and, for one night, shuts down the historic Hollywood boulevard with a display of Nigerian culture and talents.

    The annual showcase is the initiative of two of Hollywood’s powerhouses to introduce and promote Nigerian talent, films and culture to Hollywood, the global center of entertainment. The event is presented by the American Cinematheque, operators of the historic Egyptian Theatre and the world’s premier film institution, the school of cinematic arts at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles and O2A Media, Inc, a media company based in Los Angeles.

    t’s a great honour to be selected and looking forward to sharing our beautiful film

    with Hollywood,” says Akin Omotosho, the director of The Ghost and House of Truth

    whose films have played and won awards at major film festivals all over the world.

  • See Top 10 Nigerians making it BIG in Hollywood

    See Top 10 Nigerians making it BIG in Hollywood

    America’s entertainment industry, Hollywood, has many black celebrities of African descent, specifically Nigerians.

    Here is a list of Nigerians who were either born in Nigeria and grew up overseas, or were born and raised outside the country, or they have one or both parents as Nigerians.

    Cynthia Erivo

    Cynthia Erivo

    A British-Nigerian actress, singer and song writer, who played the lead role in the biopic Harriet and was nominated for several awards. Her full name is : Cynthia Onyedinmanasu Chinasaokwu Erivo. She was born in Stockwell England on 8 January, 1987.

    She attended La Retraite Roman Catholic Girls’ School. Erivo began a music psychology degree at the University of East London; however, a year into her degree, she was admitted into the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where her multi-talents blossomed.

    She is known for her performance as Celie in the Broadway revival of The Color Purple, for which she won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical, the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, and the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program, the latter two she shared with the rest of the cast.

    Erivo ventured into films in 2018, with roles in the heist film Widows and the thriller Bad Times at the El Royale. In 2019, she portrayed abolitionist Harriet Tubman in the biopic Harriet, for which she earned a nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

    David Oyelowo

    David Oyelowo: Born April 1, 1976 to Nigerian parents in England, David Oyetokunbo Oyelowo OBE is an English actor and producer. His father is from Oyo State, Western Nigeria while his mother is from Edo State.

    He grew up in Tooting south London, until he was six, when his family moved to Lagos. The family moved back when he was 14. He had a three year training at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), finishing his three-year training in 1998

    His highest-profile role to date was as Martin Luther King Jr. in the 2014 biographical drama film Selma. He also took the lead role in A United Kingdom as well as playing the role of a chess coach in Queen of Katwe.

    He has played supporting roles in the films Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), Lincoln (2012), Jack Reacher (2012), and garnered praise for portraying Louis Gaines in The Butler (2013).

    He is slated to star with Lupita Nyong’o in a film adaptation of the Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie novel Americanah. The story follows a pair of young Nigerian immigrants who face a lifetime of struggle while their relationship endures.

    John Boyega

    John BoyegaJohn Adedayo B. Adegboyega, was born on 17 March 1992 in Peckham England, to Nigerian parents. He is known professionally as John Boyega. He has played Finn in the Star Wars sequel trilogy films, The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi (2017), and The Rise of Skywalker.

    Boyega’s other credits include historical drama film Detroit (2017), the science fiction film Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018), four episodes of the television series 24: Live Another Day and the drama Imperial Dreams (2014). Boyega received the BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2016.

     

    Yvonne Orji

    Yvonne Orji Yvonne Orji is a Nigerian American actress. She is known for her role in the HBO series Insecure. She was born to her Nigerian parents in Port Harcourt, Nigeria but was raised in Maryland, USA. Yvonne has starred in several films like Insecure, Jane The Virgin, Flip the script, etc.

    Uzo Aduba

    Uzoamaka Nwanneka “Uzo” Aduba is an American actress. She was born on February 10, 1981, to Nigerian parents in Boston, USA. Uzo is known for her role as Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren on the Netflix original series Orange Is the New Black, for which she won an Emmy Award.

    Chiwetel Ejiofor

    Chiwetel Umeadi Ejiofor is a British-Nigerian actor. He was born and raised in the United Kingdom by his Nigerian parents. He is a descendant of the Igbo tribe in Nigeria. After enrolling at the National Youth Theatre in 1995 and attending the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, at age 19 and three months into his course, Ejiofor was cast by Steven Spielberg to play a supporting role in the film Amistad as James Covey. Ejiofor has starred in numerous movies such as 12 years a slave, The Lion King, Half of a Yellow Sun, Deadly travel and so on.

    Carmen Ejogo

    Carmen Elizabeth Ejogo is a British television and film actress and singer. She was born on October 22, 1973, to a Scottish mother, Elizabeth (née Douglas), and a Nigerian father, Charles Ejogo. She began her career as a teenager hosting the Saturday Disneymorning show from 1993 to 1995. Her film credits include Love’s Labour’s Lost (2000), What’s the Worst That Could Happen? (2001), Away We Go (2009).

    Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje

    Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje is a British actor, director, and former fashion model. He was born by Nigerian parents in Washington D.C. When he was six weeks old, his biological parents gave him up to a white working-class family in Tilbury, Essex. This was a common practice in this era among Nigerian families when parents sent young children to live in the UK with white foster parents in the hopes their children would have better lives. Adewale has featured in blockbuster movies like The Bourne Identity, Pompeii, The Mummy returns, etc. He is fluent in Yoruba, Italian, Swahili, and Engish.

    Hakeem Kae-Kazim

    Hakeem Kae-Kazim is a British-Nigerian actor best known for his work in the Starz television series Black Sails and his portrayal of Georges Rutaganda in the 2004 drama film Hotel Rwanda. He was born in Lagos, Nigeria but originally from Ogun State. He has also featured in Nigerian movies like Last flight to Abuja, Black November. Currently, he is one of the brand ambassadors of Etisalat.

    Adetomiwa Edun

    Babatunde Adetomiwa Stafford “Tomiwa” Edun, is a Nigerian-born British actor. He is best known for his roles as Sir Elyan in the television show Merlin, Marcus Young in Bates Motel and Alex Hunter in the football video games FIFA 17, FIFA 18 and FIFA 19.

    Gbenga Akinnagbe

    Gbenga Akinnagbe:Akinnage was born in Washington, D.C.to Yoruba parents in 1978. He attended Colonel Zadok A. Magruder High School in Rockville, Maryland. He attended Bucknell University on a wrestling scholarship, and graduated in 2000 with a degree in Political Science and English.

    As an American actor and writer, he best known for his roles as Chris Partlow on the HBO series The Wire and as Larry Brown on the HBO series The Deuce.

    *This story was heavily revised and is different from the original version. We owe a lot of gratitude to Wikipedia for background info on the actors/actresses

  • 3 Nollywood films selected for Hollywood exhibition

    Three Nigerian films, Lionheart, King of Boys and Up North, are selected for showcase at the 2019 edition of ‘Nollywood in Hollywood’ slated to hold on March 22 and 23 in Hollywood California, USA.

    The event is organized by O2A Media, Inc. in partnership with the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California and The American Cinemateque, operators of the historic Egyptian Theater.

    According to the organisers, the two-day event will begin with a red carpet and a screening at the prestigious American Cinematheque’s Egyptian Theatre and at the World’s Premiere Film Education Institution of USC.

    As a testament to the growing feat of Nigerian women in the film industry, women directed the selected films, all produced in 2018.

    The event’s director of operations, Maceo Willis, reportedly said:“That’s simply amazing, in Hollywood, we struggle with diversity and inclusion.

    “These powerful female voices from Nigeria are showing Hollywood how it’s done.

    “We believe these remarkable films will be great representatives of Nollywood.”

    ‘Lionheart’,a directorial debut of Nollywood’s top actress, Genevieve Nnaji,is a Nigerian drama film produced by Chinny Onwugbenu, starring Pete Edochie, Genevieve Nnaji, Nkem Owoh and other Nollywood icons.

    It premiered at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival in Ontario, Canada, and was acquired and released worldwide by Netflix on January 4, making it the first Netflix original film produced in Nigeria.

    Lionheart is a story of Adaeze, a young lady who steps up to the challenge when her father, Ernest Obiagu, is forced to take a step back from his company due to health issues.

    ‘King of Boys’, directed by Kemi Adetiba, follows the story of Alhaja Eniola Salami, a businesswoman and philanthropist with a checkered past and a promising political future.

    As her political ambitions see her outgrowing the underworld connections responsible for her considerable wealth, she was drawn into a power struggle that threatens everything she holds dear.

    ‘Up North’ is written by Naz Onuzo and Bunmi Ajakaiye,directed by Tope Oshin Ogun and produced by Anakle Films and Inkblot productions.

    Shot in Lagos and Bauchi, the film follows the tale of a young rebellious heir whose National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) year does not go according to plan, as he is sent Up North to Bauchi State.

    The film explores love, friendship, family politics and the tourism value of Northern Nigeria.

    NAN reports that ‘Nollywood in Hollywood,’ now in its second edition, is an initiative of Ose Oyamendan, Nigerian-American filmmaker, to showcase some of Nigeria’s best films on global stage.

    The event is designed to introduce Nigerian cinema to Hollywood, bridge the gap between the two film industries and create a platform for collaborations and trainings.

    The inaugural edition which held in 2018, featured the screenings of acclaimed Nollywood films ‘Isoken’, ‘93 Days’ and ‘The Bridge.’

  • AY, Omoni Oboli make Hollywood debut

    Nigeria’s Ayobami ‘AY’ Makun and Omoni Oboli will make their debut in a Hollywood animation film, “Elliott: The Littlest Reindeer”.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that though the characters AY and Oboli would voiced in the film scheduled to premiere on Dec. 14, remain unknown.

    The Christmas-themed film also features Hunger Games star, Josh Hutcherson, Dead pool actress, Morena Baccarin, Jeff Dunham, Martin Short and John Cleese.

    The animation follows Blitzen- one of Santa’s sleigh pulling reindeers- announcing his retirement on December 21, giving a miniature horse three days to fulfil his lifelong dream.

    The horse has to earn a spot on Santa’s sleigh during the North Pole try-outs in time for Christmas Eve; Elliott and his friend Hazel set out to prove that no dream is too big if you believe in yourself.

    NAN reports that AY, who is also a veteran comedian, earned a Guinness World Record recognition for his 2018 film, ‘30 Days in Atlanta’ as the highest grossing film in the territories of Hollywood and Bollywood.

    Similarly, Omoni is a seasoned actress and filmmaker, uses films such as ‘Wives on Strike’ and its sequel to address societal issues.

  • Hollywood star Morgan Freeman accused of sexual harassment by eight women

    American veteran actor, Morgan Freeman has been accused of sexual harassment. 16 people in total, including eight who said they were harassed by the 80-year-old, came forward to discuss Freeman’s behavior.

    According to CNN, a young woman who worked as a production assistant on the set of Going In Style claims that the Oscar-winning actor made unwanted advances, tucked her inappropriately and made comments about her figure on a regular basis.

    “[Freeman] kept trying to lift up my skirt and asking if I was wearing underwear,” she detailed. She also said that he tried to “touch” and “lift” her skirt, and that co-star Alan Arkin made a comment telling him to stop, which “freaked him out.”

    “Freeman’s alleged inappropriate behavior was not limited to that one movie set, according to other sources who spoke to CNN.”

    The site continues, “A woman who was a senior member of the production staff of the movie Now You See Me in 2012 told CNN that Freeman sexually harassed her and her female assistant on numerous occasions by making comments about their bodies.”

    The woman said that other women on the set knew to dress more modestly if Freeman came around.

    “Several other times during this investigation, when a CNN reporter contacted a person who had worked with Freeman to try to ask them if they had seen or been subjected to inappropriate behavior by an actor they had worked with — not initially even naming the actor they were asking about — the person would immediately tell them they knew exactly who the reporter had in mind: Morgan Freeman.”

    Freeman’s representatives have not responded to the allegations.