Forest Whitaker Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Sony has offered up the first wave of marketing for their upcoming George Foreman biopic, namely a trailer, a poster and a release date. “Big George Foreman: The Miraculous Story of the Once and Future Heavyweight Champion of the World” will debut theatrically on April 28, 2023, occupying the pre-summer slot that in previous years was home to “He Got Game,” “Obsessed” and “Keanu.”  In 2023, that any studio is slotting anything resembling a big movie is a sign of a return to sanity within the theatrical ecosystem.

“Megalopolis” has a new resident.TheWrap has confirmed that Giancarlo Esposito, perhaps best known for his role as heavies in “Breaking Bad” (and “Better Call Saul”) and “The Mandalorian,” has joined Francis Ford Coppola’s sprawling sci-fi epic. He joins an already stacked cast that includes Adam Driver, Forest Whitaker, Aubrey Plaza, Laurence Fishburne, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jon Voight, Jason Schwartzman, Dustin Hoffman, Shia LeBeouf, James Remar and D.B.

EXCLUSIVE: Francis Ford Coppola has added Giancarlo Esposito to the all-star cast of Megalopolis. Esposito played Gus Fring in Breaking Bad and got an Emmy nom for reprising in Better Call Saul.

“It’s a part of me,” says Ryan Coogler of the Sundance Film Festival a decade after Fruitvale Station debuted in Park City and took home both the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Award. So much of it impacted me and made me the filmmaker that I am today, the Black Panther director adds. “Without question, and in ways I could have anticipated.”

MGM+, formerly Epix, unveiled its programming lineup and development slate that includes a new John Wells drama based on a Stephen L. Carter novel, a period drama about Harlem crime boss Stephanie St. Clair, based on an MGM movie, and a docuseries about the disco era.

EXCLUSIVE: UTA has signed actress and filmmaker Katie Holmes and her recently launched production company, Lafayette Pictures, for representation in all areas. 

EXCLUSIVE: Director-producer Jessy Terrero (Soul Plane) and his production company Cinema Giants have signed with Artists First for management.

Yul Vázquez is teaming up with Forest Whitaker in the upcoming third season of Godfather of Harlem as a new series regular.

Disney+’s Andor is getting a cross-company push. The first two episodes of the Star Wars prequel series will air across Disney’s distribution platforms including ABC, FX, Freeform and Hulu over the Thanksgiving holiday, coinciding with the Season 1 finale on the streamer.

Paramount Pictures has made two more major tweaks to its release schedule, moving the next film in its Scream franchise up from March 31 to March 10, 2023 while pushing back the starry Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves from March 3 to March 31, 2023. Both titles will open in theaters nationwide.

Eiza González has a blast on her Euro tripEiza González clears rumors of her involvement with ‘Daredevil,’ asks fans to stop attacking herEiza González latest outing shows she is transitioning from summer to fallEiza González has been very busy lately, as she was cast in Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal’s much awaited reunion. González will play Irsema in the Spanish language Hulu series “La Máquina,” trailing an aging boxer (Garcia Bernal) as he tries to win his last title with the help of his trainer and longtime friend (Luna).González is coming off of an impressive year, packed with exciting work opportunities.

Manori Ravindran International Editor Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton’s HiddenLight Productions has named industry veteran Brenda Robinson as its first head of film finance and inclusion strategies. Robinson, an entertainment attorney, financier and producer, will be responsible for bringing new partners to HiddenLight’s slate of productions across film and television. Robinson’s appointment represents a number of developments in HiddenLight’s strategy, including the use of grant and equity funding to develop and produce projects that the company takes to market later in the production cycle. It also signals a desire to tell a wider spectrum of stories from a diversity of voices.

EXCLUSIVE: Francis Ford Coppola has completed the cast of Megalopolis, the epic drama that he’ll shoot this fall in Georgia.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Magnolia Pictures has acquired U.S. rights to “Kompromat,” an action thriller film directed by Jerome Salle (“The Largo Winch” ), starring Gilles Lellouche (“The Stronghold”) and Joanna Kulig (“Cold War”). SND, the commercial arm of M6, is representing the film in international markets. Loosely based on a true story, “Kompromat” stars Lellouche as a French diplomat working in Siberia who is arrested overnight by the Russian authorities. Accused of sexually abusing his own daughter and imprisoned, he realizes he is a victim of a Kompromat. Someone is working with the FSB (Federal Security Service) to frame him. His only way out is to escape.

In addition to the Forest Whitaker-starring series, Epix is also behind the epic romantic adventure “Billy the Kid,” sci-fi horror “From”, historical limited drama series “Belgravia” and upcoming “Rogue Heroes.” MGM+ will continue to be available in the U.S. on Prime Video, cable, telco, satellite and digital distribution services.“MGM is one of the most iconic and beloved brands from the golden age of entertainment,” Michael Wright, head of MGM+, said in a statement.

EXCLUSIVE: Universal Pictures has acquired the action-comedy Regulators, starring Nicky Jam, who is also producing via music label La Industria, Inc.

Star Wars character Darth Vader after 45 years in the role.As reported by Vanity Fair, the actor, 91, has signed off on archival voice recordings being used by young filmmakers, who plan to recreate Jones’ voice from his previous films for future Lucasfilm projects using artificial intelligence.“He had mentioned he was looking into winding down this particular character,” Matthew Wood, a veteran at Lucasfilm, said. “So how do we move forward?”Lucasfilm first partnered with Respeecher, a Ukrainian start-up that uses AI technology to create new dialogue from old voice recordings, on Disney+ series The Book Of Boba Fett to replicate the voice of young Luke Skywalker.Jones’ voice was artificially recreated for Darth Vader in recent series Obi Wan Kenobi, although Lucasfilm said the actor “guided” the performance.

Henry Silva, who starred in Johnny Cool, fought Frank Sinatra in The Manchurian Candidate and was one of Sinatra’s fellow thieves in Ocean’s 11, among dozens of screen roles spanning a half-century, died Wednesday of natural causes at the Motion Picture and Television Fund Hospital in Woodland Hills, CA. He was 94.

Disney+ and Lucasfilm have debuted the final trailer for the upcoming Star Wars series Andor!

Eiza González has been cast in Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal’s much awaited reunion seroes. González will play Irsema in the Spanish language Hulu series “La Máquina,” trailing an aging boxer (Garcia Bernal) as he tries to win his last title with the help of his trainer and longtime friend (Luna).Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna reunite in a boxing seriesDiego Luna is back on ‘Star Wars’ and shares why fear is a motivator for his workA post shared by Eiza Gonzalez (@eizagonzalez)Deadline provided descriptions of González’s character, Irsema, describing her as someone who’s known the two leads throughout most of their lives and as “ an aspiring sports journalist who approaches boxing as more of an art form.” She’s also the ex-wife of Esteban, played by Garcia Bernal, and the mother of his two children.

Eiza González (Ambulance) has been cast in the role of Irasema opposite Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal in the Hulu Originals limited series La Máquina.

joining Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal in the Hulu Original “La Máquina,” a limited series that follows an aging boxer, Esteban, played by Bernal.González will portray Irasema, an aspiring sports journalist whose approach to boxing is more as “an art form,” per her character description. She’s Esteban’s ex-wife who still deeply cares for him, and mother to their two children.

Megalopolis.The actor has been cast in an undisclosed lead role in the forthcoming feature, per Giant Freakin’ Robot.The film shoot is set to begin this autumn, and alongside LaBeouf the film stars Adam Driver, Nathalie Emmanuel, Forest Whitaker, Laurence Fishburne, Jon Voight, Aubrey Plaza and more.A logline for Megalopolis reads: “The fate of Rome haunts a modern world unable to solve its own social problems in this epic story of political ambition, genius and conflicted love.”Meanwhile, Shia LaBeouf recently admitted the depiction of his father as an abusive man in the film Honey Boy was “fucking nonsense”.The 2019 film, which was written by LaBeouf, was said to be based on his his relationship with his father, whom he portrayed in the movie.“Here’s a man who I’ve done vilified on a grand scale,” the actor said (via The Independent). “I wrote this narrative, which was just fucking nonsense.“My dad was so loving to me my whole life.

Shia LaBeouf is taking on a new role.

Francis Ford Coppola continues to fill out the ensemble for his epic Megalopolis, with Talia Shire (The Godfather), Shia LaBeouf (Honey Boy), Jason Schwartzman (The French Dispatch), Grace Vanderwaal (Stargirl), Kathryn Hunter (The Tragedy of Macbeth) and James Remar (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) being its newest additions.