Danielle Deadwyler Gives an Oscar-Worthy Performance in ‘Till,’ But Will Enough Voters Watch the Film?

Clayton Davis MGM and United Artists Releasing have revealed their acting submissions for all of their titles, particularly “Bones and All,” “Till” and “Women Talking.” “Women Talking,” written and directed by Sarah Polley, has opted to put Rooney Mara up in the best actress category while the rest of her female co-stars — Jessie Buckley, Claire Foy, Judith Ivey, Sheila McCarthy, Michelle McLeod, Kate Hallett, Liv McNeil, August Winter, Kira Guloien and Shayla Brown — will campaign in supporting actress. The most prominent male actor in the film, Ben Whishaw, will be the only one campaigning for best supporting actor. Mara enters a very stacked lead actress race that includes Cate Blanchett (“Tár”), Viola Davis (“The Woman King”) and Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”). The universal acclaim for the film adaptation of the popular book could help propel her into the fold, especially given her two prior nominations for “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” (2011) and “Carol” (2015).

Spike Lee is gearing up for a big documentary series that's set to tell the real story of Colin Kaepernick.Lee was in attendance at the star-studded 2nd Annual Academy Museum Gala, held at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles on Saturday, and he spoke with ET's Cassie DiLaura about his forthcoming project.«I'm working on my multi-series documentary on Colin Kaepernick for ESPN,» Lee shared. «It's story, not the false narratives.»«Six years the National Football League has stopped him from playing,» Lee continued.

“Till,” directed by “Clemency” filmmaker Chinonye Chukwu, was released in five cities this weekend and grossed $240,940, bringing its per theater average to $15,059 as it will expand to 150-200 theaters in 30 cities next weekend. With critical acclaim on Rotten Tomatoes with a 100% approval rating and a 92% positive rating on Comscore/Screen Engine’s Posttrak, “Till” has built Oscar buzz for lead actress Danielle Deadwyler for her performance as Mamie Till-Mobley, who spent years fighting for justice after the racist lynching of her 14-year-old son, Emmett.

EXCLUSIVE: Director Chinonye Chukwu (Clemency), speaking at a Saturday night reception following the European premiere at the BFI London Film Festival of acclaimed film Till, told about how Mamie Till Mobley sought justice after the lynching of her 14-year-old son, Emmett Louis Till, in Mississippi in 1955. She told us that “There were quite a few people who wanted this role,” but Danielle Deadwyler “was meant to play it.”

Specialty film rollouts continues to accelerate with Chinonye Chukwu’s Till, Park Chan-wook’s Decision To Leave and A24’s Stars At Noon joining releases from previous weeks to populate theaters as awards season gathers steam.  

The African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) will present AAFCA Salutes Broadway on Monday, October 17th at the Lamb’s Club in the heart of New York’s theater district.

William Earl “Death of a Salesman” actor Wendell Pierce, “The Piano Lesson” director LaTanya Richardson Jackson and “Till” star John Douglas Thompson are among the honorees set for the inaugural Salute to Broadway presented by the African American Film Critics Association. The event is set for Oct. 17 at The Lambs Club in the heart of Midtown’s theater district. “It’s no secret that some of our greatest actors have come from the stage or have tested their chops on it,” said Gil Robertson, co-founder of AAFCA. “Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis are just a handful of our beloved icons for which this was true, with Tony winners Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Audra McDonald, Adrienne Warren and Myles Frost among those continuing that legacy. As a reliable pipeline for outstanding Black talent in front of the camera as well as behind it, Hollywood has benefited greatly from this esteemed training ground and AAFCA Salutes Broadway celebrates that rich heritage.”

Danielle Deadwyler is stepping out for a special screening of her new movie.

K.J. Yossman “White Noise” director Noah Baumbach spoke about his career highlights – and low points – as well as his creative partnership with Greta Gerwig during the BFI London Film Festival on Friday afternoon (Oct. 7). Asked about the eight-year gap between making “Mr. Jealousy” and “The Squid and the Whale,” Baumbach quipped: “I thought, you know what? I really needed about eight years off.” “No, it wasn’t by design, it was by accident,” he quickly clarified. “I sort of had two careers in a way. I had this early career very quickly and I was really figuring it all out as I was doing it. I had never really been on a movie set before I made ‘Kicking and Screaming.’ But I had this sense of how a movie should be and what I wanted a movie to be. And then after ‘Mr. Jealousy’ [the way] I experienced it at the time is that I was having trouble getting things made. I think, also, I didn’t really know what I wanted to make. And I think maybe, in some ways, my ambitions sort of exceeded my ability.”

Lea Michele is giving fans a sneak peek at her performance in the Broadway musical Funny Girl!

William Earl Variety has announced the lineup for its annual Business of Broadway breakfast presented by City National Bank in New York on Oct. 17. Samuel L. Jackson and LaTanya Richardson Jackson will join the event for a keynote conversation about their collaboration on the revival of August Wilson’s “The Piano Lesson,” currently playing on Broadway. The programming will also include a Broadway producers panel moderated by Erik Piecuch, senior vice president and entertainment banking leader of City National Bank. The panel will feature Lee Daniels (“Ain’t No Mo’”), Cindy Tolan (“Death of a Salesman”), LaChanze (“Kimberly Akimbo” and “Topdog/Underdog”) and Ken Davenport (“A Beautiful Noise”). The producers will speak about their experiences premiering new productions on Broadway this season and how the business has changed since Broadway’s return.

Whoopi Goldberg has a note of her own for one reviewer of her new film Till.

The Associated Press on Tuesday. Fuller’s play about the racially motivated murder of a Black sergeant on an Army post in Louisiana during World War II won the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 1982.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Academy Award nominees Andrea Berloff and John Gatins have formed a creative partnership with Netflix to write feature films for the streaming service. “From gripping dramas based on true stories to spectacle action adventure and comedies, Andrea Berloff and John Gatins have created stories that deeply connect with audiences across genres,” Kira Goldberg and Ori Marmur, Vice Presidents of Netflix Studio Film, said in a joint statement. “We’re thrilled to start this creative partnership with these two acclaimed and versatile writing talents.” Berloff is best known for co-writing the script to “Straight Outta Compton,” the hit film about NWA’s rise and dissolution. She earned an Academy Award nomination for her work. Her other credits include “World Trade Center,” a drama about 9/11 that was directed by Oliver Stone,” and “Blood Father,” a crime thriller that was directed by Jean-Francois Richet. For Netflix, she co-wrote the soon-to-be-released “The Mother,” which will star Jennifer Lopez.

The murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till is one of the lesser-known turning points in U.S. history; but the details of his case, along with the pictures of his disfigured body, haunted the nation’s consciousness back in 1955.

Viola Davis looks stunning in a black and white gown at the premiere of her new movie, The Woman King, held at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on Monday (October 3) in London, England.

Zack Sharf Whoopi Goldberg attended the New York Film Festival on Oct. 1 to world premiere her new drama “Till,” director Chinonye Chukwu’s biographical drama about Mamie Till’s pursuit for justice following the murder of her son, Emmett. Goldberg has a supporting role in the film as Alma Carthan, Mamie Till’s mother and Emmett’s grandmother. One “Till” review was critical of Goldberg’s fat suit in the film, but the Oscar winner was not wearing a fat suit in the film. Goldberg called out the review during the Oct. 3 episode of “The View.” “There was a young lady who writes for one of the magazines, and she was distracted by my fat suit, in her review,” Goldberg said. “I don’t really care how you felt about the movie, but you should know that was not a fat suit, that was me. That was steroids. Remember last year? I assume you don’t watch the show, or you would know that was not a fat suit.”

Apple Original Films has dated the run-from-slavery thriller Emancipation for a December 2 theatrical opening, followed by a December 9 release on its Apple TV+ streaming site. This follows the film’s first showing in DC on Saturday, with star Will Smith and director Antoine Fuqua (who flew in from Italy, where he and Denzel Washington are shooting a third Equalizer film) discussed the fact-based film in a screening orchestrated by Apple and NAACP during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Legislative Conference.

About twenty minutes into “Till” — the 1955 story of Emmett Till’s brutal murder — a moment encapsulating this conventional, elegantly rendered biopic’s greatest asset arises. An anxious Mamie Till-Mobley (Danielle Deadwyler), the mother of 14-year-old Emmett (she affectionately calls her son Bo), plays poker in the living room of her Chicago home with two of her girlfriends.