Exclusive: Derek Luke (Antwone Fisher) is the latest addition to Michael, the Michael Jackson biopic that Antoine Fuqua is directing for Lionsgate and Universal Pictures International, sources tell Deadline.
The actor will play famed attorney Johnnie Cochran, who repped Jackson in a 1993 child molestation case that was settled out of court. As previously announced, Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson leads the ensemble as Michael, with Colman Domingo, Nia Long, Miles Teller, Laura Harrier and Juliano Krue Valdi among others set for key roles.
Scripted by by John Logan, Michael promises to bring audiences a riveting and honest portrayal of the brilliant yet complicated man who became known worldwide as the King of Pop. The film will examine Jackson’s triumphs and tragedies — from his human side, to his public and private struggles, to the accusations and the 24/7 media microscope Jackson lived under, even at his artistic apex. Pic will also...
The actor will play famed attorney Johnnie Cochran, who repped Jackson in a 1993 child molestation case that was settled out of court. As previously announced, Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson leads the ensemble as Michael, with Colman Domingo, Nia Long, Miles Teller, Laura Harrier and Juliano Krue Valdi among others set for key roles.
Scripted by by John Logan, Michael promises to bring audiences a riveting and honest portrayal of the brilliant yet complicated man who became known worldwide as the King of Pop. The film will examine Jackson’s triumphs and tragedies — from his human side, to his public and private struggles, to the accusations and the 24/7 media microscope Jackson lived under, even at his artistic apex. Pic will also...
- 4/23/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
When the O.J. Simpson murder trial aired on televisions across the United States in 1995, no one could foresee the lasting impact it would have on the entertainment industry.
For nearly a year, the world watched as the former NFL star, who died on Wednesday after a battle with cancer, defended himself against accusations of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman. Simpson was represented by a group of lawyers notoriously referred to as The “Dream Team” — including Robert Shapiro, Johnnie Cochran, and Robert Kardashian.
The trial was appointment viewing,...
For nearly a year, the world watched as the former NFL star, who died on Wednesday after a battle with cancer, defended himself against accusations of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman. Simpson was represented by a group of lawyers notoriously referred to as The “Dream Team” — including Robert Shapiro, Johnnie Cochran, and Robert Kardashian.
The trial was appointment viewing,...
- 4/12/2024
- by Krystie Lee Yandoli
- Rollingstone.com
It’s a bit of an irony that just as NBC’s “Must-See TV” juggernaut took off in 1994, execs there found themselves right in the middle of a completely different kind of televised spectacle: The O.J. Simpson arrest, trial and eventual acquittal.
Not only was then-nbc West Coast president Don Ohlmeyer one of Simpson’s best friends, but just a month before the killings of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman — followed by Simpson’s white Ford Bronco flight from justice and arrest — NBC had passed on a pilot starring the ex-football-star.
“It was just a strange time to be there because of Don’s loyalty to O.J.,” recalled Preston Beckman, who was NBC’s head of scheduling at the time, and one of Ohlmeyer’s and NBC Entertainment president Warren Littlefield’s key lieutenants. Ohlmeyer would occasionally bring up Simpson during the network’s afternoon meetings in their Burbank offices,...
Not only was then-nbc West Coast president Don Ohlmeyer one of Simpson’s best friends, but just a month before the killings of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman — followed by Simpson’s white Ford Bronco flight from justice and arrest — NBC had passed on a pilot starring the ex-football-star.
“It was just a strange time to be there because of Don’s loyalty to O.J.,” recalled Preston Beckman, who was NBC’s head of scheduling at the time, and one of Ohlmeyer’s and NBC Entertainment president Warren Littlefield’s key lieutenants. Ohlmeyer would occasionally bring up Simpson during the network’s afternoon meetings in their Burbank offices,...
- 4/12/2024
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
TV Insider is counting down the 50 best historical dramas on TV, both past and present. In the latest roundup, we’re looking at event-inspired titles ranging from Chernobyl to American Crime Story‘s first season, The People v. O.J. Simpson among other must-see shows. Scroll down for a more in-depth peek into TV’s must-see historical dramas, and stay tuned for more. Hey there, historians! Join us in our countdown of the 50 Best Historical Dramas, from both television and film. Be sure to check out TV Insider’s April 2024 issue, currently on newsstands. The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (Hulu) In the gripping 2016 series, viewers are taken behind court cameras to revisit the chaotic infamy of the 1994–95 murder trial — one of the most controversial cases in American history. The 10 episodes closely chronicle the battle between Simpson’s “Dream Team” defense, prosecutor Marcia Clark (Sarah Paulson), and ...
- 4/12/2024
- TV Insider
The slow-speed car chase never really ended.
It began on June 17, 1994, and it happened, appropriately, in prime time for many viewers. A warrant was out for O.J. Simpson’s arrest for the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman. And when police caught up with Simpson on a Southern California freeway, a TV news helicopter was hovering overhead.
“Ok, I’m going to have to interrupt this caller,” CNN’s Larry King said during his show. “I understand we’re going to go to a live picture in Los Angeles…...
It began on June 17, 1994, and it happened, appropriately, in prime time for many viewers. A warrant was out for O.J. Simpson’s arrest for the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman. And when police caught up with Simpson on a Southern California freeway, a TV news helicopter was hovering overhead.
“Ok, I’m going to have to interrupt this caller,” CNN’s Larry King said during his show. “I understand we’re going to go to a live picture in Los Angeles…...
- 4/11/2024
- by Brian Stelter
- Rollingstone.com
O.J. Simpson, the football star who later became an actor and then better known for being accused of killing his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman amid a high-profile televised car chase and trial in which he was ultimately acquitted of murder charges, has died. He was 76.
In a post on Simpson’s official X (formerly known as Twitter) account, the Simpson family shared the following statement: “On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace.”
Simpson’s death follows a life marked by success in sports and Hollywood that morphed into the athlete becoming a suspected murderer and convicted armed robber. Born Orenthal James Simpson on July 9, 1947, in San Francisco, Simpson’s Heisman Trophy-winning days...
In a post on Simpson’s official X (formerly known as Twitter) account, the Simpson family shared the following statement: “On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace.”
Simpson’s death follows a life marked by success in sports and Hollywood that morphed into the athlete becoming a suspected murderer and convicted armed robber. Born Orenthal James Simpson on July 9, 1947, in San Francisco, Simpson’s Heisman Trophy-winning days...
- 4/11/2024
- by Hilary Lewis and Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Orenthal James “O.J.” Simpson, the former football player and actor whose legacy was defined by an infamous murder trial, has died. He was 76.
Simpson’s family shared the news of his passing Thursday in an X post, which read, “On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace.”
More from TVLineO.J. Simpson on TV: The Notorious Star’s Influence on the Small Screen, From the NFL to...
Simpson’s family shared the news of his passing Thursday in an X post, which read, “On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace.”
More from TVLineO.J. Simpson on TV: The Notorious Star’s Influence on the Small Screen, From the NFL to...
- 4/11/2024
- by Rebecca Iannucci
- TVLine.com
There’s a story of thrillingly righteous indignation sitting at the core of Maggie Betts’s The Burial. This flashy legal melodrama is fitfully stirring but too flabby to deliver the walloping blow that it needs. The high points are delivered primarily by Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones, who make a good effort to fill in the gaps left by the spotty screenplay.
Based on a New Yorker article by A Civil Action author Jonathan Harr, the film works as hard to get its audience interested in contract law as Foxx’s high-octane personal injury lawyer, Willie Gary, does when whipping up a jury’s emotions about arcane legal matters. The case in question pits Mississippi funeral home director Jeremiah O’Keefe (Jones) against the Loewen Group, a funeral home and cemetery company, after the conglomerate stalled on an agreement to buy some of the man’s locations, possibly to run him out of business.
Based on a New Yorker article by A Civil Action author Jonathan Harr, the film works as hard to get its audience interested in contract law as Foxx’s high-octane personal injury lawyer, Willie Gary, does when whipping up a jury’s emotions about arcane legal matters. The case in question pits Mississippi funeral home director Jeremiah O’Keefe (Jones) against the Loewen Group, a funeral home and cemetery company, after the conglomerate stalled on an agreement to buy some of the man’s locations, possibly to run him out of business.
- 10/5/2023
- by Chris Barsanti
- Slant Magazine
The Burial tells the story of funeral home owner and former politician Jerry O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones) and his case against the Loewen Group, spearheaded by flashy personal injury lawyer Willie E. Gary (Jamie Foxx). The film, based on a real case in Hinds County, Mississippi, in 1995, is the sophomore narrative feature from Maggie Betts, with a screenplay by Doug Wright and Betts.
O’Keefe is the father of 13 children with 22 grandchildren and a mountain of debt he’s been hiding from everyone, including his wife (Pamela Reed). And at his age, his focus is on securing his legacy to make sure his large family is taken care of after he’s gone. Though he owns multiple funeral homes, debt has forced him to sell. His attorney and friend Mike Allred (Alan Ruck) sets up a meeting with Raymond Loewen (Bill Camp), the billionaire owner of the Loewen Group, who...
O’Keefe is the father of 13 children with 22 grandchildren and a mountain of debt he’s been hiding from everyone, including his wife (Pamela Reed). And at his age, his focus is on securing his legacy to make sure his large family is taken care of after he’s gone. Though he owns multiple funeral homes, debt has forced him to sell. His attorney and friend Mike Allred (Alan Ruck) sets up a meeting with Raymond Loewen (Bill Camp), the billionaire owner of the Loewen Group, who...
- 9/13/2023
- by Jourdain Searles
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Earlier this week, Tory Lanez’s lawyer Jose Baez posted a note to his 35,000 followers on Instagram alleging that the DNA evidence in Lanez’s shooting case was “false and misleading.” As if he were dropping a new album himself, he announced that he would divulge more details at 6 Pm that day. A rapper’s lawyer teasing an evidence reveal in a case is certainly a first. Though, of course, the information Baez offered was already in Lanez’s March 29th motion for a new trial — not to mention the...
- 4/28/2023
- by Andre Gee
- Rollingstone.com
Exclusive: Emmy and Tony-Award winner Courtney B. Vance has joined the cast of Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch in the role of Cobra Bubbles, Deadline has learned.
Vance joins Billy Magnussen (No Time to Die), Zach Galifianakis and newcomer Maia Kealoha who has been tapped as Lilo.
It’s still unclear how the sequel’s plot will compare to the original 2002 animated film, that Hawaii-set story charted the friendship between a lonely girl named Lilo and the alien, Stitch, engineered to be a force of destruction.
In the Disney animated movie which grossed over $273M WW, Bubbles is a former CIA agent turned social worker—though in an undercover way as he is still working for the government. The role was voiced originally by Ving Rhames in the films and various TV projects. The character was also voiced by Terrence C. Carson, Kevin Michael Richardson and Richard Epcar.
The Dean Fleischer Camp...
Vance joins Billy Magnussen (No Time to Die), Zach Galifianakis and newcomer Maia Kealoha who has been tapped as Lilo.
It’s still unclear how the sequel’s plot will compare to the original 2002 animated film, that Hawaii-set story charted the friendship between a lonely girl named Lilo and the alien, Stitch, engineered to be a force of destruction.
In the Disney animated movie which grossed over $273M WW, Bubbles is a former CIA agent turned social worker—though in an undercover way as he is still working for the government. The role was voiced originally by Ving Rhames in the films and various TV projects. The character was also voiced by Terrence C. Carson, Kevin Michael Richardson and Richard Epcar.
The Dean Fleischer Camp...
- 4/19/2023
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Among the Emmy categories that “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” is looking to get nominated in, Best Movie/Limited Actor for its star Daniel Radcliffe is right at the top along with Best TV Movie. The Roku Channel’s hit telefilm may seem like an unconventional nominee, but there are several promising factors that are working in his favor.
The fact that the movie is a flat-out comedy could be viewed as something of an obstacle for it to overcome. But, performances from comedic-dramas have scored noms here, including Jeff Bridges for “A Dog Year” (2010) and Hugh Grant for “A Very English Scandal” (2019). We have also seen three comedy performances contend in this category: two for Ricky Gervais for “Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale” (2008) and “Derek: The Special” (2015) and one for Jesse Plemons for “Black Mirror: USS Callister” (2018).
See Daniel Radcliffe movies: 10 greatest films ranked worst to best...
The fact that the movie is a flat-out comedy could be viewed as something of an obstacle for it to overcome. But, performances from comedic-dramas have scored noms here, including Jeff Bridges for “A Dog Year” (2010) and Hugh Grant for “A Very English Scandal” (2019). We have also seen three comedy performances contend in this category: two for Ricky Gervais for “Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale” (2008) and “Derek: The Special” (2015) and one for Jesse Plemons for “Black Mirror: USS Callister” (2018).
See Daniel Radcliffe movies: 10 greatest films ranked worst to best...
- 4/6/2023
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
ABC has assembled the lead cast opposite Anthony Anderson of ABC’s single camera comedy pilot Public Defenders. Erika Henningsen, Arturo Castro, Kimrie Lewis, Natasha Lopez and Isaiah Dòdó-Williams have been set as series regulars in the pilot, written by Eddie Quintana and to be directed by Randall Einhorn.
Related Story Sarah Shahi To Headline ABC Pilot ‘Judgement’; What Does It Mean For ‘Sex/Life’? Related Story Anthony Anderson To Star In 'Public Defenders' ABC Pilot; Liz Astrof To Showrun & Randall Einhorn To Direct Related Story 'Public Defenders' Comedy From Eddie Quintana & McG Lands Pilot Order At ABC
In it, up to their earholes in student loan debt, four inexperienced public defenders work tirelessly to keep their clients out of jail. Along the way, they have to rely on one another to navigate their first defendants, the absurd court system and the copy machine that always jams.
Related: 2023 ABC Pilots...
Related Story Sarah Shahi To Headline ABC Pilot ‘Judgement’; What Does It Mean For ‘Sex/Life’? Related Story Anthony Anderson To Star In 'Public Defenders' ABC Pilot; Liz Astrof To Showrun & Randall Einhorn To Direct Related Story 'Public Defenders' Comedy From Eddie Quintana & McG Lands Pilot Order At ABC
In it, up to their earholes in student loan debt, four inexperienced public defenders work tirelessly to keep their clients out of jail. Along the way, they have to rely on one another to navigate their first defendants, the absurd court system and the copy machine that always jams.
Related: 2023 ABC Pilots...
- 3/14/2023
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
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