Tag Archives: Will Smith

Cardi B Earns Three BET Awards Nominations

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Cardi B is placing her BETs…

The 30-year old half-Dominican American rap superstar has earned three nominations for this year’s music-heavy BET Awards.

Cardi B, Latto

Cardi B, a six-time BET Awards winner, is nominated for Best Female Hip Hop Artist, as well as Best Collaboration and Video of the Year Awads for her GloRilla hit single “Tomorrow 2.”

But Cardi B isn’t the only Latinx artist being recognized…

Ice Spice has earned four nods.

The 23-year-old half-Dominican rapper is nominated for Best New Artist and Best Female Hip Hop Artist, as well as Best Collaboration and Bet Her for her Pinkpantheress-collaboration “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2.”

Meanwhile, Mariah Carey has earned a nod.

The 54-year-old half-Venezuelan Grammy-winning singer, a four-time BET Awards nominee, is up for Best Collaboration

For “Big Energy (Remix),” featuring Mariah Carey and Dj Khaled

Celebrating creative expression and Black excellence across music, television, film, and sports, the 23rd BET Awards will be handed out on Sunday, June 25.

Last year’s winners included Will Smith, Kendrick nr, Megan Thee Stallion and Jazmine Sullivan.

Here’s a look at the nominees for the 2023 BET Awards:

Album of the Year

Anyways, Life’s Great, GloRilla
Breezy, Chris Brown
God Did, Dj Khaled
Her Loss, Drake & 21 Savage
Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, Kendrick Lamar
Renaissance, Beyoncé
SOS, SZA

Best Female R&B/Pop Artist

Ari Lennox
Beyoncé
Coco Jones
H.E.R.
Lizzo
SZA
Tems

Best Male R&B/Pop Artist

Blxst
Brent Faiyaz
Burna Boy
Chris Brown
Drake
The Weeknd
Usher

Best Group

City Girls
Drake & 21 Savage
Dvsn
Flo
Maverick City Music & Kirk Franklin
Quavo & Takeoff
Wanmor

Best Collaboration

Big Energy (Remix), Latto & Mariah Carey feat. Dj Khaled
Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2, Pinkpantheress & Ice Spice
Call Me Every Day, Chris Brown feat. Wizkid
Can’t Stop Won’t Stop, King Combs feat. Kodak Black
Creepin’, Metro Boomin, The Weeknd & 21 Savage
F.N.F. (Let’s Go), Hitkidd & GloRilla
Tomorrow 2, GloRilla & Cardi B
Wait For U, Future feat. Drake & Tems

Best Female Hip Hop Artist

Cardi B
Coi Leray
GloRilla
Ice Spice
Latto
Megan Thee Stallion
Nicki Minaj

Best Male Hip Hop Artist

21 Savage
Drake
Future
J. Cole
Jack Harlow
Kendrick Lamar
Lil Baby

Video of the Year

We (Warm Embrace)  Chris Brown
2 Million Up, Peezy, Jeezy & Real Boston Richey feat. Rob49
About Damn Time, Lizzo
Bad Habit, Steve Lacy
First Class, Jack Harlow
Kill Bill, SZA
Tomorrow 2, GloRilla & Cardi B

Video Director of the Year

A$Ap Rocky For Awge
Benny Boom
Burna Boy
Cole Bennett
Dave Free & Kendrick Lamar
Director X
Teyana “Spike Tey” Taylor

Best New Artist

Ambré
Coco Jones
Doechii
Flo
GloRilla
Ice Spice
Lola Brooke

Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award

Bless Me, Maverick City Music & Kirk Franklin
Finished (Live), Tamela Mann
I’ve Got Joy, Cece Winans
Kingdom, Maverick City Music & Kirk Franklin feat. Naomi Raine & Chandler Moore
New, Tye Tribbett
One Moment From Glory, Yolanda Adams
The Better Benediction (Pt. 2), PJ Morton feat. Lisa Knowles-Smith, Le’andria Johnson, Keke Wyatt, Kierra Sheard & Tasha Cobbs Leonard

Viewer’s Choice Award

About Damn Time, Lizzo
Break My Soul, Beyoncé
First Class, Jack Harlow
Jimmy Cooks, Drake feat. 21 Savage
Kill Bill, SZA
Last Last, Burna Boy
Super Freaky Girl, Nicki Minaj
Wait for U, Future feat. Drake & Tems

Best International Act

Aya Nakamura (France)
Ayra Starr (Nigeria)
Burna Boy (Nigeria)
Central Cee (UK)
Ella Mai (UK)
Ko (South Africa)
L7nnon (Brazil)
Stormzy (UK)
Tiakola (France)
Uncle Waffles (Swaziland)

Viewer’s Choice: Best New International Act

Asake (Nigeria)
Camidoh (Ghana)
Flo (UK)
Libianca (Cameroon)
Maureen (France)
Mc Ryan Sp (Brazil)
Pabi Cooper (South Africa)
Raye (Uk)
Werenoi (France)

Bet Her

About Damn Time, Lizzo
Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2, Pinkpantheress & Ice Spice
Break My Soul, Beyoncé
Her, Megan Thee Stallion
Lift Me Up, Rihanna & Ludwig Göransson
Players, Coi Leray
Special, Lizzo

Best Movie

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Creed 3
Emancipation
Nope
The Woman King
Till
Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody

Best Actor

Amin Joseph
Brian Tyree Henry
Damson Idris
Daniel Kaluuya
Demetrius ‘Lil Meech’ Flenory Jr.
Donald Glover
Michael B. Jordan

Best Actress

Angela Bassett
Coco Jones
Janelle James
Janelle Monáe
Keke Palmer
Viola Davis
Zendaya

Youngstars Award

Akira Akbar
Alaya High
Demi Singleton
Genesis Denise
Marsai Martin
Thaddeus J. Mixson
Young Dylan

Sportswoman of the Year Award

Alexis Morris
Allyson Felix
Angel Reese
Candace Parker
Naomi Osaka
Serena Williams
Sha’carri Richardson

Sportsman of the Year Award

Aaron Judge
Bubba Wallace
Gervonta Davis
Jalen Hurts
LeBron James
Patrick Mahomes
Stephen Curry

Adrian Martinez to Appear in Rami Malek’s New Thriller “Amateur”

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Adrian Martinez is an amateur…

The 51-year-old Latino actor has landed a recurring role opposite Rami Malek in Amateur, a new thriller James Hawes is directing for 20th Century Studios.

Adrian MartinezThe film, for which Gary Spinelli penned the most recent draft, tells the story of Charles Heller (Malek), a CIA cryptographer who, after his wife is tragically killed in a London terrorist attack, demands his bosses go after them. When it becomes clear they won’t act due to conflicting internal priorities, he blackmails the agency into training him and letting him go after them himself.

Martinez is set for the role of Carlos, a CIA tech and Heller’s closest friend.

Hutch Parker and Dan Wilson are producing the film, with Malek exec producing.

Martinez can currently be seen playing Chris, the traffic cop buddy of Awkwafina’s Rebecca, in Chris McKay’s horror comedy Renfield for Universal, which hit theaters on April 14th.

The always-busy character actor is best known for roles in such films as Focus opposite Will Smith and Margot Robbie; The Secret Life of Walter Mitty opposite Ben Stiller; Casa de mi Padre opposite Will Ferrell; I Feel Pretty opposite Amy Schumer; and Disney+’s live-action reimagining of Lady and the Tramp.

Martinez was a series regular on ABC’s Stumptown and boasts additional television credits including Paramount+’s No Activity and NBC’s The Blacklist: Redemption.

Also on the actor’s slate of upcoming projects is the Netflix comedy Unfrosted marking the feature directorial debut of Jerry Seinfeld.

First Trailer Released for Sally Potter’s Short Film “Look at Me,” Starring Javier Bardem

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Javier Bardem is drummin’ along…

The first trailer has been released for Sally Potter’s short film Look at Me, co-starring the 53-year-old Spanish Oscar-winning actor and Chris Rock ahead of its Out Of Competition premiere in Venice.

Javier BardemThe film touches on the issue of male anger.

Rock and Bardem play a gala organizer and drummer, respectively. Tensions between the two men are running high ahead of a performance at the gala by the latter, who violently vents his pent-up stress.

Shot three years ago, the work has taken on fresh resonance after Rock received an infamous slap from Will Smith while hosting the 2022 Academy Awards ceremony in March. Rock confirmed on Monday that he turned down an offer from The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to host the 2023 ceremony.

The 16-minute work, also featuring American tap dancer Savion Glover, originally was conceived as a short story to be embedded within Potter’s 2020 feature The Roads Not Taken, starring Bardem as a writer in the early stages of dementia.

Produced by Christopher Sheppard at Adventure Pictures, it was shot over five days in New York and London in 2019.

“When I got into the cutting room, I saw how dynamic these titans of the entertainment world are together, their volatile, fiery on-screen relationship offset by the rhythms of the brilliant tap-dancer Savion Glover,” explained Potter.

“The destiny of the story was clear: it had nothing to do with the other project. It had to become a short film, a fast-moving portrait of conflict and love. The result is Look at Me.”

The short film’s screening in Venice coincides with the 30th anniversary of the premiere of Potter’s Oscar-nominated breakout second feature Orlando in competition at the festival in 1992.

The U.K.’s Bankside Films has boarded international sales on the short film ahead of its Venice debut.

“The combination of Sally Potter, Chris Rock and Javier Bardem is truly arresting in this mesmerizing short film which audiences are going to be thrilled to discover,” said Bankside co-founder and director Stephen Kelliher.

Bleecker Street will release the film in the U.S. shortly after its Venice premiere, with screenings at the Metrograph in New York alongside Potter’s Orlando as well as a qualifying run at a Laemmle Theatre in Los Angeles.

Look at Me also will be made available on Bleecker Street’s app early in 2023.

“I am thankful to Bleecker Street for taking short films seriously and am thrilled that they will be bringing Look at Me to audiences in cinemas and online at a time when its themes feel so urgent,” said Potter.

Kate del Castillo Signs with Buchwald

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Kate del Castillo has new representation…

The 49-year-old Mexican actress and telenovela star has signed with Buchwald.

Kate del Castillo

del Castillo stars in Telemundo’s hit drama La Reina del Sur.

One of the highest rated Spanish-language series in the world, La Reina del Sur adapts the bestseller by Spanish novelist Arturo Perez-Reverte. In the crime drama, which recently wrapped filming for Season 3, del Castillo plays Teresa Mendonza, a woman from Mexico who becomes the most powerful drug trafficker in southern Spain.

Castillo recently completed a two-series deal with Telemundo. Her production company, Cholawood, has a first-look development deal with Boomdog, the Mexico City-based division of Endemol Shine North America.

The actress starred opposite Will Smith as the villain in Sony’s Bad Boys for Life, also recently featuring on NBC’s sitcom Mr. Mayor, from creators Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, and the Netflix animated series Maya and the Three, created by Jorge R. Gutiérrez.

She rose to acclaim in America with her performance in Fox Searchlight’s Under the Same Moon, which is one of the highest-grossing Spanish-language theatrical releases in U.S. history, and has also featured in such films as Bordertown, No Good Deed and All About Nina.

del Castillo has also appeared in series including PBS’ Golden Globe and Emmy-nominated drama American Family, The CW’s Jane the Virgin and Showtime’s Weeds, among others. Her one-woman Off-Broadway show, The Way She Spoke, made her the first Latina actress to earn Drama Desk, Drama League and Lucille Lortel Award nominations.

A philanthropist and outspoken global activist, del Castillo was appointed Ambassador for the Mexican Commission on Human Rights to combat human trafficking in 2009.

Javier Bardem to Receive Maltin Modern Master Award at This Year’s Santa Barbara Film Festival

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Javier Bardem is officially a master…

The 52-year-old Spanish Oscar-winning actor will be honored with the prestigious Maltin Modern Master Award at the 37th annual edition of the Santa Barbara Film Festival.

Javier BardemBardem will be feted alongside his Being the Ricardos co-star Nicole Kidman on Thursday, March 10 when they’ll engage with veteran film historian and critic Leonard Maltin for an in-person conversation about their careers leading up to this year’s performances as Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball in Aaron Sorkin’s acclaimed film from Amazon Studios.

Bardem and Kidman recently received individual SAG Award nominations in the lead actor and actress categories.

Bardem and Kidman, who have never before worked together, previously won Oscars for No Country for Old Men (2007) and The Hours (2002), respectively. Each has a long career of acclaimed performances.

“Nicole Kidman continues to challenge and reinvent herself year after year. Javier Bardem’s talent is a gift to the world. Only in Hollywood could these actors find themselves playing America’s all time favorite TV couple. It’s cause for celebration,” Maltin said.

Santa Barbara International Film Festival

The Modern Master Award was established in 1995 and is the highest accolade presented by SBIFF. Created to honor an individual who has enriched our culture through accomplishments in the motion picture industry, it was re-named the Maltin Modern Master Award in 2015 in honor of longtime SBIFF moderator and renowned film critic Leonard Maltin.

Past recipients include Bill Murray, Brad Pitt, Glenn Close, Denzel Washington, Michael Keaton, Bruce Dern, Ben Affleck, Christopher Plummer, Christopher Nolan, James Cameron, Clint Eastwood, Cate Blanchett, Will Smith, George Clooney and Peter Jackson.

This is the first time a pair of actors will be honored together.

Other Santa Barbara tributes previously announced include Benedict Cumberbatch with the Vanguard Award, King Richard stars Will Smith and Aunjanue Ellis for Outstanding Performers of the Year, Kristen Stewart for the American Riviera Award, and collectively named for Virtuoso Awards are West Side Story’s Ariana DeBose, CODA actors Emilia Jones and Troy Kotsur, Red Rocket’s  Simon Rex, Licorice Pizza’s Alana Haim, and Saniyya Sidney from King Richard.

The 37th Santa Barbara Film Festival is set to take place in-person March 2-12. Official events including screenings, filmmaker Q&As, industry panels and celebrity tributes will be held throughout the city including at the historic Arlington Theatre.

Bad Bunny to Appear on HBO/HBO Max’s “The Shop: Uninterrupted”

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Bad Bunny is hittin’ the shop…

The 27-year-old Puerto Rican superstar will be making an appearance on The Shop: Uninterrupted’s upcoming fourth season.

Bad Bunny

The show is set to premiere on Friday May 28 on HBO and HBO Max.

In addition to Bad Bunny, the other stars joining LeBron James and Maverick Carter for the season premiere are iconic music mogul Jay-Z; WNBA star Nneka Ogwumike; and marketing executive Paul Rivera.

The group will discuss confidence on the big stage, parenthood and WrestleMania.

Staged periodically throughout the year, the show offers conversation and debate between some of the biggest names in sport and entertainment.

Past guests include Drake, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Diddy, Jimmy Kimmel, Patrick Mahomes, Lil Nas X, Will Smith, Megan Rapinoe, Kevin Hart, Rob Gronkowski and most recently, Barack Obama.

Executive producers are  James, Carter, Jamal Henderson, Devin Johnson and Philip Byron; director is Robert Alexander; producers are Kevin McGrail, Brandon Riley and Rob Roediger; co-executive producer is Camille Maratchi; and creators are Paul Rivera and Randy Mims.

Leslie Silva to Star in ABC Civil Rights-Themed Limited Series “Women of the Movement”

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Leslie Silva is on the move(ment)…

The 52-year-old Afro-Latina actress has been cast in ABC’s limited series Women of the Movement, which hails from creator-writer Marissa Jo Cerar and a producing team that includes Jay-Z, Will Smith and Aaron Kaplan.

Leslie Silva,

Silva, who will portray Ruby Hurley, joins a cast that includes Chris Butler as Rayfield Mooty, Alex Désert as Dr. Howard, Miles Fowler as Simeon Booker, Tongayi Chirisa as Medgar Evers, Jason Turner as James Hicks, and Daniel Abeles as Chet Packton.

Inspired by the book Emmett Till: The Murder That Shocked the World and Propelled the Civil Rights Movement by Devery S. Anderson, the six-episode limited series is set in 1955. It centers on Mamie Till-Mobley (Adrienne Warren), who risks her life to find justice after her son Emmett (Cedric Joe) is brutally murdered in the Jim Crow South. Unwilling to let Emmett’s murder disappear from the headlines, Mamie chooses to bear her pain on the world stage, emerging as an activist for justice and igniting the Civil Rights movement as we know it today.

Glynn Turman, Chris Coy, Julia McDermott, Carter Jenkins, Tonya Pinkins and Ray Fisher co-star.

Silva’s Ruby Hurley was a famed NAACP activist and leader in the Civil Rights Movement. A lady badass among men, Ruby was fiercely committed to getting justice for Emmett Till.

Silva’s television and film credits include NBC’s Shades of Blue, CW’s In The Dark, Showtime’s Odyssey 5, the Hulu limited series The Looming Tower and the independent film Reversion.

On stage, she starred in the Signature Theatre’s production of Chicago, directed by Joseph Chaikin and Sam Shepard, as well as The Master Builder directed by André Gregory.

Vanessa Rubio Upped to Series Regular on Netflix’s “Cobra Kai”

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Vanessa Rubio is stepping things up…

The 37-year-old Colombian-American actress has been promoted to series regular for the upcoming fourth season of Netflix’s Cobra Kai.

Vanessa Rubio 

Starring Ralph Macchio and William Zabka, the Karate Kid sequel series is one of the streamer’s most popular shows.

Rubio has portrayed Carmen Diaz since Season 1, appearing in 16 episodes. Carmen is Miguel’s (Xolo Maridueña) hard-working mother who would do anything to protect her son.

The third season recently premiered in January, hitting No. 1 worldwide on Netflix. The first three seasons of Cobra Kai are now streaming on Netflix with the fourth season production underway in Atlanta.

Cobra Kai takes place over 30 years after the events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament with the continuation of the inescapable conflict between Daniel LaRusso (Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (Zabka).

Cobra Kai is written and executive produced by Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg via their production company, Counterbalance Entertainment. Will Smith, James Lassiter and Caleeb Pinkett executive produce for Westbrook Entertainment along with Susan Ekins in association with Sony Pictures Television. Macchio and Zabka also serve as executive producers.

In addition to Cobra Kai, Rubio recently appeared in the second season of Netflix’s Bonding.

Her other previous TV credits include Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings and Master of None, WGN’s Gone and NBC’s Deception.

Her film work includes How To Be Single, The Hudson Tribes and The Girl is in Trouble.

Kate del Castillo Starring in Womanhunt Thriller “Cold, Dead Hands”

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The chase is on for Kate del Castillo…

The 48-year-old Mexican actress and telenovela star has teamed up with former Netflix VP Erik Barmack to produce and star in the womanhunt thriller Cold, Dead Hands (working title).

Kate del Castillo

The film is set up at del Castillo’s Cholawood Productions, Barmack’s Wild Sheep Content and Top Dead Center Films, headed by Gary and Julie Auerbach, creators of the film.

Gary Auerbach directs the film, which went into production on January 4, shooting in Utah.

The film opens with del Castillo’s character waking up in a log cabin in deep forest, having been drugged and abducted. A message on a stereo tells her to press play.

“I’m a hunter,” a voice says, explaining she’s been placed there because she’s a “worthy prey.” There’s a snow mobile five miles from the cabin. If she makes it to that, she wins. There’s no civilization around and nothing in the cabin of value to her, the voice warns. But he’ll give her a couple of minutes heads start.

Co-starring Marc Blucas, the film naturally packs multiple twists and a backstory about why del Castillo’s character is such worthy prey and the moral choices she had to make to escape the first time round.

The movie is written by Julie Auerbach, as well as Kevin Tavolaro and co-written by Blucas.

This is “the story of a woman who lives through unspeakable hardships in her life yet she identifies as a survivor, not a victim,” del Castillo tells Variety, adding that her character shows “a tremendous amount of strength, courage, intelligence and compassion, all admirable traits innate to our culture” and that she “personally relates to this character particularly in how she overcomes her fears and refuses to let her past define her.”

The movie catches del Castillo coming off Bad Boys for Life, where she stars opposite Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, and del Castillo’s starring role on Season 2 of La Reina del Sur.

During its transmission, ending July 2019, the sophomore season kept Telemundo broadcast network among the top three networks in the U.S. regardless of language in the adults 18-49 and adults 18-34 demos in the 10 p.m. Monday-Friday berth.

First Trailer Released for HBO Max’s “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion” Featuring Tatyana Ali

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Tatyana Ali is back in Bel-Air…

The first trailer has been released to the 41-year-old half-Afro-Panamanian actress’ upcoming The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion.

Tatyana Ali

Will Smith posted the trailer for the special, which will debut on HBO Max on Thursday, November 19.

A highlight of the trailer features the surprise appearance of actress Janet Hubert, who played the NBC comedy’s original Aunt Viv and has, over the many years since, made her anger over the decision well known.

“I couldn’t celebrate 30 years of Fresh Prince without Janet,” Smith tells the surprised other members of the reunited cast.

In addition to Smith, Ali and Hubert, the unscripted special, shot on the old sitcom set, features Karyn Parsons, Joseph Marcell, Daphne Maxwell Reid, Alfonso Ribeiro as well as recurring co-star DJ Jazzy Jeff. The cast also pays tribute to the late James Avery, who played patriarch Philip. Avery died in 2013.

Taped on the 30th anniversary of the original series premiere date, the special also includes a candid sit-down chat between Smith and Hubert, their first in 27 years.

Produced by Westbrook Media, the reunion will launch exclusively on HBO Max on November 19. HBO Max is the exclusive SVOD home of the full original series library in the US, debuting on the platform when it launched in May. Marcus Raboy directs the special. Raphael Saadiq serves as executive music producer.

Smith also is developing a Fresh Prince drama reboot at Peacock.