The all-star cast for Netflix’s adaptation of August Wilson’s “The Piano Lesson” has been revealed.
Oscar winner Samuel L. Jackson and John David Washington will star in the feature film, reprising their roles from the highly successful Broadway revival of Wilson’s play, which recently concluded its run at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.
Set in 1936 Pittsburgh during the aftermath of the Great Depression, “The Piano Lesson” follows the lives of the Charles family, a household led by Doaker Charles (Jackson), and an heirloom, the family piano, which is decorated with designs carved by an enslaved ancestor. Washington plays Boy Willie, Doaker’s nephew, a role Jackson originated in the 1987 production.
The Netflix adaptation, announced in 2021, is directed by Malcolm Washington from a screenplay he adapted with Virgil Williams. The film also stars Ray Fisher, Danielle Deadwyler, Michael Potts and Corey Hawkins.
Fisher and Potts appeared alongside Jackson and Washington in the stage production,...
Oscar winner Samuel L. Jackson and John David Washington will star in the feature film, reprising their roles from the highly successful Broadway revival of Wilson’s play, which recently concluded its run at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.
Set in 1936 Pittsburgh during the aftermath of the Great Depression, “The Piano Lesson” follows the lives of the Charles family, a household led by Doaker Charles (Jackson), and an heirloom, the family piano, which is decorated with designs carved by an enslaved ancestor. Washington plays Boy Willie, Doaker’s nephew, a role Jackson originated in the 1987 production.
The Netflix adaptation, announced in 2021, is directed by Malcolm Washington from a screenplay he adapted with Virgil Williams. The film also stars Ray Fisher, Danielle Deadwyler, Michael Potts and Corey Hawkins.
Fisher and Potts appeared alongside Jackson and Washington in the stage production,...
- 4/13/2023
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
“The thing about making a documentary is you’ve gotta be lucky, and anybody who doesn’t tell you that is not telling you the whole truth,” says James D. Stern, the co-director, with Fernando Villena, of the Netflix documentary feature Giving Voice.
The “luckiest” aspects of this film, which intersperses footage of six young contestants in an August Wilson monologue competition with interviews about the late playwright, is that the filmmakers wound up picking six remarkable kids to follow, and also secured the participation of his most celebrated collaborators, Denzel Washington and Viola Davis. (Davis and John Legend are EPs of the film,...
The “luckiest” aspects of this film, which intersperses footage of six young contestants in an August Wilson monologue competition with interviews about the late playwright, is that the filmmakers wound up picking six remarkable kids to follow, and also secured the participation of his most celebrated collaborators, Denzel Washington and Viola Davis. (Davis and John Legend are EPs of the film,...
“The thing about making a documentary is you’ve gotta be lucky, and anybody who doesn’t tell you that is not telling you the whole truth,” says James D. Stern, the co-director, with Fernando Villena, of the Netflix documentary feature Giving Voice.
The “luckiest” aspects of this film, which intersperses footage of six young contestants in an August Wilson monologue competition with interviews about the late playwright, is that the filmmakers wound up picking six remarkable kids to follow, and also secured the participation of his most celebrated collaborators, Denzel Washington and Viola Davis. (Davis and John Legend are EPs of the film,...
The “luckiest” aspects of this film, which intersperses footage of six young contestants in an August Wilson monologue competition with interviews about the late playwright, is that the filmmakers wound up picking six remarkable kids to follow, and also secured the participation of his most celebrated collaborators, Denzel Washington and Viola Davis. (Davis and John Legend are EPs of the film,...
The Independent Spirit Award nominations were announced on January 26 and included a windfall for the cast of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” — not just leads Viola Davis and the late Chadwick Boseman, but also supporting actors Colman Domingo and Glynn Turman. Is this a sign that we’re underestimating the film’s supporting cast at the Oscars?
SEE13 best Viola Davis movies ranked, including ‘Fences,’ ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,’ ‘The Help’ and more [Photos]
Davis and Boseman have gotten the most attention from early awards voters thus far, with Davis winning Best Actress from Philadelphia critics and earning nominations and runner-up citations from many other groups including the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the National Society of Film Critics. Boseman has done even better, winning Lafca as well as prizes from Chicago, Denver and San Francisco journalists and noms from numerous others.
They have the showiest roles in “Ma Rainey,” but...
SEE13 best Viola Davis movies ranked, including ‘Fences,’ ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,’ ‘The Help’ and more [Photos]
Davis and Boseman have gotten the most attention from early awards voters thus far, with Davis winning Best Actress from Philadelphia critics and earning nominations and runner-up citations from many other groups including the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the National Society of Film Critics. Boseman has done even better, winning Lafca as well as prizes from Chicago, Denver and San Francisco journalists and noms from numerous others.
They have the showiest roles in “Ma Rainey,” but...
- 2/5/2021
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
The Golden Globe nominations weren’t bad in terms of spreading the wealth to actors and filmmakers who aren’t just white men, but their Best Picture races were mostly a whitewash. It was a different story when the Screen Actors Guild announced their nominees on February 4. Check out the complete list of nominees here.
As is often the case, they were more inclusive than a lot of other awards groups in terms of recognizing Bipoc actors (their recent winners include “Hidden Figures” and “Black Panther”). But while the Golden Globes had predominantly white Best Picture nominees, the SAG Awards have overwhelmingly male nominees counted among the best film ensemble casts of the year.
SEETop 6 SAG Awards film nomination surprises include Amy Adams, ‘Minari,’ Jared Leto (again!) …
“Da 5 Bloods” is a nominated drama about a group of Black Vietnam vets trying to recover their lost squad commander and a treasure they left behind.
As is often the case, they were more inclusive than a lot of other awards groups in terms of recognizing Bipoc actors (their recent winners include “Hidden Figures” and “Black Panther”). But while the Golden Globes had predominantly white Best Picture nominees, the SAG Awards have overwhelmingly male nominees counted among the best film ensemble casts of the year.
SEETop 6 SAG Awards film nomination surprises include Amy Adams, ‘Minari,’ Jared Leto (again!) …
“Da 5 Bloods” is a nominated drama about a group of Black Vietnam vets trying to recover their lost squad commander and a treasure they left behind.
- 2/5/2021
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
While “The Irishman” and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” scored key Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations last year, the one that mattered was the first-ever inclusion of Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite,” a foreign-language film, in the Cast in a Motion Picture category. That meant the movie was mainstream enough to not only win the SAG Award (which it did) but also to win the Best Picture Oscar. Unlike critics’ group prizes (including the Golden Globes), the SAG Awards nominations actually are predictive of where the dominant Academy actors branch will go.
Last year, all four SAG film actor winners went on to win at the Oscars: Renee Zellweger (“Judy”), Brad Pitt (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”), Joaquin Phoenix (“Joker”), and Laura Dern (“Marriage Story”).
Netflix landed, as expected, three strong ensembles in the Cast category, which will move on easily to the Best Picture race: Spike Lee’s “Da 5 Bloods,...
Last year, all four SAG film actor winners went on to win at the Oscars: Renee Zellweger (“Judy”), Brad Pitt (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”), Joaquin Phoenix (“Joker”), and Laura Dern (“Marriage Story”).
Netflix landed, as expected, three strong ensembles in the Cast category, which will move on easily to the Best Picture race: Spike Lee’s “Da 5 Bloods,...
- 2/4/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
The Screen Actors Guild Awards spread the wealth when the organization announced nominations Thursday for its 27th edition, failing to signal there were any clear frontrunners in either the film or television races.
“Minari,” the story of an immigrant family trying to build a life in the rural South, “Da 5 Bloods, a Vietnam epic, “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” a courtroom drama, and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” an adaptation of an August Wilson play, all scored a leading three nominations. The recognition felt like karmic justice for “Minari” and “Da 5 Bloods” after the films were largely shut out of Wednesday’s Golden Globe nominations. It could also breathe fresh life into their Oscar prospects after their awards prospects were looking shaky just 24 hours ago.
In a bittersweet moment, Chadwick Boseman made history, becoming the first person to score four SAG nominations for his lead performance in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,...
“Minari,” the story of an immigrant family trying to build a life in the rural South, “Da 5 Bloods, a Vietnam epic, “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” a courtroom drama, and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” an adaptation of an August Wilson play, all scored a leading three nominations. The recognition felt like karmic justice for “Minari” and “Da 5 Bloods” after the films were largely shut out of Wednesday’s Golden Globe nominations. It could also breathe fresh life into their Oscar prospects after their awards prospects were looking shaky just 24 hours ago.
In a bittersweet moment, Chadwick Boseman made history, becoming the first person to score four SAG nominations for his lead performance in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,...
- 2/4/2021
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
This season’s contenders for the Oscar for best sound — renamed this year to combine sound editing and sound mixing into a single category — include a pair of dramas, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and The United States vs. Billie Holiday, that rely heavily on music but faced their own unique challenges to maintaining the authenticity of the narratives.
Based on August Wilson’s play, Netflix’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom follows blues singer Rainey (Viola Davis) during a recording session in Chicago during 1927; it also stars Chadwick Boseman, in his final screen performance, as her band’s trumpeter....
Based on August Wilson’s play, Netflix’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom follows blues singer Rainey (Viola Davis) during a recording session in Chicago during 1927; it also stars Chadwick Boseman, in his final screen performance, as her band’s trumpeter....
This season’s contenders for the Oscar for best sound — renamed this year to combine sound editing and sound mixing into a single category — include a pair of dramas, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and The United States vs. Billie Holiday, that rely heavily on music but faced their own unique challenges to maintaining the authenticity of the narratives.
Based on August Wilson’s play, Netflix’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom follows blues singer Rainey (Viola Davis) during a recording session in Chicago during 1927; it also stars Chadwick Boseman, in his final screen performance, as her band’s trumpeter....
Based on August Wilson’s play, Netflix’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom follows blues singer Rainey (Viola Davis) during a recording session in Chicago during 1927; it also stars Chadwick Boseman, in his final screen performance, as her band’s trumpeter....
The Black period pieces in this year’s awards race, from “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” to “Da 5 Bloods” and “One Night In Miami,” were made on sets and in editing rooms miles apart from each other.
But Leslie Odom Jr. hopes that as the world sees these films side-by-side, they will discover that they are parts of a larger statement about where America and the world is in the fight for equality.
“Films about the past are always about our present, and I think these films we’re seeing today, when put in the time capsule, will speak to what we are facing in 2020,” Odom told TheWrap. “We have to ask these questions about what we can use from the past. Sam wrote a song called ‘Change Is Gonna Come,’ and the question we had to ask when making this film was ‘Has that change come? And if so,...
But Leslie Odom Jr. hopes that as the world sees these films side-by-side, they will discover that they are parts of a larger statement about where America and the world is in the fight for equality.
“Films about the past are always about our present, and I think these films we’re seeing today, when put in the time capsule, will speak to what we are facing in 2020,” Odom told TheWrap. “We have to ask these questions about what we can use from the past. Sam wrote a song called ‘Change Is Gonna Come,’ and the question we had to ask when making this film was ‘Has that change come? And if so,...
- 2/3/2021
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
The Golden Globe nominations were announced on Wednesday, February 3, and in an uncertain year marred by the Covid-19 pandemic, they gave us an indication of the trajectory of the overall awards race that will culminate with the Oscars in April. So which films are trending up, which films lost ground, and which are in about the same position as before? Let’s break it all down.
SEE2021 Golden Globes nominations list: Nominees for 78th annual ceremony
Up
“The Father” — This acting showcase about a man with dementia got the expected nominations for Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman. Its writing nomination for Florian Zeller and Christopher Hampton wasn’t surprising either. But it also managed to sneak into the top category, Best Film Drama, overtaking contenders like “One Night in Miami” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” That was a big get and could be a sign of its strength going forward.
SEE2021 Golden Globes nominations list: Nominees for 78th annual ceremony
Up
“The Father” — This acting showcase about a man with dementia got the expected nominations for Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman. Its writing nomination for Florian Zeller and Christopher Hampton wasn’t surprising either. But it also managed to sneak into the top category, Best Film Drama, overtaking contenders like “One Night in Miami” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” That was a big get and could be a sign of its strength going forward.
- 2/3/2021
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Six months after the unexpected death of Chadwick Boseman, the “Black Panther” actor has won multiple critics awards, a Golden Globe nomination and emerged as a shoo-in for an Oscar nomination for his great final performance as a sly, cocky trumpeter in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Audiences have been able to watch the film, co-starring Viola Davis in a ferocious performance as the title character, now available to stream on Netflix.
But the role was especially memorable for the first pair of eyes that actually viewed it.
Cinematographer Tobias Schliessler was on the Pittsburgh set during director George C. Wolfe’s 30-day shoot in the summer of 2019. In an interview with TheWrap, Schliessler talked about his experience capturing Boseman’s performance on camera for the August Wilson adaptation. And in a wide-ranging conversation, the cinematographer, who was born in Germany but makes his home in Los Angeles, revealed why his...
But the role was especially memorable for the first pair of eyes that actually viewed it.
Cinematographer Tobias Schliessler was on the Pittsburgh set during director George C. Wolfe’s 30-day shoot in the summer of 2019. In an interview with TheWrap, Schliessler talked about his experience capturing Boseman’s performance on camera for the August Wilson adaptation. And in a wide-ranging conversation, the cinematographer, who was born in Germany but makes his home in Los Angeles, revealed why his...
- 2/3/2021
- by Joe McGovern
- The Wrap
“You wrestle with that language. You want it to pull everything out of you, and you also know that it’s going to pour so much into you,” says Colman Domingo of August Wilson. The late playwright, a giant of the American stage, has had a profound impact on the actor’s career. Now Colman has taken on the role of Cutler, the bandleader in the new Netflix adaptation of Wilson’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” His connection to the writer’s words aided him greatly in the creation of the character. Watch the exclusive video interview above.
Domingo recalls performing in a stage production of “Fences” as “the first time in my career where I felt that I actually had text… it was about the Black experience in America. It was the first time I saw characters that I really knew and understood.” The actor is continually struck by...
Domingo recalls performing in a stage production of “Fences” as “the first time in my career where I felt that I actually had text… it was about the Black experience in America. It was the first time I saw characters that I really knew and understood.” The actor is continually struck by...
- 2/2/2021
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
As anyone who has worked in the music industry knows, it's not a place where individual creative artists tend to be highly valued. How much more so when that artist is black and female in 1920s Chicago. "They don't care about me. They only want me for my voice," says Ma Rainey (Viola Davis) in Ruben Santiago-Hudson's adaptation of the August Wilson play. She's not the sort of woman to put up with being messed around, however, and leverages what power she has to ensure that things are done on her terms.
Rainey belonged to a different musical tradition - one built entirely around touring, with the artist exercising much more control. She was a legend in her time but died penniless after spending her last few years doing domestic work for white people. That her work has survived at all is only due to recording sessions like this,...
Rainey belonged to a different musical tradition - one built entirely around touring, with the artist exercising much more control. She was a legend in her time but died penniless after spending her last few years doing domestic work for white people. That her work has survived at all is only due to recording sessions like this,...
- 2/2/2021
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
“How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time,” explains actor Delroy Lindo about trying to understand the depths of anger, trauma and pain underlying his character Paul in “Da 5 Bloods.” Paul is a veteran of the Vietnam War returning to Asia with his fellow soldiers later in life to complete some unfinished business. Watch our exclusive video interview with Lindo above.
“I remember the first time that I read the script, Paul was described as having a short fuse, being right on the edge, and one can feel that he could blow up at any time,” Lindo adds about his character. “It would’ve been completely uninteresting and unengaging to just play an angry man … Anybody who’s enraged is enraged for a reason. So my job I knew was to investigate what the bases of those various things were.”
See‘Da 5 Bloods’ composer Terence Blanchard...
“I remember the first time that I read the script, Paul was described as having a short fuse, being right on the edge, and one can feel that he could blow up at any time,” Lindo adds about his character. “It would’ve been completely uninteresting and unengaging to just play an angry man … Anybody who’s enraged is enraged for a reason. So my job I knew was to investigate what the bases of those various things were.”
See‘Da 5 Bloods’ composer Terence Blanchard...
- 2/1/2021
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
“Soul” is in, but “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” is out: That’s the message the Academy’s music branch is sending to members who began voting today for the shortlists for both song and score.
Disney-Pixar’s “Soul” has been declared eligible for the original-score Oscar, but the song from Netflix’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” was missing from the song list, indicating that the music-branch executive committee disqualified it from consideration.
Voters from the Academy’s approximately 375-member music branch will choose 15 songs and 15 scores for the shortlists (to be announced Feb. 9) that will be the basis for final voting for the five nominees in each category. The Academy qualified 105 songs and 136 scores.
The biggest question was: would “Soul” qualify for original score? It initially appeared doubtful, as Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s dramatic score constituted less than the required 60 percent of total music in the film; and Jon Batiste’s jazz,...
Disney-Pixar’s “Soul” has been declared eligible for the original-score Oscar, but the song from Netflix’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” was missing from the song list, indicating that the music-branch executive committee disqualified it from consideration.
Voters from the Academy’s approximately 375-member music branch will choose 15 songs and 15 scores for the shortlists (to be announced Feb. 9) that will be the basis for final voting for the five nominees in each category. The Academy qualified 105 songs and 136 scores.
The biggest question was: would “Soul” qualify for original score? It initially appeared doubtful, as Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s dramatic score constituted less than the required 60 percent of total music in the film; and Jon Batiste’s jazz,...
- 2/1/2021
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” is slated to have a big morning when Golden Globes nominations are announced on Feb. 3, with predicted bids for Best Film Drama, Drama Actress (Viola Davis) and Actor (Chadwick Boseman) and anticipated wins for its two leads. With so many high profile nominations in the offing, might one of its legendary featured players, Glynn Turman, come along for the ride with a surprise citation for Film Supporting Actor?
The Emmy-winning actor plays Toledo, Ma Rainey’s wise pianist who not only delivers a sensational August Wilson monologue about race and the leftovers of history, but also spars with Ma Rainey’s younger, ambitious trumpeter Levee (Boseman). Turman has started to collect kudos for his performance, landing nominations from the Independent Spirit Awards and the National Society of Film Critics and winning the Los Angeles Film Critics Association prize for Supporting Actor. The momentum he...
The Emmy-winning actor plays Toledo, Ma Rainey’s wise pianist who not only delivers a sensational August Wilson monologue about race and the leftovers of history, but also spars with Ma Rainey’s younger, ambitious trumpeter Levee (Boseman). Turman has started to collect kudos for his performance, landing nominations from the Independent Spirit Awards and the National Society of Film Critics and winning the Los Angeles Film Critics Association prize for Supporting Actor. The momentum he...
- 1/31/2021
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
During this elongated, home-bound award season, it’s tougher to check in with voters. The 90 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, who vote for the Golden Globes, have had to cope, along with everyone else, with the challenges of the pandemic. Several couldn’t return to the U.S., some fell ill, or lost family. They also had to deal with the loss of longtime member Lorenzo Soria to lung cancer, as well as a lawsuit accusing the HFPA of using their clout to monopolize overseas entertainment coverage, which was eventually thrown out by a federal judge.
Meanwhile, they soldiered on with their Hollywood coverage, checking out a slew of movies, television shows, and Zoom panels. Will these sober times color the HFPA voting? Even in a normal year, their idiosyncratic, Eurocentric tastes were hard to call.
Here’s what we do know: Netflix, with its blizzard of film and series content,...
Meanwhile, they soldiered on with their Hollywood coverage, checking out a slew of movies, television shows, and Zoom panels. Will these sober times color the HFPA voting? Even in a normal year, their idiosyncratic, Eurocentric tastes were hard to call.
Here’s what we do know: Netflix, with its blizzard of film and series content,...
- 1/31/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
When Viola Davis committed to playing the trailblazing blues singer of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” she was uncompromising in her demand for historical accuracy. And that meant that the makeup and hair design had to reflect the actual gritty and greasy look of the heavy-set, swaggering “Mother of the Blues” during the 1920s. While some may wonder if the Oscar-winning actress took authenticity a tad too far, Davis insisted that such verisimilitude was essential in conveying the power of Rainey in director George C. Wolfe’s adaptation of August Wilson’s award-winning play.
“The makeup was hard to do,” Viola said at a recent Q & A. “I had to search for that information: tent shows, makeup like greasepaint melting off her skin. If I go for authenticity, she has her grill, a mouthful of gold teeth, a horsehair wig, a ton of makeup, smeared on during that day. Either go...
“The makeup was hard to do,” Viola said at a recent Q & A. “I had to search for that information: tent shows, makeup like greasepaint melting off her skin. If I go for authenticity, she has her grill, a mouthful of gold teeth, a horsehair wig, a ton of makeup, smeared on during that day. Either go...
- 1/29/2021
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
August Wilson is having a renaissance thanks Denzel Washington. The Oscar-winning actor is committed to bringing the late playwright’s entire ten-play “Century Cycle” to the screen. “Fences” was the first to get a cinematic treatment, with Washington directing and starring in this hit flick from 2016. The Century Cycle continues with “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” hitting Netflix. Can this bluesy drama outperform “Fences” at the Academy Awards?
“Fences” scored a total of four Oscar nominations: Best Picture, Actor (Washington), Supporting Actress (Viola Davis) and Adapted Screenplay. Davis scored her first Oscar win, the movie’s only victory that night.
According to our exclusive odds, Davis will win her second Oscar but this time, we predict her to prevail for Best Actress. If she wins for playing the titular role, she will be just the second black woman to win this award. Halle Berry made history with her win for “Monster’s Ball...
“Fences” scored a total of four Oscar nominations: Best Picture, Actor (Washington), Supporting Actress (Viola Davis) and Adapted Screenplay. Davis scored her first Oscar win, the movie’s only victory that night.
According to our exclusive odds, Davis will win her second Oscar but this time, we predict her to prevail for Best Actress. If she wins for playing the titular role, she will be just the second black woman to win this award. Halle Berry made history with her win for “Monster’s Ball...
- 1/29/2021
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
In George C. Wolfe’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” tensions rise as Ma Rainey, played by Academy Award winner Viola Davis and her ambitious trumpet player, Levee, played by Chadwick Boseman.
Based on the August Wilson play of the same name, it was down to Ruben Santiago-Hudson to adapt the two-act play for the screen.
Rather than make audiences wait to meet the film’s title character, Santiago-Hudson made a notable shift, and Ma makes a grand entrance, minutes into the film. He explains, “We wanted to show Ma as her most powerful and dynamic self. Her temple was the show tents of the southern United States. That is where Ma Rainey reigned supreme.”
That power was in the recording studio, where Ma was hailed as the Godmother of the Blues, at a time when segregation and racial oppression was widespread in America.
In the studio, we meet the...
Based on the August Wilson play of the same name, it was down to Ruben Santiago-Hudson to adapt the two-act play for the screen.
Rather than make audiences wait to meet the film’s title character, Santiago-Hudson made a notable shift, and Ma makes a grand entrance, minutes into the film. He explains, “We wanted to show Ma as her most powerful and dynamic self. Her temple was the show tents of the southern United States. That is where Ma Rainey reigned supreme.”
That power was in the recording studio, where Ma was hailed as the Godmother of the Blues, at a time when segregation and racial oppression was widespread in America.
In the studio, we meet the...
- 1/29/2021
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Production designer Mark Ricker joined George C. Wolfe‘s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” just seven weeks out from shooting, and to say he had to get acclimated fast would be an understatement. “I came on very quickly, I read it very quickly, I met George and headed to Pittsburgh and started the process of trying to figure it all out,” Ricker tells Gold Derby at our Meet the Btl Experts: Film Production Design panel (watch above). “They had hired a location manager, who had luckily done a little bit of preliminary scouting, so I was able to get on the phone with him quickly and look at some stuff. … There was a certain amount where I was going to be flying by the seat of my pants.”
Based on August Wilson‘s play of the same name, the film takes place over the course of one afternoon at a 1920s...
Based on August Wilson‘s play of the same name, the film takes place over the course of one afternoon at a 1920s...
- 1/29/2021
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
The USC Scripter Award, now in its 33rd year, honors films adapted from novels, short stories, comic books, journalism, and other screenplays with both the source material and the adapted screenplay feted. This year’s nominees include three of our five leading contenders for Best Adapted Screenplay at the Oscars — “Nomadland,” “One Night in Miami,” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom — as well as seventh-ranked “First Cow” and the telefilm “Bad Education.”
The biggest snubs were “The Father” by Christopher Hampton, which ranks fourth by our odds, and “News of the World” by Paul Greengrass and Luke Davies, which ranks fifth.
The Scripter has forecast 14 of the eventual Oscar winners for Best Adapted Screenplay. Eight of those were in the past decade: “Call Me By Your Name” (2017) “Moonlight” (2016), “The Big Short” (2015), “The Imitation Game” (2014), “12 Years a Slave” (2013), “Argo” (2012), “The Descendants” (2011), and “The Social Network” (2010).
The other repeat winners were “Slumdog Millionaire...
The biggest snubs were “The Father” by Christopher Hampton, which ranks fourth by our odds, and “News of the World” by Paul Greengrass and Luke Davies, which ranks fifth.
The Scripter has forecast 14 of the eventual Oscar winners for Best Adapted Screenplay. Eight of those were in the past decade: “Call Me By Your Name” (2017) “Moonlight” (2016), “The Big Short” (2015), “The Imitation Game” (2014), “12 Years a Slave” (2013), “Argo” (2012), “The Descendants” (2011), and “The Social Network” (2010).
The other repeat winners were “Slumdog Millionaire...
- 1/28/2021
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
When did today’s top screenwriters first know they wanted to be a writer and filmmaker? Is it harder to adapt or write something from scratch? Which films or filmmakers do they love and often revisit?
These were just some of the questions answered by four top scribes during Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts Q&a panel. Watch our full group chat with Jessica Goldberg and Angela Russo-Otstot (“Cherry”), Ruben Santiago-Hudson (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”), Kemp Powers (“One Night in Miami”) and Darius Marder (“Sound of Metal”) above. Click each individual name above to view each person’s individual interview.
“I’m a storyteller first,” declares multi-hyphenate Santiago-Hudson when asked about when and why he wanted to be a writer. “If you block me in acting, I go to writing. If you block me in writing, I’ll direct. If you block me in directing, I go fishin’,” he smiles.
These were just some of the questions answered by four top scribes during Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts Q&a panel. Watch our full group chat with Jessica Goldberg and Angela Russo-Otstot (“Cherry”), Ruben Santiago-Hudson (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”), Kemp Powers (“One Night in Miami”) and Darius Marder (“Sound of Metal”) above. Click each individual name above to view each person’s individual interview.
“I’m a storyteller first,” declares multi-hyphenate Santiago-Hudson when asked about when and why he wanted to be a writer. “If you block me in acting, I go to writing. If you block me in writing, I’ll direct. If you block me in directing, I go fishin’,” he smiles.
- 1/28/2021
- by Rob Licuria
- Gold Derby
Of course, 2020 was a year like no other when it came to screen entertainment. As the coronavirus pandemic shut down productions across the U.S., it allowed Netflix to continue churning out content from its deep arsenal of movies and series.
Last year, Netflix put forth no fewer than eight original song contenders, including contributions from Taylor Swift and John Legend. What are the chances the streamer will dominate, and ultimately win, in the category? Two words: Diane Warren.
The legendary songwriter has been nominated for original song 11 times, but never won. If the Academy feels she’s long overdue, “Io Si (Seen),” her contribution to Netflix’s “The Life Ahead,” the Sophia Loren starrer whose song is performed in Italian by Laura Pausini, is as deserving as they come. Warren wrote the lyrics in English before it was translated. As she explains of the film’s two main characters,...
Last year, Netflix put forth no fewer than eight original song contenders, including contributions from Taylor Swift and John Legend. What are the chances the streamer will dominate, and ultimately win, in the category? Two words: Diane Warren.
The legendary songwriter has been nominated for original song 11 times, but never won. If the Academy feels she’s long overdue, “Io Si (Seen),” her contribution to Netflix’s “The Life Ahead,” the Sophia Loren starrer whose song is performed in Italian by Laura Pausini, is as deserving as they come. Warren wrote the lyrics in English before it was translated. As she explains of the film’s two main characters,...
- 1/27/2021
- by Jazz Tangcay and Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
“I play every role when I’m writing. If I write a scene and I want to hear how it sounds, I’ll play Ma Rainey,” explains “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” actor/writer Ruben Santiago-Hudson about how his experience as an actor informs the way he writes “I’ll play them all. I understand August’s rhythms, I understand the way these people do things, the way they sound,” he says.
We talked with Santiago-Hudson as part of Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” Q&a event with key 2021 guild and Oscar contenders. Watch our interview above.
See Exclusive Video Interview: Glynn Turman (‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’)
In “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” tensions rise between Ma Rainey, her ambitious horn player and the white management determined to control the uncontrollable “Mother of the Blues.” The film was adapted by Santiago-Hudson from the late great August Wilson‘s acclaimed play of the same name.
We talked with Santiago-Hudson as part of Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” Q&a event with key 2021 guild and Oscar contenders. Watch our interview above.
See Exclusive Video Interview: Glynn Turman (‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’)
In “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” tensions rise between Ma Rainey, her ambitious horn player and the white management determined to control the uncontrollable “Mother of the Blues.” The film was adapted by Santiago-Hudson from the late great August Wilson‘s acclaimed play of the same name.
- 1/27/2021
- by Rob Licuria
- Gold Derby
The USC Libraries has announced this year’s finalists for the 33rd annual USC Libraries Scripter Award, which recognizes the most accomplished film and episodic series adaptations. The 2021 Scripter selection committee chose the finalists from a wide selection of 87 films and 65 episodic series adaptations.
The finalist writers for film adaptation are:
Mike Makowsky for “Bad Education” based on the New York magazine article “The Bad Superintendent” by Robert Kolker Jon Raymond and Kelly Reichardt for “First Cow” based on the novel “The Half-Life” by Jon Raymond Screenwriter Ruben Santiago-Hudson and playwright August Wilson for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” Chloé Zhao for “Nomadland” based on the nonfiction book “Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century” by Jessica Bruder Screenwriter and playwright Kemp Powers for “One Night in Miami”
The finalist writers for episodic series are:
Mark Richard and Ethan Hawke, for the episode “Meet the Lord,” from “The Good Lord Bird,...
The finalist writers for film adaptation are:
Mike Makowsky for “Bad Education” based on the New York magazine article “The Bad Superintendent” by Robert Kolker Jon Raymond and Kelly Reichardt for “First Cow” based on the novel “The Half-Life” by Jon Raymond Screenwriter Ruben Santiago-Hudson and playwright August Wilson for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” Chloé Zhao for “Nomadland” based on the nonfiction book “Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century” by Jessica Bruder Screenwriter and playwright Kemp Powers for “One Night in Miami”
The finalist writers for episodic series are:
Mark Richard and Ethan Hawke, for the episode “Meet the Lord,” from “The Good Lord Bird,...
- 1/26/2021
- by Antonio Ferme
- Variety Film + TV
The USC Libraries has revealed the finalists for the 33rd annual USC Libraries Scripter Award, which honors the year’s best film and television adaptations, as well as the works on which they are based. This group of academics, industry professionals, and critics (for which I vote) is often predictive of the Adapted Screenplay Oscar race.
Last year’s Scripter winners were Oscar and Emmy nominees Greta Gerwig (“Little Women”) and Phoebe Waller-Bridge (“Fleabag”). The year before was atypical, as the Scripter Award went to “Leave No Trace” screenwriters Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini (and author Peter Rock), who were not nominated for the Oscar.
Past winners of both the Scripter and the Oscar include “Call Me by Your Name,” “Moonlight,” “The Big Short,” and “The Imitation Game.” In fact, before 2019, eight Scripter Award winners went on to win Oscars. This year, streaming giant Netflix dominated, with three nominees, including “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,...
Last year’s Scripter winners were Oscar and Emmy nominees Greta Gerwig (“Little Women”) and Phoebe Waller-Bridge (“Fleabag”). The year before was atypical, as the Scripter Award went to “Leave No Trace” screenwriters Debra Granik and Anne Rosellini (and author Peter Rock), who were not nominated for the Oscar.
Past winners of both the Scripter and the Oscar include “Call Me by Your Name,” “Moonlight,” “The Big Short,” and “The Imitation Game.” In fact, before 2019, eight Scripter Award winners went on to win Oscars. This year, streaming giant Netflix dominated, with three nominees, including “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,...
- 1/26/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
“Nomadland,” “One Night in Miami,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “First Cow” and “Bad Education” have been nominated for the 2021 USC Libraries Scripter Awards, which are given out every year to a literary adaptation and the source material from which it is taken.
The nomination for “Ma Rainey,” for example, goes to both screenwriter Ruben Santiago-Hudson and to the late playwright August Wilson, from whose work the film was drawn.
In the television category, the nominees were episodes of “The Good Lord Bird,” “Normal People,” “The Plot Against America,” “The Queen’s Gambit” and “Unorthodox.”
The finalists were chosen by a jury from 87 film and 65 episodic series adaptations. “The Father,” “News of the World” and “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” are among the films in the running for the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar that were not chosen by the Scripter jury.
Since 2000, about two-thirds of the Scripter nominees have gone on to receive Oscar nominations,...
The nomination for “Ma Rainey,” for example, goes to both screenwriter Ruben Santiago-Hudson and to the late playwright August Wilson, from whose work the film was drawn.
In the television category, the nominees were episodes of “The Good Lord Bird,” “Normal People,” “The Plot Against America,” “The Queen’s Gambit” and “Unorthodox.”
The finalists were chosen by a jury from 87 film and 65 episodic series adaptations. “The Father,” “News of the World” and “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” are among the films in the running for the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar that were not chosen by the Scripter jury.
Since 2000, about two-thirds of the Scripter nominees have gone on to receive Oscar nominations,...
- 1/26/2021
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Nominations were unveiled Tuesday for the 33rd annual USC Libraries Scripter Award, which honors the writers of the year’s most accomplished film and episodic TV series adaptations as well as the works on which they are based.
Winners will be announced Saturday, March 13 online, with the annual in-person awards ceremony not possible because of the pandemic.
The film nominees this year are Mike Makowsky for HBO Films’ Bad Education, Jon Raymond and Kelly Reichardt for A24’s First Cow, Ruben Santiago-Hudson for Netflix’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Chloé Zhao for Searchlight’s Nomadland and Kemp Powers for his own adaptation of Amazon’s One Night In Miami.
Last year, Greta Gerwig won the Scripter for her adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, leading to Grewig’s eventual Oscar nomination in the Adapted Screenplay category.
On the TV side, this year’s nominees are Mark Richard...
Winners will be announced Saturday, March 13 online, with the annual in-person awards ceremony not possible because of the pandemic.
The film nominees this year are Mike Makowsky for HBO Films’ Bad Education, Jon Raymond and Kelly Reichardt for A24’s First Cow, Ruben Santiago-Hudson for Netflix’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Chloé Zhao for Searchlight’s Nomadland and Kemp Powers for his own adaptation of Amazon’s One Night In Miami.
Last year, Greta Gerwig won the Scripter for her adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, leading to Grewig’s eventual Oscar nomination in the Adapted Screenplay category.
On the TV side, this year’s nominees are Mark Richard...
- 1/26/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
The USC Libraries has announced its finalists for the 33rd USC Scripter Awards, which celebrate scripts adapted from pre-existing literary material, will take place virtually this year on Saturday, March 13.
On the film side, the nominees include best adapted screenplay Oscar frontrunners Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Ruben Santiago Hudson’s version of the late August Wilson’s play of the same name), Nomadland (which Chloe Zhao derived from Jesssica Bruder’s book of the same name) and One Night in Miami (Kemp Powers take on his own play of the same name) will be joined by indie darling First Cow (Kelly Reichardt, from Jon Raymond’s ...
On the film side, the nominees include best adapted screenplay Oscar frontrunners Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Ruben Santiago Hudson’s version of the late August Wilson’s play of the same name), Nomadland (which Chloe Zhao derived from Jesssica Bruder’s book of the same name) and One Night in Miami (Kemp Powers take on his own play of the same name) will be joined by indie darling First Cow (Kelly Reichardt, from Jon Raymond’s ...
- 1/26/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
The USC Libraries has announced its finalists for the 33rd USC Scripter Awards, which celebrate scripts adapted from pre-existing literary material, will take place virtually this year on Saturday, March 13.
On the film side, the nominees include best adapted screenplay Oscar frontrunners Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Ruben Santiago Hudson’s version of the late August Wilson’s play of the same name), Nomadland (which Chloe Zhao derived from Jesssica Bruder’s book of the same name) and One Night in Miami (Kemp Powers take on his own play of the same name) will be joined by indie darling First Cow (Kelly Reichardt, from Jon Raymond’s ...
On the film side, the nominees include best adapted screenplay Oscar frontrunners Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Ruben Santiago Hudson’s version of the late August Wilson’s play of the same name), Nomadland (which Chloe Zhao derived from Jesssica Bruder’s book of the same name) and One Night in Miami (Kemp Powers take on his own play of the same name) will be joined by indie darling First Cow (Kelly Reichardt, from Jon Raymond’s ...
- 1/26/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Last year, Renee Zellweger became the seventh actress to win both categories at the Oscars. She prevailed in Best Actress for her riveting portrayal of Judy Garland in “Judy.” She’d taken home the Supporting Actress award in 2004 for “Cold Mountain.” This year, Viola Davis is poised to do the same, with a win for her star turn in the Netflix drama “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” As of this writing she sits atop the chart for Best Actress for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” according to our exclusive predictions. She won four years ago for her featured role in “Fences.”
The first half dozen women to win both Academy Awards were:
1. Helen Hayes: Best Actress for “The Sin of Madelon Claudet” (1932) and Best Supporting Actress for “Airport” (1971);
2. Ingrid Bergman: Best Actress for “Gaslight” (1945) and “Anastasia” (1957), and Best Supporting Actress for “Murder on the Orient Express” (1975);
3. Maggie Smith: Best Actress...
The first half dozen women to win both Academy Awards were:
1. Helen Hayes: Best Actress for “The Sin of Madelon Claudet” (1932) and Best Supporting Actress for “Airport” (1971);
2. Ingrid Bergman: Best Actress for “Gaslight” (1945) and “Anastasia” (1957), and Best Supporting Actress for “Murder on the Orient Express” (1975);
3. Maggie Smith: Best Actress...
- 1/26/2021
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom entered the awards race with impressive credentials. One of two films last year featuring the late Chadwick Boseman, George C. Wolfe’s Netflix film also reunites star Viola Davis with the work of playwright August Wilson, a winning combination that landed her the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for 2016’s Fences.
This time, the intimate setting is a Chicago studio in 1927, where blues singer Ma Rainey (Davis) and her band prepare for what will be a fraught recording session.
Coleman Domingo, who plays blues musician Cutler, explains during the film’s panel at Deadline’s Contenders Film award-season event that Wilson’s 1982 drama still has much to say about today. Referring to the assembled talent, he says, “Everyone here has been gifted with the tremendous responsibility to tell the story of Ma Rainey and her band and the blues. The blues is America. The blues is...
This time, the intimate setting is a Chicago studio in 1927, where blues singer Ma Rainey (Davis) and her band prepare for what will be a fraught recording session.
Coleman Domingo, who plays blues musician Cutler, explains during the film’s panel at Deadline’s Contenders Film award-season event that Wilson’s 1982 drama still has much to say about today. Referring to the assembled talent, he says, “Everyone here has been gifted with the tremendous responsibility to tell the story of Ma Rainey and her band and the blues. The blues is America. The blues is...
- 1/23/2021
- by Joe Utichi
- Deadline Film + TV
As of this writing Viola Davis is the predicted Oscar front-runner for Best Actress for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” with 19/5 odds, according to the combined predictions of Gold Derby users. If she wins, she’ll be following an eerily similar trajectory to Renée Zellweger (“Judy“), who won this category last year.
SEE10 best Chadwick Boseman movies ranked, including ‘Black Panther,’ ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,’ ‘Da 5 Bloods’ [Photos]
Back in the early 2000s, Zellweger was Oscar-nominated three years in a row. Her first two bids were in Best Actress for 2001’s “Bridget Jones’s Diary” and 2002’s “Chicago.” The latter won her a Golden Globe and SAG Award, but she ended up losing the Oscar to Nicole Kidman for “The Hours.” But in 2003, Zellweger swept the season with wins at the Critics’ Choice, Golden Globe, SAG, and BAFTA Awards for her performance in “Cold Mountain,” which resulted in her very first Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
SEE10 best Chadwick Boseman movies ranked, including ‘Black Panther,’ ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,’ ‘Da 5 Bloods’ [Photos]
Back in the early 2000s, Zellweger was Oscar-nominated three years in a row. Her first two bids were in Best Actress for 2001’s “Bridget Jones’s Diary” and 2002’s “Chicago.” The latter won her a Golden Globe and SAG Award, but she ended up losing the Oscar to Nicole Kidman for “The Hours.” But in 2003, Zellweger swept the season with wins at the Critics’ Choice, Golden Globe, SAG, and BAFTA Awards for her performance in “Cold Mountain,” which resulted in her very first Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
- 1/23/2021
- by Jeffrey Kare
- Gold Derby
Fresh off his first-ever Critics’ Choice TV nomination, “Fargo” featured player Glynn Turman is gaining momentum at the Golden Globes. In the fourth installment of the acclaimed FX anthology series, the Emmy-winning veteran actor played Doctor Senator, the sage right-hand man to Chris Rock’s leader of a Black crime syndicate in 1950s Kansas City. Though still predicted to miss the final list of nominees, Turman just broke into our top ten contenders in the Globes TV Supporting Actor category.
Turman currently sits in 10th place in our combined odds in this catch-all category up an impressive 12 spots since “Fargo” aired its season finale in November. Always a particularly crowded field because it brings together actors from dramas, comedies, and TV movies and limited series, this year’s supporting line-up boasts an impressive slate of predicted nominees, led by last year’s Emmy winner Dan Levy (“Schitt’s Creek”), Brendan Gleeson...
Turman currently sits in 10th place in our combined odds in this catch-all category up an impressive 12 spots since “Fargo” aired its season finale in November. Always a particularly crowded field because it brings together actors from dramas, comedies, and TV movies and limited series, this year’s supporting line-up boasts an impressive slate of predicted nominees, led by last year’s Emmy winner Dan Levy (“Schitt’s Creek”), Brendan Gleeson...
- 1/22/2021
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom was the big winner in voting for the 10th annual Black Film Critics Circle Awards, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
George Wolfe’s film, which was adapted from August Wilson’s 1984 play and is streaming on Netflix, won best film, best actor (the late Chadwick Boseman), best actress (Viola Davis) and best adapted screenplay (Ruben Santiago-Hudson’s script).
Other big winners included One Night in Miami’s Regina King (best director, in a tie), Leslie Odom, Jr. (best supporting actor) and cast (best ensemble); Nomadland’s Chloe Zhao (best director, in a tie); Minari’s Yuh-Jung Youn (best supporting actress) and script ...
George Wolfe’s film, which was adapted from August Wilson’s 1984 play and is streaming on Netflix, won best film, best actor (the late Chadwick Boseman), best actress (Viola Davis) and best adapted screenplay (Ruben Santiago-Hudson’s script).
Other big winners included One Night in Miami’s Regina King (best director, in a tie), Leslie Odom, Jr. (best supporting actor) and cast (best ensemble); Nomadland’s Chloe Zhao (best director, in a tie); Minari’s Yuh-Jung Youn (best supporting actress) and script ...
- 1/21/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom was the big winner in voting for the 10th annual Black Film Critics Circle Awards, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
George Wolfe’s film, which was adapted from August Wilson’s 1984 play and is streaming on Netflix, won best film, best actor (the late Chadwick Boseman), best actress (Viola Davis) and best adapted screenplay (Ruben Santiago-Hudson’s script).
Other big winners included One Night in Miami’s Regina King (best director, in a tie), Leslie Odom, Jr. (best supporting actor) and cast (best ensemble); Nomadland’s Chloe Zhao (best director, in a tie); Minari’s Yuh-Jung Youn (best supporting actress) and script ...
George Wolfe’s film, which was adapted from August Wilson’s 1984 play and is streaming on Netflix, won best film, best actor (the late Chadwick Boseman), best actress (Viola Davis) and best adapted screenplay (Ruben Santiago-Hudson’s script).
Other big winners included One Night in Miami’s Regina King (best director, in a tie), Leslie Odom, Jr. (best supporting actor) and cast (best ensemble); Nomadland’s Chloe Zhao (best director, in a tie); Minari’s Yuh-Jung Youn (best supporting actress) and script ...
- 1/21/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
If you haven’t been paying attention to “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’s” Best Picture Oscar prospects, now is the time to start. The film, which is based on the play of the same name by August Wilson and stars Viola Davis as the influential blues singer, has been rising in Gold Derby’s Best Picture odds since debuting on Netflix in mid-December. It is currently sitting in third behind “Nomadland” (7/1 combined odds) and “The Trial of the Chicago 7” (15/2 odds). But can “Ma Rainey,” which also features Chadwick Boseman in his final role, climb even higher to the top spot? It’s not crazy to consider it’s possible.
Although “Nomadland” has been sitting comfortably in first place for months, it was also one of the first films to premiere in September, when it earned raves and top prizes at the Venice Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival,...
Although “Nomadland” has been sitting comfortably in first place for months, it was also one of the first films to premiere in September, when it earned raves and top prizes at the Venice Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival,...
- 1/20/2021
- by Kaitlin Thomas
- Gold Derby
James Earl Jones, who turns 90 on Jan. 17, has one of the most famous voices of all time — not just as Darth Vader and Mufasa, but as the voice of CNN and hundreds of other programs. But the distinguished actor and narrator almost didn’t find his voice at all.
Born in Mississippi, Jones went to live with his grandparents in Michigan at the age of 5. The disorienting move left him nearly speechless for years, due to severe stuttering. Finally in high school, a teacher helped him discover his powerful bass through reading poetry — kicking off one of the great oratorical careers of all time.
After moving to New York to study at the American Theatre Wing, one of his first mentions in Variety came in the review of the 1957 play “The Congo” from New York’s Equity Library Theater company. “James Earl Jones plays the preacher. He has a good voice,...
Born in Mississippi, Jones went to live with his grandparents in Michigan at the age of 5. The disorienting move left him nearly speechless for years, due to severe stuttering. Finally in high school, a teacher helped him discover his powerful bass through reading poetry — kicking off one of the great oratorical careers of all time.
After moving to New York to study at the American Theatre Wing, one of his first mentions in Variety came in the review of the 1957 play “The Congo” from New York’s Equity Library Theater company. “James Earl Jones plays the preacher. He has a good voice,...
- 1/17/2021
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
On Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, hair and makeup designers Mia Neal, Sergio Lopez-Rivera and Matiki Anoff worked to transform Viola Davis into the titular Georgia singer known as the “Mother of the Blues,” capturing at the same time the essence of her world, and the racial dynamics of her era.
Directed by George C. Wolfe, the film finds the indomitable trailblazer at a recording session with her band in 1920s Chicago, clashing in studio—with both her white management, and a pushy young trumpeter named Levee (Chadwick Boseman)—over control of her work.
In educating themselves about the only real person depicted in Pulitzer Prize winner August Wilson’s 10-play Century Cycle, hair department head Neal and Davis’s personal makeup artist, Lopez-Rivera, turned to a limited set of period photographs, before digging into Ma Rainey’s psychology, and her experience as a Black artist living through the ’20s.
Directed by George C. Wolfe, the film finds the indomitable trailblazer at a recording session with her band in 1920s Chicago, clashing in studio—with both her white management, and a pushy young trumpeter named Levee (Chadwick Boseman)—over control of her work.
In educating themselves about the only real person depicted in Pulitzer Prize winner August Wilson’s 10-play Century Cycle, hair department head Neal and Davis’s personal makeup artist, Lopez-Rivera, turned to a limited set of period photographs, before digging into Ma Rainey’s psychology, and her experience as a Black artist living through the ’20s.
- 1/15/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
With an ambitious slate of contenders already, Netflix has shown no signs of slowing down its awards season output in the early days of 2021.
The streaming giant has a pair of new movies that could contend at the 2021 Oscars in April: the heartrending drama “Pieces of a Woman” (out January 7) and the thriller “The White Tiger” (out January 22).
Those Netflix movies join an already impressive roster of features vying for Academy Awards attention in 2021, including “Mank,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” and “The Prom.”
Should one of those features win the Oscars’ top prize, it would be a historic moment. Netflix has yet to win an Oscar for Best Picture, but the studio has become a dominant force in the awards conversation over the last few years. In 2020, Netflix received more Oscar nominations (24) than any other studio, including 10 for Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman”: Best Picture,...
The streaming giant has a pair of new movies that could contend at the 2021 Oscars in April: the heartrending drama “Pieces of a Woman” (out January 7) and the thriller “The White Tiger” (out January 22).
Those Netflix movies join an already impressive roster of features vying for Academy Awards attention in 2021, including “Mank,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” and “The Prom.”
Should one of those features win the Oscars’ top prize, it would be a historic moment. Netflix has yet to win an Oscar for Best Picture, but the studio has become a dominant force in the awards conversation over the last few years. In 2020, Netflix received more Oscar nominations (24) than any other studio, including 10 for Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman”: Best Picture,...
- 1/15/2021
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
“August has such a distinct rhythm in his works and you want to pay homage to that rhythm,” explains Emmy winner Glynn Turman of the late legendary playwright August Wilson. The actor portrays Toledo, the wise piano player in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” The key to bringing the character to life in this Netflix adaptation was operating much like a musician, according to Turman. He describes Wilson’s dialogue “like reading sheet music,” and locking into that musicality makes the rest of the job easy. Watch the exclusive video interview above.
Turman has already won the Los Angeles Film Critics’ Best Supporting Actor prize for his performance as Toledo. Critics have recognized his skill and comfort in the role, and indeed Turman has lived with the character for some time having played Toledo on stage in a production at the Mark Taper Forum. It’s there that producer Denzel Washington...
Turman has already won the Los Angeles Film Critics’ Best Supporting Actor prize for his performance as Toledo. Critics have recognized his skill and comfort in the role, and indeed Turman has lived with the character for some time having played Toledo on stage in a production at the Mark Taper Forum. It’s there that producer Denzel Washington...
- 1/15/2021
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
Chicago – Sam Pollard has been a behind-the-scenes film editor/producer for most of his career, best known for his work with Spike Lee. But recently, after sporadic director assignments over the years, he has broken out with two major profile documentaries, one on Sammy Davis Jr. in 2017, and his most recent “MLK/FBI.”
MLK is of course, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the FBI is the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The story is of government overreach in the surveillance of Dr. King, revealing some very human foibles that FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover hoped to use against the civil rights icon and the movement that he led. As in his previous work that included King, “Eyes on the Prize,” Sam Pollard has structured a meticulous history lesson, one of truth and morality.
Director Sam Pollard of ‘MLK/FBI’
Photo credit: IFC Films
Pollard has had a long and varied career in the film industry,...
MLK is of course, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the FBI is the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The story is of government overreach in the surveillance of Dr. King, revealing some very human foibles that FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover hoped to use against the civil rights icon and the movement that he led. As in his previous work that included King, “Eyes on the Prize,” Sam Pollard has structured a meticulous history lesson, one of truth and morality.
Director Sam Pollard of ‘MLK/FBI’
Photo credit: IFC Films
Pollard has had a long and varied career in the film industry,...
- 1/14/2021
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Viola Davis literally melts into the title role of the blues singer in Netflix’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, a film adaptation of the August Wilson play. Her visage, drenched in sweat and rouge and topped with a wiry wig, becomes one of the most searing images of the film. The Hollywood Reporter spoke with the masterminds — makeup artist Sergio Lopez-Rivera and hairstylist Mia Neal — behind Davis’ transformation into the legendary Ma Rainey about the challenges of bringing the larger-than-life Mother of the Blues to the screen.
What inspiration helped you decide on Ma Rainey’s look?
Sergio Lopez-Rivera There’...
What inspiration helped you decide on Ma Rainey’s look?
Sergio Lopez-Rivera There’...
- 1/12/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Viola Davis literally melts into the title role of the blues singer in Netflix’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, a film adaptation of the August Wilson play. Her visage, drenched in sweat and rouge and topped with a wiry wig, becomes one of the most searing images of the film. The Hollywood Reporter spoke with the masterminds — makeup artist Sergio Lopez-Rivera and hairstylist Mia Neal — behind Davis’ transformation into the legendary Ma Rainey about the challenges of bringing the larger-than-life Mother of the Blues to the screen.
What inspiration helped you decide on Ma Rainey’s look?
Sergio Lopez-Rivera There’...
What inspiration helped you decide on Ma Rainey’s look?
Sergio Lopez-Rivera There’...
- 1/12/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The 2020-21 awards season got its first prominent awards ceremony with the 30th Annual Gotham Awards. Eleven competitive awards were given out to the best films, performances, and television series of the previous year. Feature films with multiple nominees included “First Cow,” “Never Rarely Sometimes Always,” “Nomadland,” and “Saint Frances.” All of this year’s Best Feature nominees were films directed by women, a first in the 30-year history of the Gotham Awards.
In addition to the 11 competitive categories, the 30th Gotham Awards awarded five Tribute honors throughout the ceremony, including the late Chadwick Boseman, Viola Davis (Actress Tribute), Steve McQueen (Director Tribute), Ryan Murphy (Industry Tribute), and the inaugural Ensemble Tribute to the cast of Aaron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7.”
The first award of the night went to “One Night in Miami” breakout Kingsley Ben-Adir, who appeared on camera from a hotel in London. The...
In addition to the 11 competitive categories, the 30th Gotham Awards awarded five Tribute honors throughout the ceremony, including the late Chadwick Boseman, Viola Davis (Actress Tribute), Steve McQueen (Director Tribute), Ryan Murphy (Industry Tribute), and the inaugural Ensemble Tribute to the cast of Aaron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7.”
The first award of the night went to “One Night in Miami” breakout Kingsley Ben-Adir, who appeared on camera from a hotel in London. The...
- 1/12/2021
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
“Nomadland” from Chloé Zhao, the story about a woman who decides to live as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad in the American West, won best feature during the Gotham Awards’ hybrid virtual ceremony from Cipriani Wall Street in New York. This marks the second time that Zhao has won this in the last three years, as she also won for her 2018 debut, “The Rider.”
In addition to winning the top award, it also won the audience award, an honor selected from all the nominees for best feature, documentary and international feature. The 2020 Gotham Awards made history, with all of this year’s best feature nominees directed by women for its 30th celebration.
In the last decade, four Gotham winners for best feature failed to secure best picture nominations at the Oscars: “The Rider” (2018), “Inside Llewyn Davis” (2013), “Moonrise Kingdom” (2012) and “Beginners” (2011), although it tied with an eventual Oscar-nominated film, “The Tree of Life.
In addition to winning the top award, it also won the audience award, an honor selected from all the nominees for best feature, documentary and international feature. The 2020 Gotham Awards made history, with all of this year’s best feature nominees directed by women for its 30th celebration.
In the last decade, four Gotham winners for best feature failed to secure best picture nominations at the Oscars: “The Rider” (2018), “Inside Llewyn Davis” (2013), “Moonrise Kingdom” (2012) and “Beginners” (2011), although it tied with an eventual Oscar-nominated film, “The Tree of Life.
- 1/12/2021
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
A version of this story about John Legend first appeared in the Race Begins issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.
Before he ever wrote a song for the documentary “Giving Voice,” John Legend was involved as an executive producer through his company, Get Lifted. But Legend, who won an Oscar for the song “Glory” from “Selma,” has learned by now that when he comes on board the production of a film, another subject will eventually come up.
“Whenever we get involved, there’s a conversation around the music,” he said. “It isn’t always the case that I make a song for a movie that we produce, but often that’s part of my collaboration with the filmmaker.”
And in the case of “Giving Voice,” Legend knew that he wanted to have his own voice in the film about high schoolers from around the country who participate in the annual August Wilson monologue competition,...
Before he ever wrote a song for the documentary “Giving Voice,” John Legend was involved as an executive producer through his company, Get Lifted. But Legend, who won an Oscar for the song “Glory” from “Selma,” has learned by now that when he comes on board the production of a film, another subject will eventually come up.
“Whenever we get involved, there’s a conversation around the music,” he said. “It isn’t always the case that I make a song for a movie that we produce, but often that’s part of my collaboration with the filmmaker.”
And in the case of “Giving Voice,” Legend knew that he wanted to have his own voice in the film about high schoolers from around the country who participate in the annual August Wilson monologue competition,...
- 1/12/2021
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
The Broadway premiere of Skeleton Crew, written by Tony Award nominee Dominique Morisseau (Ain’t Too Proud) and directed by Tony winner Ruben Santiago-Hudson (August Wilson’s Jitney) will begin performances on Broadway during the winter of 2022, producer Manhattan Theatre Club announced today.
The production joins Mtc’s previously announced 2021-22 Broadway line-up of Santiago-Hudson’s Lackawanna Blues (fall 2021) and Paula Vogel’s How I Learned To Drive starring Mary-Louise Parker and David Morse (spring 2022). The Broadway productions will be staged at Mtc’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.
Mtc also announced a winter 2022 Off Broadway production of Prayer For The French Republic, a world premiere by Joshua Harmon and directed by Tony Award winner David Cromer.
Skeleton Crew is set in 2008 Detroit, where, as described by Mtc, a small automotive factory is on the brink of foreclosure, and a...
The production joins Mtc’s previously announced 2021-22 Broadway line-up of Santiago-Hudson’s Lackawanna Blues (fall 2021) and Paula Vogel’s How I Learned To Drive starring Mary-Louise Parker and David Morse (spring 2022). The Broadway productions will be staged at Mtc’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.
Mtc also announced a winter 2022 Off Broadway production of Prayer For The French Republic, a world premiere by Joshua Harmon and directed by Tony Award winner David Cromer.
Skeleton Crew is set in 2008 Detroit, where, as described by Mtc, a small automotive factory is on the brink of foreclosure, and a...
- 1/11/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
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