10 Things We Need To See In 'Black Panther 2'

It’s time to make sure your passport is valid and your most iconic Wakandan couture is starched and pressed, because the Black Panther sequel officially has the green light. Black Panther director Ryan Coogler recently signed a deal to write and direct Black Panther 2. 

The Creed filmmaker will take all of 2019 to pen the script for the highly anticipated sequel, which will head into production in late 2019 or early 2020. We're guessing that the movie will hit theaters sometime in early 2021. As we prepare ourselves for what will surely be another legendary superhero flick with a stunning, melanin-filled cast, here are 10 things that we absolutely must see when Black Panther 2 finally does hit the big screen. 

1. A larger scope of Wakanda 

Though the majority of Black Panther was set in Wakanda, the mythical East African nation that boasted everything from lush greenery to grand skyscrapers made of vibranium, much of the film was concentrated in closed spaces in T’Challa’s (Chadwick Boseman) palace, or in other places across the globe. 

There was a glimpse of the immense scale of the country from the aerial shots inside T’Challa’s plane. We also got to see how the various traditions and tribes within the country mixed during his coronation ceremony, and when he and Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o) ventured out for a walk in the marketplace. But we can't really know if Wakanda is the utopia we think it is until we see how the average Wakandan lives, outside of the palace. 

2. Responsible Tension  

You can’t have a good superhero movie without some tension and conflict, and it's possible that Wakanda's new open borders policy for refugees could be the source of that. But considering the real-life horrors of the global treatment of refugees, it's important that a film of this magnitude and impact would handle this topic with the nuance and care it deserves. One of the most pivotal aspects of Black Panther was that it presented people of the African diaspora in all of our complexities. We expect nothing less in the sequel. 

Our origins are the same; however, we have different customs, traditions and cultures. Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) had Wakandan ancestry, but he was raised in Oakland and spent his life wading through the cesspool that is American racism. The differences in experiences will surely cause some strain between native Wakandans and outsiders. 

Also, with the borders of Wakanda open, vibranium will undoubtedly become more vulnerable. So we are eager to see how Coogler and his team will handle immigration in Black Panther 2. 

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TIFF 2018: George Tillman Jr. On Adapting Book 'The Hate U Give' To The Big Screen

Since the mega success of 1997’s Soul Food, director George Tillman Jr. has been telling stories that enable people to deeply examine their own lives and their connections with others. He's directed Notorious and The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete, and he’s also worked diligently as a producer films like Mudbound and the Barbershop franchise. Now the prolific filmmaker is bringing Angie Thomas’ stunning novel The Hate U Give to the big screen. The narrative centers around Black teenager Starr Carter, and her experiences participating in activism paralleling the Black Lives Matter movement. 

Following the film's premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, Shadow and Act sat down to chat with Tillman about why this was a story he felt compelled to tell, and what he’s uncovered over the course of his career. For Tillman, the entry point into Starr’s world was first sparked by Thomas’ novel. 

"When the book came to me it wasn't published," Tillman told Shadow and Act. "Angie was still in the process of editing the book. I got it really early — in January 2016. I was working with Cheo Hodari Coker, who I did Notorious with. He wanted me to do an episode . I went out to Brooklyn, and the book came to me in my second week of shooting." 

"I didn't have a lot of time, but I did read the first chapter," he said. "The first chapter starts off at the party where Starr's hanging out. She says, 'I don't know if I'm supposed to be at this party.' She was uncomfortable, and I thought, 'Wow, I’ve never seen a story about a young 16-year-old, African American dealing with identity issues.'" 

"As I kept reading it, the dialogue and the language reminded me of a party I went to years ago in my high school times, and a shooting happened," Tillman recalled. "The way (Angie) caught that, and the themes — I was just blown away. I had to get on the phone with her right away. We talked maybe two weeks after that. We went through how I saw the movie, the important characters, the voice, the theme. We completely connected. Then I was able to sell it to Fox at that point." 

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Meet The Ugandan Filmmaker Racking Up Festival Awards With Her Astonishing Film 'Kyenvu'

More than a decade ago, Tarana Burke founded the #MeToo movement to give Black women and girls in particular a platform to speak out against sexual violence and rape culture. The movement hit the mainstream and Hollywood last year and Black artists continue to create work that reflects this powerful historical moment.  The #MeToo movement is meant to be a rallying call heard across the globe for women whose voices have been stamped out, silenced and ignored throughout time. This movement is supposed to shine a light on rape culture, misogyny, harassment and the dangers that women encounter on a daily basis as they go about their lives. And yet, despite its promise, #MeToo has not quite opened its doors to Black and brown women and their particular perspectives. 

Ugandan filmmaker Kemiyondo Coutinho is one of those artists. She’s speaking her truth through her explosive short film Kyenvu. done waiting for permission to speak her truth. 

Instead, the playwright, actress and director decided it was time to share her viewpoint through her impactful and explosive film, Kyenvu. 

Winner of the Pan African Film Festival’s Grand Jury Best Short Film Award and a finalist in NBCU Short Film Festival 2018, Kyenvu is a raw and breathless account of a fearless Ugandan woman’s determination to assert herself in a world where she's constantly being preyed upon. Coutinho stars in the film as the young woman who encounters street harassment daily. When she woman finally lets her guard down, she’s attacked in the worst possible way. 

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Cress Williams on 'Black Lightning,' Jefferson's Endgame and Why The Show Is Forever Changed

Black Lightning has returned full throttle for a second season, and the stakes are higher and grittier this go-round. Last season, Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams), a man who had been turned his back on his superhero alter-ego Black Lightning, decided he could no longer sit back and watch his city, Freeland, descend into chaos. After a nine-year hiatus, he chose to slip back into his super suit and use his superhuman abilities to harness and control electricity to try and save his community. 

Jeff’s decision to step back into the masked vigilante’s shoes had quite the effect on his family. Namely, his scientist ex-wife, Lynn (Christine Adams) with whom he’d been working to rekindle a romance, and the couple’s daughters, Anissa (Nafessa Williams) and Jennifer (China Anne McClain) – strong-minded young women who are discovering their own superpowers. 

Despite his best efforts to help the people of Freeland, the season finale of Black Lightning ended with Jefferson at death's door. The menacing Tobias (Marvin Jones III), and his violent 100 gang nearly got the best of the high school principal. Just before the season premiere, Shadow and Act, headed to Decatur, Georgia to tour the Black Lightning set and speak to Williams about Season 2, how everything is about to change for the Pierce family, and why Jefferson will be juggling a lot more demons both in and out of his suit. 

"The first part of this season is Jefferson realizing all of the bad things that happened in season one," Williams says. "He's ready to take all the good and is kind of in denial about the bad. In the first three episodes, he's getting confronted with, 'This is the bad repercussion of what you did to the school, this is the bad repercussion of this and that — this is the bad repercussion of your daughter now having powers.' He’s also grappling with his family, Anissa's jumped in, and she's active as Thunder, Lynn's Green Light Babies, and Jennifer's wrestling with her powers." 

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Salim Akil On Making 'Black Lightning' Blacker Than Ever And Why Black Women Are The Backbone Of The Series

Black superhero drama Black Lightning is back, and its sophomore season promises to be even more powerful than the first. 

Under the bold direction of executive producer Salim Akil, Black Lightning is primarily about family and the sacrifices one makes to keep them safe. The series follows Jefferson Pierce (Cress Williams), who had given up his crime-fighting alter ego Black Lightning for the sake of his wife and kids. Nine years later, he’s a high school principal with a tumultuous relationship with his now ex-wife Lynn (Christine Adams), and they co-parent two daughters Anissa (Nafessa Williams) and Jennifer (China Anne McClain). When a dangerous gang threatens the city of Freeland, he’s forced to resume his vigilantism, while protecting his secret identity from a government agency that's hot on his trail and keeping his daughters safe, who might just be superheroes too. 

Based on the DC Comics character of the same name, this show's explosive first season proved that it was much more than a stereotypical showcase of good versus evil. The show includes nuanced narratives about drug addiction, police brutality, government conspiracies and unsanctioned experimentation on Black bodies.  

Ahead of the season premiere, Shadow and Act traveled to Decatur, Georgia, where Black Lightning is filmed, to speak with Akil, tour the set, and get an inside scoop into the upcoming season. 

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Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish, Producer Will Packer and Director Malcolm D. Lee Talk The Cleverly Crafted 'Night School' →

Life comes at you fast, which is certainly the case for Kevin Hart’s character Teddy in the new Will Packer-produced comedy, Night School. Teddy is a high school dropout, whose charisma and impressive salesman abilities have allowed him to create a precariously built life of luxury with the woman of his dreams, Lisa (Megalyn Echikunwoke). However, his world crumbles under his feet when he finds himself out of a job without a degree or any other skills to fall back on. Determined to keep up the facade of his luxe lifestyle, Teddy turns to a night school class and a no-nonsense teacher named Carrie (Tiffany Haddish) — with the hopes of finally earning his GED. With electrifying chemistry between Hart and Haddish and a fantastic supporting cast that includes Romany Malco, Keith David and Insecure’s Yvonne Orji, it’s clear that after Think Like A Man, Ride Along and The Wedding Ringer, the Hart/Packer machine is just getting the ball rolling.

Shortly before Night School's premiere at Urbanworld 2018, Shadow and Act sat down to chat with Packer, the film's director Malcolm D. Lee, Hart, and Haddish. After many years of friendship, the actors were finally able to work together on a film, something they talked about extensively when they were coming up through the comedy clubs of Los Angeles.

Hart and Packer had been working on the concept for Night School for quite some time, but the final script came together just as the frenzy surrounding Girls Trip was kicking into high gear.

"Kevin and I were developing," Packer revealed. "This is his first time producing a movie, so he and I produced it together. This is our seventh movie together, but we did not have a director. Malcolm and I had just finished Girls Trip, and I showed Kevin an early cut of the film. He loved it and said, 'Let's go get Malcolm Lee.'"

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TIFF Interview: Director A.V. Rockwell Talks Her Film ‘Feathers' And How Philando Castile's Death Inspired Its Powerful Storyline

Countless films have examined the pain and traumas of black, male adolescence. From Moonlight to Menace II Society, these stories have woven stunning tapestries, which unpack what it means to come of age as a black male in America. However, few films have provided a space of healing for their characters, allowing them to work through their pain to overcome their past.With her lush, 19-minute short, Feathers, director A.V. Rockwell presents Elizier's (newcomer Shavez Frost) story. A new student at The Edward R. Mill School for Boys, Elizier must learn to release the anger and grief of his past, to press forward in his life and become the person he was always meant to be. Tucked in the corner of a restaurant in the midst of the Toronto International Film Festival, Shadow and Act sat down to chat with Rockwell about her love letter to black men and what inspired her to capture Elizier's story on screen.

"I am definitely frustrated. Generally speaking, there is just so much going on, and it's not even anything new. Looking back over the decades at our relationship with officers, with the police force — this is a recurring thing. The proof is right there, but even that doesn't feel like that is enough. It's like the world doesn't seem to give a damn about us, and that feeling is what Feathers is about," Rockwell said. "Society doesn't give a damn about you — whether you live or die. Our lives aren’t valued, and it definitely doesn't feel like your life shares the same value as your non-black friend."

"I thought, 'I want to do something that addresses that.' How does it feel to move through the world from such a young age, but already have that awareness or see a parent die?" she continued. "I thought about Philando Castile’s daughter; how does she feel to have seen her dad die viciously that way? Now she has to go through the world without a dad. Those images will be in her head with her for the rest of her life. Now she is being raised by a single mom. What is that going to mean for them, and in carrying all of this, what is that going to mean for her children, her grandchildren? How is that going to travel through the generations? I was frustrated by that, and thinking of their point of view," the director explained.

"Using their story as an allegory experience, I really wanted to lift them and push the message: Lift each other. When the rest of the world seems to have let go, that doesn't mean that you still should not care about each other," Rockwell implored. "The black community should continue to push society to change, but we can also take steps among ourselves. We need to take a look at our traumas and the way we deal with them — and the way we can find a way out of them."

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Aäläm-Wärqe Davidian On 'Fig Tree,' The Brutality Of War And The Sacrifice Of Filmmaking

War is horrific and cruel. Its brutalities burrow into the memories of everyone it touches, forever changing landscapes and lives left in its wake. From her memories of the end of the Ethiopian Civil War, Ethiopian-Israeli writer-director Aäläm-Wärqe Davidian takes an unflinching look at war in her feature film debut, Fig Tree. A sumptuous film about pain and perseverance, Fig Tree was awarded the Audentia Award for Best Female Director at the Toronto Film Festival (TIFF). Set in Addis Ababa in 1989, Davidian's film centers around Mina (Betalehem Asmamawe), a 16-year-old girl who is desperate to hold on to both her homeland and Eli (Yohanes Muse), her Christian boyfriend, who is frantically evading being drafted into Mengistu Haile Mariam's army.

Shadow and Act sat down to chat with Davidian about this compelling, coming-of-age story and the sacrifices she made to make this film.

Davidian left war-torn Ethiopia when she was just 11 years old, but Mina's story is quite different from her own. Fig Tree was born out of Davidian's desire to connect to her memories and the feelings from her childhood that still lingered with her.

"I started to go to pharmacy school, but I was rejected," she said. "During that time, I was watching a ton of movies. I was inspired to share the way I viewed the world, especially because I would always see these awful headlines about Ethiopia and Africa. I came from there, and I wanted to share what it was really like, and how it made me feel. It's beautiful, and Amharic is a beautiful language. I felt in my soul that it was something that I needed to share."

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Regina Hall On Bringing Angie Thomas' World To Life In 'The Hate You Give,' And Why It’s Always A Wonderful Time To Be A Black Woman

Regina Hall didn’t expect to be a part of the film adaptation of Angie Thomas’ explosive novel, The Hate U Give. She was cast as Lisa Carter, the loving but no-nonsense mother of protagonist Starr Carter, quite by chance. The novel and film chronicle Starr's experiences with law enforcement, her school and her community, after she watches her childhood friend get gunned down by a police officer. During the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Shadow and Act sat down to chat with the Hall about bringing a black teen girl’s experience of police brutality and injustice to the big screen. "I did Barbershop—the third installment. And after we wrapped, George said, 'You know, there's a project that I really think you'd be great for,'" Hall revealed. "I didn't know that it had a green light, nor was I sure that the studio was going to approve me for the part. A year passed and George called, and they sent the book over. I was more than halfway through the book, and then the script came. I read the script and thought that they did a great job with the adaptation—because that's hard. Then I went and met with the executives at Fox, and everyone said, 'Yes.'"

Though the veteran actress trusted Tillman’s vision, watching the film come together as the rest of the cast came onboard was a thrilling experience. "I was excited! Russell was doing it, and Amandla. I thought of the cast that George was putting together, and I was like, 'Huh? That's an interesting cast.' I thought, 'Are people going to think Starr looks like me?' Hall told Shadow and Act.

"Then they brought on Common, and Issa as the activist lawyer. Even Anthony as the villain — there were all these pieces of the puzzle. George was so clear, and he was so smart in his vision of the movie. When we were shooting, I was like, 'Oh, of course!' I couldn't see anyone else. It's not necessarily what I would've thought, and I know that there were people who were like, 'I don't know about that,'" Hall said. "So that's just a testament to George and everyone at Fox in the casting. I was very excited to be a part of it, in the rehearsals watching it come together."

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TIFF Review: Stella Meghie’s ‘The Weekend’ Is Witty, Raw & Proves That Three Is Always A Crowd

Everything can change over the course of three days, as is chronicled in Stella Meghie’s biting comedy The Weekend. Struggling stand-up comedian Zadie (Saturday Night Live alum Sasheer Zamata) is 29, and — as she puts it — "extremely single." Regrettably, Zadie's nonexistent love life is mostly for lack of trying on her part. When she isn’t busy trying out new material on stage, she’s still pining over her ex-boyfriend turned reluctant friend Bradford (Tone Bell), even though they haven’t been together romantically in three years. To make up for skipping out on his birthday soirée for loftier plans — like eating an entire pizza and wallowing in self-pity, Zadie gifts Bradford with a first edition, signed copy of W.E.B. Du Bois’ The Souls of Black Folk. She also invites him on a weekend getaway at her parents' bed and breakfast in picturesque northern California. Much to Zadie's disdain, Bradford invites his girlfriend, Margo (DeWanda Wise) along as well. Bougie and well-put-together, Margot knows exactly who she is. Meanwhile, Zadie — who is still trying to figure her life out — can’t take it. It’s a disaster waiting to happen.

Things start off on the wrong foot before the trio even arrives to the bed and breakfast. However, their trip takes an intriguing turn when a single, very sexy guest named Aubrey (Insecure’s Y’lan Noel) arrives, and takes an interest in the plucky, self-deprecating Zadie. Zamata and Noel’s scenes together are some of the best of the film, and stand out because they allow audiences to see Zadie in her own light without Bradford's shadow cast over her.

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‘Green Book’ Pushes Past Generic Storytelling To Present A Stunning Tale Of Race Relations In The '60s

From Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? to The Help, many films have examined race relations in the 1960's. Some like Malcolm X have considered a specific character or moment in history. Others like To Sir, With Love, allowed the tumultuous times to exist in the backdrop of their stories, becoming a time capsule of America’s shameful past and wicked present. Despite the plethora of work on the subject, there has never been a film quite like Green Book. Based on the real-life friendship of an acclaimed Black classical pianist, Dr. Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) and an Italian-American club bouncer, Tony Lip (Viggo Mortensen), Green Book chronicles the eight weeks Tony was employed as Dr. Shirley's driver and bodyguard as he embarked on a dangerous concert tour that led the men into the Deep South in the winter of 1962.

Green Book could have easily been yet another generic Civil Rights film or a poor reincarnation of 1989’s Driving Miss Daisy. Luckily, it was much more than that. With stellar performances from Ali -- who carried both an air of class along with the burdens of being an eccentric Black man in the ‘60s in his portrayal -- and Mortensen who put on the weight of Tony (a man who adored food), a New York accent and often crass attitude of Bronx natives are what makes Green Book a top-tier film.

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‘Assassination Nation’ Is A Social Thriller That Digs Into Violent Masculinity, Transphobia And Privacy Issues That Speak To Everyone In The Internet Age

If you've ever wanted to know what would go down if the Salem Witch Trials happened in the midst of the #MeToo Movement, then Assassination Nation is your answer. There's a lot to untangle in Sam Levinson's feminist revenge fantasy. An ambitious but somewhat chaotic film, Levinson invites his audience into Salem—an American suburb where real horrors lie in everyone’s cell phone histories, downloads, and clouds. Four young women stand at the center of Assassination Nation: Lily (Odessa Young), and her best friends, Bex (Hari Nef), Sarah (Suki Waterhouse) and Em (Abra).  Despite her close bond with her friends, Lily is keeping one secret close to her chest: she’s carrying on an illicit affair with an unnamed older, married gentleman who she refers to as Daddy. Walking a delicate line between her hidden and public life, Lily is also trying to balance her increasingly fractured relationship with her misogynist high school boyfriend, Mark (Bill Skårsgard). Things begin to splinter for Lily and the rest of the town when an anonymous hacker starts dumping all of Salem’s phone and computer data on the internet en masse. The leak starts with the homophobic mayor (Cullen Moss), who gets his hidden sex life -– including his Craigslist hookups with men, and his love for lingerie -- exposed, causing him to blow out his brains in a town hall. Soon after, the hacker sets their sights on the high school principal (Colman Domingo). One of the few Black faces in a mostly white town, Principal Turrell is run out of Salem after being labeled a pedophile for having pictures of his six-year-old daughter at bathtime in his phone. As the intricate secrets and search history of 17,000 people in the town become public, Salemites spiral out of control. The scandal eventually catches up with Lily and her older man when their sexting and sultry photos leak.

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Don't Expect 'The Hate U Give' To Deliver Sanitized Storytelling Around Race

The late rapper Tupac Shakur only saw 25 birthdays. However, during his short life, he came to understand the black experience in America, which he summed up as T.H.U.G.L.I.F.E, meaning, “The Hate U Give Little Infants F*cks Everybody.” This haunting perspective would influence Angie Thomas’ award-winning novel The Hate U Give, which is now a feature film. Helmed by veteran director George Tillman Jr., Amandla Stenberg brings Thomas’ Starr to life in a heartbreaking and impactful portrayal that will surely shut down the naysayers who questioned her casting. At 16, Starr has many interests—she's a sneakerhead, a starter on her school's basketball team and an active member of her community, where her father Maverick (an outstanding Russell Hornsby) owns a corner store. However, in addition to the burdens of being a teen, Starr has trained herself to exist in between two worlds. She's continuously code-switching and navigating her way through her white, upper-class prep school and the streets where she was raised.

Though she's mastered being both versions of herself, Starr’s world shatters when she witnesses her childhood best friend, Khalil (Algee Smith), be gunned down by the police during a traffic stop. Though his character is killed not even 30 minutes into the film, Smith’s endlessly charismatic Khalil allows Starr to be her true self. In his presence, she no longer has to walk a tightrope between two worlds. The banter between Smith and Stenberg—though brief—was the stuff of which teenage love affairs are made. In the aftermath of Khalil's murder, Starr must grapple with remaining silent. It's something her loving but fearlessly protective mother, Lisa (Regina Hall), begs Starr to make a choice about: bear with the quiet or use her voice to speak for her fallen friend.

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Gabrielle Dennis On The Explosive 'Bobby Brown Story,' Becoming Whitney And Getting Villainous For 'Luke Cage'

Gabrielle Dennis has an aura of fearlessness about her. The Howard University alum first rose to fame in 2008 when she stepped onto the television scene as Janay, the woman who came between Derwin (Pooch Hall) and Melanie (Tia Mowry-Hardrict) on the long-running dramedy The Game. Since then, Dennis has claimed her spot in the Marvel Universe in Netflix's Luke Cage, starred opposite Morris Chestnut on the medical drama Rosewood and has even appeared on the beloved Issa Rae comedy Insecure. Now, Dennis is taking on the role of a lifetime as the late Whitney Houston in BET’s The Bobby Brown Story. Houston left behind a voice and legacy that was so impactful that it still rings out across the globe, so it wasn't a role that Dennis took lightly. "I wouldn't say there was necessarily a fear," she explained to me ahead of  The Bobby Bown Story premiere. "Going into it, understanding how important this role is, how important the need for me to approach it with a certain level of respect and being very delicate because of who she is, it was definitely a challenge. The hardest thing, I think, was that it was such a rushed project. We shot two films in six weeks. It's just such a whirlwind. Things go so quickly. It was a lot of hard work in the preparation and the studying of her. I knew I wouldn't have a lot of time on set to just be playing around. It was just kind of like, 'Girl, during your time off, it's just ... it's watching videos; it's studying your lines.'"

Though Houston had such an energetic spirit, many aspects of her life, especially her marriage to Brown, were often filled with darkness. It was a weight that Dennis had to shake off when filming wrapped. "When I finally wrapped, it was definitely a relief," the Luke Cage actress said. "It took a while to get Whitney off of me because I care so much about her, and I feel like there's this relationship that I have with her now, even though I've never met her — it's a relationship that I have with her now that's different from the one I had with her before. I went on a journey of trying to understand her, her mental space and the things that she went through, especially during her relationship and her marriage. So there's a lot of that darkness and that heavy weight that I had to sit with during that process, and it was hard and very emotional. At the end of the day, you get so upset. She's not here, and she should be here. It's very heartbreaking."

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Sixteen-Year-Old Myles Truitt Electrifies ‘Kin,' A Riveting Film Executive Produced By Michael B. Jordan

The world can feel massive and cruel. For many of us, especially young people of color living in the inner cities of this country, happiness and a sense of connection can feel out of reach, even at the earliest stages of our lives. In Kin, directors Jonathan and Josh Baker shine their light on Elijah – called Eli (newcomer Myles Truitt), a 12-year-old Black boy living with his world-weary adoptive father Hal (Dennis Quaid) in working-class Detroit. For Eli, escaping the horrors of middle school often means breaking into building sites an stealing metal for cash. It's on one of these scavenger adventures that he stumbles upon a weapon -- a supernatural gun that has been inadvertently abandoned. Intrigued with the discovery, Eli hides it away, pulling it out only when he's by himself. Discovering the weapon isn’t the only major change in Eli’s life. His big brother, Jimmy (Jack Reynor) returns home after a six-year- stint in prison. In debt to a menacing and heavily tatted gangster (James Franco) that kept him safe behind bars – Jimmy makes a run for it, scooping up his unsuspecting little brother and the mysterious weapon in the midst of it.

Truitt stepped into Eli's rundown sneakers by chance. Coming off the whirlwind of BET’s The New Edition Story, where he starred as young Ronnie DeVoe, the young actor was seeking a new challenge. " sent me the script, and I just read over it, and I thought it would be a pretty good film," the 15-year-old explained to me a few weeks ahead of Kin’s debut. “I also watched the short film, Bag Man. It showed me the gist of what was going to go on in Kin and how I was going to play out my character. is actually very similar to me. He keeps to himself and doesn't really talk to anybody — very independent. I met up with the directors in Boston; I did a chemistry read with them. Then I met Jack, and we did a couple of improv scenes with each other, and they worked out well. The Bakers were like, 'We want you', and my mom was jumping up and down and crying. It was my first major film, and originally it's supposed to be an indie film."

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Netflix's Strong Black Lead | What Had Happen Was "Marvel's Luke Cage: Platforms and Purpose"

So what does it look like once you get a seat at the table? ✨ ✨ @_tarynitup , @thedanielleyoung , @midnightrami, and @mobrowne discuss the importance of using their platforms & this new wave of representation. Click the 🔗 in our bio for the full episode 👏🏾

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Regina Hall Is Magnetic, Warm and Devastating In 'Support The Girls'

Women, black women especially, have often been left to sweep up the things that everyone else in society leaves behind. The same can be said for Lisa, (portrayed by an astounding Regina Hall) in Andrew Bujalski's brutally honest but warm dramedy Support the Girls. Lisa is the general manager of a Hooters-like sports bar, crudely named Double Whammies, in the suburbs of Austin, Texas. She spends her days keeping the local joint running smoothly and mothering the slew of scantily clad 20-something waitresses who report to her. Going well above and beyond her job description, Lisa manages all of the drama and angst that come with being a young woman trying to scrape together a life for yourself while wearing a cleavage-bearing belly shirt and cut-off booty shorts. Support the Girls opens with Lisa weeping tearfully from the driver’s seat of her car in the parking lot of Double Whammies. At the last minute, she pulls herself together when Maci (Haley Lu Richardson)—an infectiously bubbly young woman who is one of Lisa’s veteran waitresses—knocks on her car window to embrace her for their morning hug. Determined to press forward with her day, Lisa fixes her face and pushes through, checking off a slew of things on her excessively long and ever-growing to-do list. Over the course of the next several hours, she trains some new waitresses, terminates one of her cooks–though it pains her to do so– deals with a police incident and kicks out a rude patron who refused to respect her “zero-tolerance” policy when it comes to harassing her girls. This is only the stuff Lisa is dealing with at work; she’s also trying to come up with a plan for one of her girls who was involved in a violent altercation with her abusive boyfriend. There are also major hints about cracks and issues in Lisa's marriage.

The women of Double Whammies--Danyelle (Shayna McHayle aka Junglepussy) in particular, a no-nonsense single mother--are fantastic and add depth and brilliance to a story that is shepherded by Hall. None of them act as filler characters; they all have interesting backstories and distinct personalities. Though he’s a man telling a women’s story, Bujalski gets it. He often frames Hall in close up, capturing all of the warring emotions of a big-hearted but exhausted woman. Hall’s range complements this framing, as her performance is remarkable. She sits squarely at the center of this narrative with the ensemble cast working around her instead of directly in her lane. As a result, the Girls Trip actress sparkles.

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Amanda Warren Is Ready To Fight Colorism, Criminals And More In USA Network's 'The Purge'

In sweltering New Orleans in the middle of summer, I sit in the corner of a soundstage which has been dressed for the forthcoming television series The Purge. The show is based on the iconic film franchise, and my surroundings are decorated with terrifying masks, including cut-outs of famous serial killers and a nun's face with the eyes gouged out. I can still see them all so vividly when I close my eyes. Amanda Warren isn’t bothered, though. In fact, she’s used to The Purge sets and all of the gore and violence that go with them. The dimple-faced actress embraces me and sits across from me, her presence warm in all aspects in an otherwise eerie atmosphere—she’s even draped in a shawl to ward off the crisp air conditioning which flows through the room. Warren plays Jane on the upcoming series, a black woman who has clawed her way to the top in the finance world. The character’s spirit and determination drew The Leftovers alum to the role. "Jane is a young 32-year-old woman out of the Wharton School of Business—so Ivy League educated," Warren said. "She’s driven, passionate, good in the soul and self-made, which is not the easiest thing for a young woman in this day and age who is unapologetically black. We see the challenges that are presented because of who she is. We see the challenges and the conflicts with her mother, with her boss, David Ryker (William Baldwin) and with her subordinates. So there's a huge canvas to play with that."

Jane's frustrations with the glass ceiling in the finance world lead her down a dark path; one that gets her involved in the purge in a way that she never has before. After ten years of hiding during the purge (the series is set a decade after The First Purge), Jane is ready to up the stakes in a significant way. "We see what happens when a woman who has always stayed away from Purge Night, gets involved in a lawless state for 12 hours," Warren revealed. "We see the challenges and the choices that are being made by her merely being outside in the world, having to deal with an overnight overseas deal. You are a participant whether you are preying or being preyed upon; if you're out there, it is open season and ten years into having this law that is not lost on her at all."

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Spike Lee and The 'BlacKkKlansman' Cast Want You To Know The Past Is Our Present

With almost forty years in the film industry, something has compelled Spike Lee to tell every single story upon which he’s cast his lens. BlacKkKlansman, the astounding tale of now-retired black police officer Ron Stallworth's infiltration of the Ku Klux Klan is no exception. “For the last thirty years, from She's Gotta Have It (1986) to BlacKkKlansman (2018), and all the films in between, the documentaries, Michael Jackson videos, Prince videos, short films, all are important to me," Lee revealed on a Sunday afternoon in late July as we sat in the corner of a swanky New York hotel overlooking Central Park. Stallworth's story, of being the first black police officer to serve in the Colorado Springs Police Department, came to Lee through another visionary filmmaker -- Academy Award winner Jordan Peele. "I had never heard of Mr. Stallworth or his book. So that was the first time," Lee said, as he placed a vibrantly colored backpack with an image of his character Mars Blackmon on the window ledge next to us. "Even before I read the book, Jordan pitched it to me. I thought they were doing the David Chappelle skit again," he said, referring to Chappelle's fictional character Clayton Bigsby the black, white supremacist. "David Chappelle is brilliant, but that was a skit; this is someone's life. We found things in the past that ring true today, and hopefully, people will make the connection and see that this film is not a period piece, but a contemporary piece. It's about the word we live in --this crazy, crazy bananas world we live in today."

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'BlacKkKlansman' Proves John David Washington Has Always Been Working Towards This Moment

As I enter the room, John David Washington is near the window seated comfortably on a lounger, and he’s quiet. The breakout star is staring introspectively out of the window onto the sunny street overlooking Central Park. As I step through the threshold of the room, Washington smiles and stands. Ever the gentleman, he greets me and gestures toward another chair waiting for me to be seated before he takes his seat once more. For someone who grew up on the sidelines of the entertainment industry, there’s no air of Hollywood entitlement about him. At 34, Washington is ready to step into the spotlight; this is what he’s been working toward his entire life. In his role in the latest Spike Lee joint, BlacKkKlansman, the Morehouse College alum stars as Ron Stallworth, the first black police officer in the Colorado Springs Police Department who infiltrates the Ku Klux Klan and thwarts a deadly attack on the city’s black community. The moment Lee called Washington for the role, the actor knew he would be in good hands. "Working with Spike definitely exceeded my expectations," he said. "How inclusive he was as a director; how sharing he was; how much he trusted me -- this is Spike Lee. He wants what he wants, but he also wants what you got. If he wants what you got, then he allows you to give it to him, and that kind of trust from a legend like that, I've never had before on set. That was super encouraging for me and made me feel so much more comfortable and confident to deliver for him. I was calling him Mr. Lee for a couple of weeks; he's like, 'Stop calling me that. I'm Spike.' I was like, 'Alright Mr. Lee. I'll call you Spike, Mr. Lee. Sorry, Mr. Lee.'"

The pressure that came with working with Lee along with continually comparing Washington to his very famous father, another muse of the Do the Right Thing director, were just two aspects of this job with which the Ballers actor had to contend. Washington was also stepping into someone’s life. Ron Stallworth is real and very much alive. "The table read was when we really got to talk, and passed around his KKK membership card," Washington remembered. "We talked a lot there, but then every week we were on the phone. I was hounding him. He began telling me about what it's like being a cop—what to look for, where to stand, how to know where the exits are, just all that tactical stuff. Then we started talking about the motivations and what he experienced in his life. We discussed where his beliefs came from, the foundation of who he was, and his family. I also shared some stuff about me with him, too. It became this counseling relationship between the two of us."

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