June 19, 2013

‘Hip Hop Sisters’ Among Four New Reality Shows at BET

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*BET is building up its unscripted offerings, putting four unscripted pilots into development this year – including a reality show featuring MC Lyte, The Lady of Rage, Yo Yo, Smooth, Monie Love and Lil Mama attempting to relauch their careers. Titled “Hip Hop Sisters,” the series joins a fitness entry featuring celebrity trainer Jeanette Jenkins [...]




Akils Reflect on ‘Sparkle’ Ahead of March 23 STARZ Premiere (Listen)

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*Director Salim Akil knew he was stepping into some delicate territory when he agreed to take on the remake of “Sparkle,” the 1976 musical film starring Irene Cara and Philip Michael Thomas that went on to become a cult fave. “Black folk love this movie,” the filmmaker said of the original in an interview alongside his [...]




EUR Review: Gabrielle Union Shines in BET’s ‘Being Mary Jane’

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*Great hair, perfect smile, show-stopping complexion, incredible figure … Gabrielle Union’s beauty is almost unparalleled, and the characters she portrays don’t seem like they’re that far off from the real thing either. They’re always smart, always seem to have all the right answers, they always have the great jobs and end up with the handsome [...]




Akils Pact with Paramount for ‘Abandonment Issues’

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*Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil, who just teamed on the Screen Gems remake “Sparkle” with Whitney Houston, have made a deal with Paramount Pictures for a new project with the working title “Abandonment Issues,” reports Deadline.com. [SUBSCRIBE TO EURWEB's RSS FEED] They’ll produce the project together, while Mara Brock Akil will write the script [...]




BET’s ‘Being Mary Jane’ to Open Urbanworld Film Fest

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*Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil’s “Being Mary Jane,” starring Gabrielle Union as a single career woman, will open the 16th Annual Urbanworld Film Festival on Sept. 20 in New York ahead of its 2013 bow on BET. [SUBSCRIBE TO EURWEB's RSS FEED] Formerly titled “Single Black Female,” the show stars Union as Mary Jane [...]




BET Picks Up Gabrielle Union’s ‘Being Mary Jane’ to Series

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*Deadline.com is reporting that BET has decided to pick up its hourlong pilot “Being Mary Jane” (formerly “Single Black Female”) starring Gabrielle Union to series. [SUBSCRIBE TO EURWEB's RSS FEED] Penned by Mara Brock Akil and directed by Salim Akil, the drama centers on successful talk show host Mary Jane Paul (Union) looking to one [...]




Book Version of Whitney’s ‘Sparkle’ Due in Aug.; Broadway Next?

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*Howard Rosenman, the producer-writer of the original 1976 “Sparkle” and executive producer of Sony’s 2012 remake starring Whitney Houston, tells The Hollywood Reporter that a novelization of the movie’s story was sold six weeks ago to Simon & Schuster. [SUBSCRIBE TO EURWEB's RSS FEED] The book will be released Aug. 7, 10 days before the [...]




The Akils to Discuss their Industry Success at ABFF

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*This summer is going to be a hot one for the Akils. Hollywood power couple Salim and Mara Brock-Akil will be featured guests at the 16th Annual American Black Film Festival’s “A Conversation With” panel on Friday, June 22 at the Ritz Carlton South Beach hotel. The dynamic duo’s feature film credits are just as [...]




‘Sparkle’ Trailer Didn’t Do It Justice; Jordin Sparks and Dir. Have More

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*From all indications, “Sparkle” is going to be a hit. The film’s trailer was just released, giving fans a little tease for the coming premiere. But some were disappointed to only find a two-minute clip of the film filled with lots of singing. To make up for brief preview, Jordin Sparks, who plays the lead [...]




Freeman Joins VH1’s ‘Single Ladies’; Vidal in BET’s ‘Being Mary Jane’

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*In casting news, actress Cassandra Freeman, best known for her role on the CBS series “Numbers,” has been added to VH1′s hourlong series “Single Ladies,” while Lisa Vidal, who played Blair Underwood’s wife in NBC’s “The Event,” joins Gabrielle Union in BET’s hourlong pilot “Being Mary Jane,” formerly known as “Single Black Female.” Freeman, who [...]




Richard Roundtree, Aaron D. Spears Join BET’s ‘Single Black Female’

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*BET has rounded out their Gabrielle Union pilot “Single White Female” with the addition of veteran actor Richard Roundtree, and “The Bold and the Beautiful” star Aaron D. Spears, reports Deadline. As previously reported, the hourlong drama is from Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil, the husband-and-wife duo behind the cable network’s hit comedy series [...]




‘The Game’s’ Pooch Hall in Showtime Pilot ‘Ray Donovan’

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*Pooch Hall of BET’s “The Game” has joined the cast of Showtime’s drama pilot “Ray Donovan,” starring Liev Schreiber. The project centers on Ray (Schreiber), a professional “fixer” for LA’s rich and famous who can make anyone’s problems disappear, except the ones created by his own family. Hall will play Daryll, a young fighter who [...]




Sony Releasing Whitney’s Final Film ‘Sparkle’ in Aug. as Planned

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*Sony Pictures has released a statement and further details regarding the Aug. 17 release of Whitney Houston’s final film “Sparkle.” “Like all those who knew and loved her, we are shocked and saddened and the world has lost an incomparable talent. Right now our thoughts are with her daughter, her family and her friends,” spokesman [...]




‘Sparkle’s’ Brely Evans Says Give the Remake a Chance

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*There are a handful of folk who are not happy with the idea of a “Sparkle” remake, and you know who you are. The original 1976 film about the effects of fame on a rising girl group holds a special place in the hearts of fans, with Irene Cara, Lonette McKee and Dwan Smith irreplaceable [...]




‘The Game’s’ Salim and Mara Brock Akil Sign Multi-Year Deal with BET

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*Expect much more scripted content on BET from the Akils. Salim and Mara Brock Akil, executive producers of “The Game,” have signed a multi-year development deal with the network through their Akil Productions. “We’re thrilled to build on the very important relationship between our network and the Hollywood creative community, especially with two proven powerhouses [...]