Well, I guess I’ll start this post off with some exciting personal news…

Your girl got into this year’s TIFF Media Inclusion Initiative and got her press accreditation for this year’s festival. I went last year for the first time as a film lover and now I’m back this year as part of the press…2020 ain’t all bad… #TIFF2020

 What’s The Word on the Street?

• So I know I said no gossip or “celebrity news” on this site, but this isn’t really gossip. TYLER PERRY IS OFFICIALLY A BILLIONAIRE! That’s big news for him and the Black community since he’s done so much for people of color in the industry.  According to Forbes, “the 51-year-old entertainment mogul has a robust catalog of content that includes more than 1,200 episodes of television, 22 feature films, and at least two dozen stage plays. Add to that an innovative new 330-acre studio lot that was built on the grounds of a former Confederate military stronghold in Atlanta.” Started from the bottom now we’re here…BET and ET are collaborating on a half-hour special on the life and career of Chadwick Boseman. The special will air on Sept. 6th at 9pm.
• In more dope news, “Star Trek” has cast their first non-binary and Trans actors. Blu del Barrio and Ian Alexander will be joining Season 3 of “Star Trek: Discovery.” #SciFiInclusivity
• Disney+ subscribers can catch “Mulan” for free come December…so I’ll wait lol.
• Prince Harry and Megan Markel have signed a deal with Netflix…this should be interesting…
• Tilda Swinton is a real one! In her acceptance speech for the Golden Lion (for career achievement) at the Venice Film Festival, she talked about her love for cinema and how it was her happy place (mine too, Tilda!) and she ended her speech with “Wakanda Forever” (a nod to her fellow Marvel co-star Chadwick Boseman).
• In tribute to Boseman, AMC Theatres, Regal Cinemas, Cinemark and other exhibitors will be re-releasing and screening “42.” It will be shown in 740 locations. There are definite pros and cons to this…
• “Black-ish” will air a pair of special episodes — one of them animated — focusing on the upcoming election in early October prior to its official premiere later in the fall. The special is scheduled to air Oct. 4th (subject to change depending on the NBA Finals schedule on ABC).
• Robert Pattison tested positive for COVID-19 (only 3 days into resuming shooting) and “The Batman” production was immediately suspended. Is Hollywood trying to resume too soon?? Lets hope for a speedy recovery. *Word on the street is they’ve resumed production…sans Pattison.
• Tired of seeing the same storyline?! Then make your own films — that’s what a collective of Nigerian teens, called The Critics Company, did. This story is super dope…their work, which can be seen on YouTube, caught the attention of The Black List founder (Franklin Leonard) and J.J. Abrams. I look forward to what the future holds for these youngsters!
• Word on the street is that NickJr.’s new animated show “Made by Maddie” plagiarized or copied Matthew Cherry‘s Oscar-winning short “Hair Love.” They say “nah…and we’ve got receipts to prove it.” There does seem to be quite a lot of similarities…that’s all I’mma say. *Nickelodeon has since yanked the show from their schedule.
• The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that PricewaterhousCoopers is forecasting that global cinema revenue will drop 66% in 2020 because of the pandemic…coronavirus is really taking a toll on the industry…
• John Boyega calls out “Star Wars”…

What We’re Looking Forward to Seeing…

“S#!%house” – In theaters and VOD in October

“The Glorias” — Coming to Amazon Prime on Sept. 30th

“No Time To Die” — In theaters in November

“The past isn’t dead…” seems to be a recurring theme in film this year… Love me some James Bond so I can’t wait until this one comes out!!

“The Devil All the Time” — Sept. 16th, 2020

Well doesn’t this look interesting…Holland, Pattison AND Stan…count me in!

This Week’s Spotlight

Those who know me, know that I am a podcast nut (true crime, history, foreign affairs, comedy, French language, industry stuff…you name it, I listen to it), so this week I’m spotlighting a podcast episode. In the latest episode of “Tribeca Talks Podcast”, Guillermo del Toro talks about all things film with Alec Baldwin.  If you consider yourself a lover of film, then you can’t help but respect and admire the passion and intensity in which del Toro talks about cinema and his craft. It’s inspiring. So if you haven’t already, give it a listen!

And for your viewing pleasure, THE BOYS Are BACK!!! Season 2 of Amazon’s hit show, “The Boys” is now streaming…I can’t wait to dive in! “Never meet your heroes.”

So that’s all I’ve got for this week…if there’s something I missed this week (I’m sure there is) drop a line in the comments and let me know…