Blair Underwood Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Tanya Kersey, founder of the Hollywood Black Film Festival, died Monday of cardiac arrest in in Rancho Cucamonga, California. She was 61.

EXCLUSIVE: CBS‘ Elsbeth will count on three additional guest stars for its Season 1 cast: Elizabeth Lail (Five Nights At Freddy’s), Arian Moayed (Succession) and Laura Benanti (The Gilded Age). Following a brief hiatus, the show returns on April 4 with two episodes.

EXCLUSIVE: Christina Diamantas has been promoted to partner at Thruline Entertainment on her 15-year anniversary at the company, where she started in 2009 as an assistant and became a manager in 2015. She becomes Thruline’s ninth manager/partner.

Neon announced on Tuesday that it will bring Academy Award nominee Ava DuVernay‘s acclaimed drama Origin back to 500 U.S. theaters on February 28, for a one-night-only special screening event, featuring an exclusive pre-recorded introduction and post-screening Q&A with DuVernay.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor Emmy winner and Oscar nominee Cord Jefferson will write and executive produce the upcoming Scarlett Johansson limited series, which serves as her first major television role. The “American Fiction” filmmaker has boarded the Amazon Prime Video adaptation of John Katzenbach’s novel “Just Cause.” Additionally, acclaimed writer John Wells has joined the project, co-writing the series with Jefferson, and will also serve as an executive producer. “Just Cause,” first published in 1992, tells the story of Matt Cowart, a Miami reporter.

Selome Hailu “Elsbeth,” the spinoff of “The Good Wife” coming to CBS on Feb. 29, has set a list of guest stars including Jane Krakowski, Linda Lavin, Retta and Blair Underwood. They join previously announced guest star Jesse Tyler Ferguson.

Origin, starring as a celebrated writer diligently solving the puzzle that is her latest book, while also facing unfathomable personal adversity.The book she’s writing happens to be the nonfiction best-seller that inspired this film: Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent, by Isabel Wilkerson. In Caste, published in 2020, Wilkerson examines the racial hierarchy in America as a caste system, not unlike systems of oppression in India and in Nazi Germany that have enforced dynamics of superiority and inferiority based on characteristics other than race.“We call everything racism.

Neon is opening Origin on 130 screens and plans to expand the Ava DuVernay film, which premiered in Venice and had a excellent qualifying run in December.

Deadline’s Read the Screenplay series spotlighting the year’s most talked-about scripts continues with the ambitious Ava DuVernay-directed drama Origin, with the script also written by DuVernay inspired by Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson’s groundbreaking book Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents.

Lots of excellent movies premiered at the Venice Film Festival this year, like “Poor Things,” “Maestro,” and “Priscilla.” But while those films already have awards buzz swirling around them, don’t forget about Ava DuVernay’s “Origin,” a complex drama about a journalist grappling with tremendous tragedies in her life and the global journey she embarks on.

All 172 episodes of the classic ’80s legal drama L.A. Law, created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher, will be available to stream on Hulu on November 3.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Classic ’80s legal drama “L.A. Law” is coming to Hulu — with an upgrade. All eight seasons of the show, comprising 172 episodes total, have been newly remastered by Disney in HD with 16:9 aspect ratio from the original film source for streaming on Hulu.

Ava DuVernay touched down at the Venice Film Festival on Wednesday evening with her new film Origin, which world premiered in Competition and received a more than eight-minute ovation in its debut screening.

Ellise Shafer Ava DuVernay’s latest film, “Origin,” premiered in competition at Venice Film Festival to a 5 minute and 46 second standing ovation. Based on Isabel Wilkerson’s book “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents,” “Origin” chronicles “the remarkable life and work” of Wilkerson “as she investigates the genesis of injustice and uncovers a hidden truth that affects us all,” according to the film’s synopsis. The drama stars Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Niecy Nash-Betts, Jon Bernthal, Niecy Nash-Betts, Vera Farmiga, Audra McDonald, Nick Offerman, Blair Underwood, Connie Nielsen, Emily Yancy, Jasmine Cephas-Jones, Finn Wittock, Victoria Pedretti, Isha Blaaker and Myles Frost.

In Ava DuVernay’s 7th feature, Origin, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival tonight, the exploration of caste systems as a mode of oppression takes center stage. Written by DuVernay and Isabel Wilkerson, the film is adapted from the latter’s book, Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents. The narrative delves into the deep-seeded intricacies of caste and how it underpins much of society’s discrimination, sometimes transcending even race. The film stars Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Jon Bernthal, Niecy Nash-Betts, and includes performances by Vera Farmiga, Audra McDonald, Nick Offerman, Blair Underwood and Connie Nielsen.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Neon has acquired worldwide rights to Ava DuVernay’s “Origin” ahead of its world premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival. The movie, starring Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Jon Bernthal, Niecy Nash-Betts, will also screen at the Toronto International Film Festival. “Origin” will be released in theaters later this year.

Neon has acquired worldwide rights for Ava DuVernay’s Origin ahead of its world premiere in Competition at the Venice Film Festival on Wednesday (September 6).

Ava DuVernay’s Origin, the first film by an African American woman to play in Competition at the Venice Film Festival, will have a Gala screening at Roy Thomson Hall at TIFF on Monday, September 11. DuVernay will be in attendance for the screening of the film, which she wrote, produced and directed.

Blair Underwood is married, and his love story is one for the movies!On Saturday, Underwood and Josie Hart tied the knot after getting engaged last year, and following a 43-year friendship. reports that the actor and Hart said their «I dos» in front of 100 family and friends at the Casa de Campo Resort & Villas in the Dominican Republic.For her part, Hart wore a bespoke two-in-one gown by Nneka C. Alexander of Brides by Nona Couture Atelier.

EXCLUSIVE: Molly Hurwitz has joined Thruline Entertainment as a literary manager.

EXCLUSIVE: Thruline Entertainment has promoted longtime talent manager Ashley Franklin to Partner.

Shailene Woodley gives off a sexy vibe in a dropped back shoulder dress while arriving at the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar Party on Sunday night (March 12) at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Angelique Jackson The cast of Ava DuVernay’s latest film, inspired by Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson’s “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents,” is now complete with the addition of Blair Underwood, Finn Wittrock, Victoria Pedretti, Isha Blaaker, Leonardo Nam, Donna Mills and Emily Yancy. The seven actors join Oscar nominee Aunjanue Ellis, who was previously announced as the lead in the film, as well as Oscar nominee Vera Farmiga, Niecy Nash-Betts, Nick Offerman, Jon Bernthal, Audra McDonald, Connie Nielsen, Jasmine Cephas Jones and Myles Frost. Announced in October 2020, DuVernay serves as the writer and director of “Caste,” which adapts Wilkerson’s acclaimed book. Described in The New York Times as “an instant American classic and almost certainly the keynote nonfiction book of the American century thus far,” the book — and subsequently DuVernay’s film — examines the system of hierarchy that has shaped America.

EXCLUSIVE: On the heels of the recent Season 2 renewal of Hulu/20th Television’s Tell Me Lies, the breakout drama’s creator/executive producer/showrunner Meaghan Oppenheimer and executive producer Emma Roberts are re-teaming for another series at Hulu and 20th TV, Second Wife.

The United Kingdom swept the two marquee categories at the 50th anniversary International Emmy Awards, which here handed out Monday night in New York. Vigil took Best Drama Series, and Sex Education took the Comedy Series prizes.

EXCLUSIVE: On the heels of its 20th anniversary, Thruline Entertainment has announced two key promotions. Sam Sazant has been elevated to Los Angeles-based manager with an emphasis on talent, and Rebecca Mazouz has been named as a literary coordinator at the management-production company.

Andrew Rogers, a 12-year ICM veteran, has joined APA as a new Partner and Global Head Of Talent. Rogers, who also was a partner at ICM, was part of the final wave of agents who departed the company on the eve of its acquisition by CAA.

EXCLUSIVE Ozark actor McKinley Belcher III will join the cast of Broadway’s upcoming Death of a Salesman revival starring Wendell Pierce and Sharon D Clarke this fall, producers announced today.

LA Law not moving at ABC was one of the surprises of this pilot season.

Jennifer Maas TV Business WriterABC has passed on placing series orders for the “LA Law” sequel and Jo Koy comedy “Josep” after both pilots were reviewed by the network, Variety has learned.The Disney-owned broadcaster is interested in potentially redeveloping the Koy project in the future, but “LA Law” will not be moving forward. On Friday, ABC picked up dramas “Alaska” and “The Rookie” spinoff “The Rookie: Feds” to series, as well as comedy “Not Dead Yet.” Four other drama pilots, “Will Trent,” “The Company You Keep,” the Untitled Kay Oyegun drama and an untitled National Park Service project, are all still in contention and will be up for consideration going into July.Starring returning cast members Blair Underwood and Corbin Bernsen reprising their original roles as Jonathan Rollins and Arnie Becker, the pilot for the new iteration of the Emmy-winning series “LA Law” features familiar characters working alongside new ones on the most hot button issues of the day.

ABC’s L.A. Law sequel has gone the way of the network’s NYPD Blue sequel. The network has passed on the pilot, headlined by Blair Underwood, reprising his role as attorney Jonathan Rollins in addition to executive producing.

We are 10 days away from the start of the traditional upfront week and a day into the new series pickup window, which kicked off yesterday with NBC’s order to the Quantum Leap pilot. Getting intel on broadcast pilots is harder than ever as that marketplace has contracted over the last five years but here is what I hear as we head into pre-upfront week. You can use for reference the Early Pilot Buzz report Deadline ran on Monday.

It’s a very big night for Debra Messing!

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaThe incredible story of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the all Black, all female Army battalion tasked with solving a mail crisis in England and France during World War II, has an inspired the development of a new musical.The news comes after House voted unanimously on Monday to award one of the country’s highest civilian honors, the Congressional Gold Medal, to the unit. The U.S Senate passed the bill in 2021, so it now heads to President Joe Biden’s desk to be signed into law. When received, the 6888 will be the only female unit serving in a military status to receive the award, the only unit from the Women’s Army Corps to receive the award, and the only African American female unit to receive the award.

EXCLUSIVE: Kacey Rohl is set as a lead in ABC drama pilot L.A. Law, a revival of the iconic Steven Bochco legal drama. She joins original cast members Blair Underwood and Corbin Bernsen, who are reprising their roles as Jonathan Rollins and Arnie Becker, respectively, as well as fellow new series regulars Hari Nef, Toks Olagundoye, Ian Duff, John Harlan Kim and Juliana Harkavey.

EXCLUSIVE: Arrow alumna Juliana Harkavy has been cast as a lead in ABC drama pilot L.A. Law, a revival of the iconic Steven Bochco legal drama. She joins original cast members Blair Underwood and Corbin Bernsen, who are reprising their roles as Jonathan Rollins and Arnie Becker, respectively, as well as fellow new series regulars Hari Nef, Toks Olagundoye, Ian Duff and John Harlan Kim.