LGBTQ Atlanta’s Top Stories of 2023

Steven J. Horowitz Senior Music Writer Just a day after posting a trailer for his debut film, 21 Savage has announced his third solo album “American Dream,” releasing on January 12.

Oprah Winfrey has already denied that she had a feud with Taraji P. Henson while working on The Color Purple and now we’re learning more about what happened on set.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor Julian Jacobs, a longtime UTA executive who has helped the firm expand into entertainment marketing, has been named to lead the agency’s New York office, effective in March. Jacobs expects to build on momentum fostered under Allan Haldeman, a partner and co-head of TV Lit, who has led New York operations since September of 2022.

21 Savage has shared a music video that purportedly doubles as the first official trailer for American Dream: The 21 Savage Story, a feature film about his life, with Donald Glover taking the role of 21 in the present and Stranger Things’ Caleb McLaughlin playing the rapper’s younger self. Donald’s younger brother Stephen Glover, who wrote for his elder sibling’s hit FX series Atlanta, is listed as the first of four directors in the clip’s credits.

Jordan Moreau Rapper 21 Savage is back, and he’s recruited Donald Glover and “Stranger Things” star Caleb McLaughlin to play him in a trailer for what is apparently a film titled “American Dream: The 21 Savage Story,” a memoir of his incarceration by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) beginning in 2019. As part of then-president Trump’s crackdown on undocumented citizens, Savage — who was raised in Atlanta but was born in the U.K.

during a live Q&A session on Friday with the film’s cast. According to the actress, they also were not given any food. “You corrected it for us,” Brooks told Winfrey, 69, who said she heard about the situation from Henson, 53.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Audacy, the troubled radio and audio-streaming company, said Sunday it filed plans for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization to slash its debt. Audacy is the second-largest radio broadcaster in the U.S. (after iHeartMedia) with 235 owned radio stations across 48 markets.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Taraji P. Henson said in a recent interview with The New York Times that her co-stars on “The Color Purple” got a lot of stuff on set because she fought for it behind the scenes. One such example was rides and security to the film’s Atlanta set, as the production allegedly offered the cast rental cars at first and expected the actors to drive themselves to set.

Taraji P. Henson is opening up about her time filming The Color Purple and is criticizing that production had the cast drive themselves to the set.

So often, when regional rap scenes blow up nationally, they’re treated too much as a passing novelty: a city has its moment in the sun, and then it’s on to the next one. Just as frequently, the popularity of regionally-specific sounds doesn’t actually benefit artists from those areas very much.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Samuel L. Jackson is set to star in the upcoming Peacock true crime limited series “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist,” Variety has learned. The show was ordered to series at Peacock in December with Kevin Hart attached to star and executive produce with Will Packer also executive producing.

Samuel L. Jackson (The Marvel Cinematic Universe, Pulp Fiction) has joined the Peacock Muhammad Ali limited series Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist. He will portray Frank Moten, a real-life underworld kingpin coined the Black Godfather by the NY tabloids.

Francesca Sloane is being refreshingly candid about her upcoming Amazon series reboot of Mr. & Mrs. Smith.

EXCLUSIVE: New York-based cultural institution Villa Albertine and Unifrance have announced the selection of French features due to be showcased in the 9th edition of their joint Young French Cinema program.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor The Coca-Cola Company wants to kick off 2024 with a family affair. A new campaign from the beverage giant that starts bubbling Tuesday emphasizes its broad portfolio of drinks, not just a single product such as Fanta, Diet Coke or Dasani as has been the company’s typical marketing strategy over the years.

The Rose Parade will see floral-decorated floats decorated to the theme of “Celebrating a World of Music: The Universal Language.”

Kim Zolciak has a long list of goals for the new year!

There are two things the Real Housewives franchise reliably delivers on – binge-worthy drama and documenting the lavish lifestyles of the show’s stars.

Lil Baby celebrated his birthday with a hometown Atlanta show this week (December 27), being joined on stage by J. Cole and Quavo for the occasion.It was the third year in a row that the rapper has thrown a gig at the city’s State Farm Arena.

Atlanta’s queer community is reeling at the news of Dr. Jesse Peel’s passing on December 28, 2023, at the age of 83.