Today, Apple TV+ revealed the trailer for the highly anticipated two-part documentary film event “Number One on the Call Sheet,” premiering on Friday, March 28. With unprecedented access and candid interviews, “Number One on the Call Sheet” takes us on an intimate journey with some of Hollywood’s most extraordinary leading Black men and women as they shine a light on the joys and challenges of being a Black actor, share breakthrough moments, discuss blueprints for success and honor legends, while recognizing the next generation’s enormous potential.
Emmy Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated Angela Bassett shares, “‘Number One on the Call Sheet’ celebrates the grit, strength and brilliance of those who came before us, while uplifting the next generation. It’s an honor to pay homage to the legends, and shine a light on the limitless possibilities ahead for Black and brown talent.”
Academy Award-winnning director Reginald Hudlin says of “Black Leading Men in Hollywood,” “‘Number One on the Call Sheet’ is the honest testimony of successful people who overcame all types of obstacles to make their dreams come true. It doesn’t matter what business you’re in, learning about their mindset, their grit, their unique definitions of success will be inspirational to every viewer. I can’t wait for the world to see it.”
NAACP Image Award-winning director Shola Lynch of “Black Leading Women in Hollywood” adds, “It’s an honor to direct this story that captures a singular generation of Black leading actresses. We don’t have this kind of collective testimonial from any period of film history. It made me determined to create a vision that is bigger than the sum of the parts to honor and reflect their individual journeys and a collective truth. I want the audience to experience what it was like to be in the room and in conversation with unvarnished ambition, excellence and beauty and to feel their awe, joy, frustration, love and triumph. I have truly been surprised how much their stories transcend celebrity and have meaning for us mere mortals. I can only hope the audience feels the same.”
“Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Men in Hollywood” and “Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Women in Hollywood” deliver an in-depth look at some of Hollywood’s biggest stars as they reveal their journeys to game-changing leading roles. The films are produced for Apple by Jamie Foxx, Kevin Hart, Datari Turner and Dan Cogan. Foxx produces through his Foxxhole Productions with Turner. Hart produces through Hartbeat and Cogan produces through Story Syndicate.
Directed by Hudlin, executive producers for “Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Men in Hollywood” include Hudlin, Byron Phillips, Diana E. Williams, Bryan Smiley, Candice Wilson Cherry, Liz Garbus and Mala Chapple. With Foxx and Hart lending their voices to the documentary, contributors also include John Boyega, Don Cheadle, Morris Chestnut, Ice Cube, Taye Diggs, Idris Elba, Laurence Fishburne, Morgan Freeman, Dwayne Johnson, Michael B. Jordan, Daniel Kaluuya, Martin Lawrence, Eddie Murphy, Will Smith, Denzel Washington and Marlon Wayans. These titans of the screen open up about historic firsts, the true role of a lead actor, the art of sustained success and dominating the global box office. Additional insights are shared by industry insiders Reuben Cannon, Nina Shaw, Matthew Johnson, Robi Reed and Quentin Tarantino.
Directed by Lynch, executive producers for “Number One on the Call Sheet: Black Leading Women in Hollywood” include Angela Bassett, Halle Berry, Viola Davis, Whoopi Goldberg, Hudlin, Mishka Brown, Nanette Nelms, Smiley, Wilson Cherry, Garbus, Chapple and Mark Monroe. With Bassett, Berry, Davis and Goldberg lending their voices to the documentary, additional contributors include Cynthia Erivo, Vivica A. Fox, Meagan Good, Tiffany Haddish, Taraji P. Henson, Nia Long, Ruth Negga, Gabourey Sidibe, Jurnee Smollett, Octavia Spencer, Tessa Thompson, Gabrielle Union and Alfre Woodard. Cinematic legends discuss their big breaks, navigating Hollywood’s star system with grace and determination, and creating their own opportunities and seats at the table.
“Number One on the Call Sheet” joins the award-winning slate of Apple Original documentary films, including Hudlin’s Critics Choice Documentary and NAACP Image Award-winning “Sidney,” honoring the legendary Sidney Poitier and his legacy as an iconic actor, filmmaker and activist; Emmy and Critics’ Choice Documentary Award-winning “STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie,” recounting Fox’s extraordinary story in his own words; Emmy Award-nominated “Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me,” a uniquely raw and intimate documentary spanning her six-year journey into a new light; Emmy Award-nominated and PGA Award-winning “STEVE! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces,” featuring acclaimed writer, producer, director, actor and comedian Steve Martin; the Emmy Award-nominated “Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry”; and the recently announced untitled feature on rock icons Fleetwood Mac, among many others.
Apple TV+ offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all of a user’s favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV+ became the first all original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have been honored with 553 wins and 2,557 award nominations and counting, including multi-Emmy Award-winning comedy “Ted Lasso” and historic Oscar Best Picture winner “CODA.”
Shrek 5 has landed a star that may make other franchises green with envy.
Zendaya has joined the venerable animated film series as the daughter of Shrek (Mike Myers) and Fiona (Cameron Diaz). She also joins Eddie Murphy, the voice of Donkey.
Zendaya is one of the most in-demand stars working today, with her upcoming schedule including Dune: Messiah, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, the fourth Spider-Man movie and Euphoria season three. Last year, she starred in Challengers, the well-regarded tennis drama from Luca Guadagnino, as well as Dune: Part Two. Her presence in Shrek 5 gives extra vibrancy to the 25-year-old franchise and could help bring new audiences to the fold.
The feature has a Dec. 23, 2026, release date from Universal and DreamWorks Animation and is the first in the main series since 2010’s Shrek Forever After.
Shrek veterans Walt Dohrn and Conrad Vernon direct, along with Minions: The Rise of Gru co-director Brad Ableson. Dohrn cut his teeth on the franchise as a writer on Shrek 2 and Shrek the Third, and as head of story on Shrek Forever After, a film in which he voiced Rumplestilskin. Vernon directed Shrek 2, Madagascar 2 and voices Gingerbread Man (aka Gingy).
Shrek Forever After producer Gina Shay and Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri are producing the new film.
The Shrek franchise launched with the Oscar-winning 2001 feature that centered on an ogre named Shrek, who falls for Fiona, the princess of Far Far Away who has been cursed, trapped in the body of an ogre. Donkey provided comic relief, pathos, and friendship to Shrek, with the film praised for its humorous twist on fairy-tale tropes.
In addition to the main Shrek movies, it also spawned two Puss in Boots spinoffs, starring Antonio Banderas, which all propelled the franchise to becoming the second biggest in animation history, with $2.9 billion globally.
Zendaya is repped by CAA Monster Talent Management and Granderson Des Rochers.
INDIANAPOLIS (Feb. 27, 2025) – Pacers Sports & Entertainment and Hartbeat, the global entertainment company at the intersection of comedy and culture founded by Kevin Hart, are forming a first-of-its kind partnership to deliver exciting, culture-driven experiences to Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever fans and the Indianapolis community.
Hartbeat will serve as PS&E’s official “cultural curator,” creating live experiences and content for fans that blend basketball, music, comedy, and culture. Through the partnership, Hartbeat will work closely with PS&E to bring a diverse range of entertainment opportunities to Gainbridge Fieldhouse and greater Indiana, including stand-up comedy, musical acts, half-time shows, festivals, scripted content, and bespoke merchandise collaborations.
“When it comes to delivering world-class fan experiences, we want to continue to raise the bar, and this partnership does just that,” said PS&E CEO Mel Raines. “As our official cultural curator, Hartbeat will be instrumental in creating unique and exciting experiences and content for fans that elevate our brands, community and growing fanbase.”
The partnership will tip off with a music and comedy festival that will host its inaugural event during AT&T WNBA All-Star 2025 in Indianapolis July 18-19. Produced by PS&E and Hartbeat, Hartbeat will curate a dynamic lineup of comedy and music acts for an unforgettable live experience, while also capturing content to be distributed across Hartbeat’s LOL Network and other streaming partners. Fans can sign up to receive email updates about tickets, events, and more by clicking here.
“We’re excited to team up with Pacers Sports & Entertainment to deliver fresh, engaging experiences and content that bring fans closer to the organization and the sport,” said Hartbeat President Jeff Clanagan. “This partnership reinforces our commitment to leading the way in comedy, culture and sports. We can’t wait to see all of the fans this summer and collaborate with PS&E to take Indy’s entertainment scene to the next level.”
“Hartbeat is a dynamic industry leader with extensive experience transforming high-impact moments into enduring cultural movements. Our creative collaboration with Hartbeat will redefine the fan experience in sports and entertainment and set a new standard for the intersection of basketball and culture,” said EVP of Strategy and New Business Ventures at PS&E Joey Graziano. “This partnership is for every fan. We’re thrilled to tap into Hartbeat’s creativity, distribution network, and access to talent to amplify our family of brands and deliver exclusive live performances and content to our global and growing fanbase. This partnership will produce a year-round lineup of new programming and events that will continue to showcase Indianapolis as a premier entertainment destination.”
Hartbeat’s extensive history across comedy, culture and sports includes producing Hart’s hit sports talk series Cold as Balls and Shaquille O’Neal’s All-Star Comedy Jam at some of the world’s biggest sporting events, and The Other Games competition series for Peacock and P&G for the 2024 Summer Olympics, and ESPN’s NBA Unplugged with Kevin Hart, among other projects.
“Poker Face” has added a handful of more guest stars for its upcoming second season: David Alan Grier, Lauren Tom, Lili Taylor, Natasha Leggero, and Richard Kind.
Rian Johnson’s mystery-of-the-week series, which stars Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale, a de facto detective with an extraordinary ability to tell when someone’s lying, will return on Peacock sometime this spring.
Earlier this week, the streamer released first-look images from the upcoming 12-episode season, which features previously announced guest stars including (take a big breath): Alia Shawkat, Awkwafina, Ben Marshall, B.J. Novak, Carol Kane, Cliff “Method Man” Smith, Corey Hawkins, Cynthia Erivo, David Krumholtz, Davionte “GaTa” Ganter, Ego Nwodim, Gaby Hoffmann, Giancarlo Esposito, Haley Joel Osment, Jason Ritter, John Cho, John Mulaney, Justin Theroux, Kathrine Narducci, Katie Holmes, Kevin Corrigan, Kumail Nanjiani, Margo Martindale, Menalie Lynskey, Patti Harrison, Sam Richardson, Sherry Cola and Simon Rex.
Tony Tost is the showrunner of “Poker Face,” executive producing alongside Ram Bergman, Nena Rodrigue, Adam Arkin, Nora Zuckerman, and Lilla Zuckerman. T-Street and MRC are the studios. T-Street and Animal Pictures are producers.
Season 1 of “Poker Face” premiered on Peacock in 2023 and earned four Emmy nominations, including one win (Peacock’s first!) for guest star Judith Light.
“Charlie Cale is back on the run, and in Season 2 we’ve taken her journey to the next level one murder mystery at a time,” Johnson and Lyonne wrote in a joint statement teasing the new season. “From minor league baseball to big box retail, from funeral homes to alligator farms and even a grade school talent show, Charlie navigates her crime solving existential road-trip with deadpan wit, human empathy, and her signature uncanny lie-detecting ability.”
Source: Variety
Oscar Nuñez will return as Oscar Martinez in Peacock’s follow-up series to “The Office,” Variety has confirmed.
Sources say Nuñez will not be the central character in the upcoming mockumentary sitcom — which takes place in the same universe as “The Office” — as it is an ensemble series. But he is part of the show’s character mix, and has been in the opening script from the beginning.
There are no further details regarding Oscar’s role or storyline in the new show, which Greg Daniels is creating and executive producing with Michael Korman (“Nathan For You”).
As of now, Nuñez is believed to be the only “Office” cast member who will appear in the follow-up series (right now still referred to as the “Untitled Daniels/Korman Project”) — but it has been noted that since it lives in the world of “The Office,” there was always a chance that characters from the original series might appear.
Universal TV and representatives for Nuñez declined to comment. Sources close to the production note that in the past, when asked about rebooting “The Office,” Daniels has said he felt he told a complete story for most of the characters — but if there was one character he’d like to revisit and explore, it would be Oscar. (It’s believed that producers were hoping to keep Nuñez’s involvement a surprise, but the news first leaked Wednesday via newsletter The Insneider.)
The series, rumored to be titled “The Paper,” will follow the staffers of a dying Midwestern newspaper whose publisher is trying to revive it with volunteer reporters. It will be “filmed,” so to speak, by the same documentary crew that immortalized Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch in “The Office” — which might explain the connection to how Oscar winds up in the new setting.
The new show hails from Daniels, the mastermind behind the American “Office,” and Koman. Previously announced cast members include Domhnall Gleeson (“Star Wars”), Sabrina Impacciatore (“The White Lotus”), Chelsea Frei (“Poker Face”), Melvin Gregg (“Snowfall”), Gbemisola Ikumelo (“Black Ops”), Alex Edelman (“Just For Us”), Ramona Young (“Never Have I Ever”) and Tim Key (“The Witchfinder”).
Guest stars include Eric Rahill, Duane Shepard Sr., Allan Havey, Nate Jackson, Mo Welch, Nancy Lenehan, Molly Ephraim, and Tracy Letts.
Character details have been kept under wraps. The series is expected to begin production in July.
Co-creators Daniels and Koman serve as executive producers along with Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, who created the original British version of the series, as well as Howard Klein, Ben Silverman, and Banijay Americas. Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, is the studio.
Daniels opened a writers’ room in January 2024 to begin working on the new iteration of “The Office,” which ran for nine seasons from 2005 to 2013 and followed the staffers of the Pennsylvania branch of a paper company. It starred Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, Ed Helms, Mindy Kaling and B.J. Novak, among many others, including Nuñez. The show became even more popular in its afterlife, becoming one of television’s biggest streaming hits.
Nuñez’s other credits include “Lucky Hank,” “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist,” “Mr. Iglesias,” “People of Earth,” and films such as “The Proposal,” “Mascots” and “The Lost City.” He has also been regularly seen as a pitchman for State Farm.
Jamie Foxx had Netflix‘s most-viewed comedy special for the back half of 2024 with What Had Happened Was…, the streamer shared on Wednesday.
The revelation came as part of Netflix’s biannual “What We Watched” report. Foxx’s traction with the special is no surprise, given that it gave the first in-depth window into a severe health scare he experienced in April 2023, while filming Netflix’s recently unveiled action comedy Back in Action in Atlanta.
While not globally available, Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was… notched 13,300,000 hours viewed between its December 10 premiere date and end of year, coming in as the 119th most-viewed TV program during this period.
Matt Rife came in second place with Lucid – A Crowd Work Special, which premiered in August and went on to generate 8,700,000 hours viewed. He placed 171st on the overall TV list, after breaking out as Netflix’s top comic in the second half of 2023 with Matt Rife: Natural Selection.
Joe Rogan and Nate Bargatze were neck and neck, taking third and fourth place, respectively, with their specials Burn the Boats and Your Friend, Nate Bargatze. Rogan’s special drummed up 8,300,000 hours viewed, with Bargatze’s securing 7,900,000.
Other top comics on the report included Ali Wong, whose Single Lady drew 4,900,000 hours viewed, and Ellen DeGeneres, whose For Your Approval got 5,400,000.
Directed by Hamish Hamilton, Foxx’s special recently landed him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television.
Source: Deadline
Kumail Nanjiani is returning to the stand-up stage, and bringing Hulu with him.
The Emmy- and Oscar-nominated actor and writer is joining the Disney-owned streamer’s lineup of comedy specials. The special will be the second of his career — and the first in more than a decade. His inaugural special, Beta Male, aired on Comedy Central in 2013.
Since then, Nanjiani has worked regularly as an actor in HBO’s Silicon Valley and Hulu’s Welcome to Chippendales and feature films The Big Sick — for which he and Emily V. Gordon earned Oscar nominations for writing — The Lovebirds and Eternals, among others. He also hosted Comedy Central’s stand-up showcase The Meltdown With Jonah and Kumail from 2014-16.
Nanjiani will also be an executive producer of the Hulu special alongside Elan Gale and Bernie Schaeffer. ITV American and TheYearOfElan are producing. A date and title for the special will be announced later.
The green light for Nanjiani’s special continues Hulu’s push into stand-up comedy under its “Hularious” banner, which launched in November with Jim Gaffigan‘s The Skinny. The streamer has since debuted specials from Ilana Glazer and Roy Wood Jr. and has sets in the pipeline from Ralph Barbosa, Bill Burr, Chris Distefano, Zarna Garg, Jessica Kirson, Matteo Lane, Sebastian Maniscalco, Atsuko Okatsuka, Frankie Quiñones and Andrew Santino.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
“The Bear” star Ayo Edebiri is set to write the screenplay for the upcoming live-action “Barney” movie and is also in talks to star in the film.
“Barney” will be co-developed and produced by A24 and Daniel Kaluuya’s 59% Productions in partnership with “Barney” IP owner Mattel Films. Kevin McKeon and Andrew Scannell are overseeing the project for Mattel Films. Robbie Brenner will serve as producer for Mattel Films with A24. Daniel Kaluuya and Rowan Riley will produce for 59% Productions.
Though Kaluuya is a lead producer on the film, sources say he will not be starring in the movie alongside Edebiri. Plot details are being kept under wraps.
Premiering in 1988, “Barney & Friends” aired for 14 seasons on PBS before coming to an end in November 2010.
When the project was first announced in November 2019, Mattel Films’ Robbie Brenner said that working with Kaluuya would allow the studio “to take a completely new approach to ‘Barney’ that will surprise audiences and subvert expectations.”
After McKeon first said it was an “A24-type” project, then backtracked, Mattel has remained mostly tight-lipped about the “Barney” movie. But in an interview with last October, Mattel chief franchise officer Josh Silverman teased how the film’s plot differs from Max’s new animated reboot of the “Barney” franchise while still noting “our television and films teams work very well together.”
“We’re very much hand in glove and in concert,” Silverman said. “And Robbie Brenner, who leads our film division, who’s just incredible, she and I spent a ton of time together talking about this. We want to have a clear narrative. In the case here, the ‘Barney’ film will be what it’s ultimately going to be, and this show, we felt that, we want to remain consistent to the authenticity. That’s really, really important. If it’s not authentic, we’re not going to do it. We want to remain consistent to the authenticity, the DNA of “Barney,” but we also want to modernize.”
Best known for her Emmy-winning role on FX’s “The Bear,” Edebiri recently voiced Envy in Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” and will next be seen in director Luca Guadagnino’s “After the Hunt” alongside Julia Roberts and Andrew Garfield.
She is repped by Range Media Partners, CAA, ID PR, and Del Shaw Moonves.
Source: Variety
The Wayans family will forever be remembered as a lineage of entertainment trailblazers who dared to dream beyond the limited depictions of Black people on the small and big screens. And for that reason, they are more than deserving of their induction into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame.
Kim, Damon, Damon Jr., Marlon, Craig, Damien and Chaunte Wayans attended the awards ceremony on Saturday (Feb. 22), where they accepted the honor, cementing their legacy of delivering decades of laughter. Noticeably absent from the lineup were Shawn Wayans and the “In Living Color” mastermind Keenan Ivory Wayans.
From their hit ‘90s sketch comedy to “The Wayans Brothers,” “Marlon,” “Poppa’s House,” “My Wife and Kids” or films like I’m Gonna Git You Sucka, White Chicks or the Scary Movie franchise, there is no corner of comedy that the talented bloodline of comics, writers, producers and directors have not impacted.
In their collective acceptance speech spearheaded by Marlon and Damon, they paid homage to their leader, Keenen, who not only had the fearlessness to envision a future for himself in Hollywood, but the grit to pursue his passion. Because of him, a path for his younger siblings to follow suit was paved.
“My family was over the moon when Keenen first got his stand-up appearance on [‘The Tonight Show Starring] Johnny Carson.’ We all watched on a black-and-white TV in our kitchen — and I remember it was a tube television, the antenna was broken, so we had a hanger in there for an antenna and a fork to change the channels — and we watched my brother do stand-up comedy on that television. From that day on, me as a child, I sat there and I was like, ‘Wow, you mean not only can you dream, but you can make your dreams come true,’” recollected Marlon about the impression the A Low Down Dirty Shame star had on him.
The tribute to the uber-talented creator continued with Marlon noting, “My brother Keenen raised us all like Jedis… We would not be here, standing here, if it wasn’t for our big brother, Keenen Ivory Wayans.” The dynasty joined fellow NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame inductees Oprah Winfrey, Spike Lee, Stevie Wonder, Eddie Murphy and Aretha Franklin.
The night was capped with a second salute to comedic excellence when Dave Chappelle accepted the prestigious President’s Award. “I won a lot of awards recently, but this one tonight is probably the most special award I’ve ever gotten because it’s from this institution that represents these people. Us, people of color, Black people,” he began. The speech touched on the progress that Black actors have made in Hollywood since the “hideous” depictions in 1915’s Birth of a Nation.
The stand-up juggernaut hoped that the strides made over the past 100 years empowers his peers to “feel strong and inspired and not discouraged, especially because this is a very difficult time right now, and your institution [the NAACP] is sadly more relevant than it’s been in a long time. We got a lot of work to do, but it feels good to know that we’re not in it alone and that we got each other. And remember, community is everything.”
Cheers to the Wayans family and comedy GOAT Chappelle for their indelible impact on entertainment and culture.
Article by Angelina Velasquez, REVOLT
In a post on Instagram, the comedian known as Godfrey posted an official apology for calling the late great actor James Avery (best known as Uncle Phil on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) “gay as hell”. Godfrey makes his announcement and talks about how the comment came about and all of the backlash he has been recieving.
Check out his apology below;