Veteran Choreographer Fatima Robinson lands Dance Drama at NBC
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the network picked up a script from the TV musical’s executive producers Neil Meron and Craig Zadan that’s based on the life of its veteran choreographer, Fatima Robinson. Inspired by Robinson’s life as a dancer-turned-choreographer, the untitled drama is set in Los Angeles with early plans to set it in the 1990s, as dance begins to dominate pop culture on the streets and clubs that gave birth to hip-hop. She choreographed the 2012 Coachella Tupac Hologram, HBO Inauguration event for President Barack Obama, and the Sony Pictures movie Sparkle. Robinson has choreographed music videos for artists such as Michael Jackson (“Remember the Time”), Aaliyah (“Rock the Boat”)and Mary J. Blige (“Family Affair”) and directed the “Hey Mama” and My Humps” videos by The Black Eyed Peas. Renowned for her ability to blend classic dance-styles with her distinct hip hop flavor, she has worked with Jennifer Hudson, Usher, Leona Lewis, Sade, Prince, Rihanna. The project is in the early stages of development, according to THR. A writer has yet to come aboard. Zadan and Meron will executive produce alongside their Storyline Entertainment banner’s Mark Nicholson and Tasha Brown, with the latter duo set to produce. Robinson will executive produce and serve as choreographer. The drama marks her third go-round with Zadan and Meron following their collaboration on the Academy Awards, which producers told THR inspired them to enlist her to help stage NBC’s “The Wiz Live!” “We worked with her on the Oscars and knew she was special,” Zadan told THR last week when he singled out Robinson’s contributions to helping to make the live musical a critical success. “We hired Fatima Robinson, who is not a Broadway choreographer, to do authentic black dancing. She comes from hip-hop and a lot of her point of view on dance is very gritty and authentic and raw.”
Director Ryan Coogler to Direct Black Panther for Marvel
After several months of meeting with various black directors and not locking one to helm “Black Panther,” it’s finally confirmed that “Creed” director Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station) is in negotiations to direct the action film for Marvel and Disney, TheWrap reports. The studio has been desperate to lock a black director, and had considered Ava Duvernay and F. Gary Gray for the project. Marvel and Coogler had discussed the movie in the past, but both sides cooled on the negotiations until recently resuming talks. Eurweb.com previously reported on Coogler’s comments regarding why the race of the director is important on projects such as “Black Panther.” He explained screenrant.com, “Yeah, I think it’s important. Perspective is so important in art. That’s not to say that you can’t work outside yourself.” Black Panther is scheduled to be released on Nov. 3, 2017, reports eurweb.com.
Anika Rose lands New Role on Season 3 Power
With credits including Dreamgirls (2006), The Princess and the Frog (2009) and For Colored Girls (2010) and a host of primetime series, Anika Rose is no stranger to starring in blockbuster hits. The actress has landed the role of LaVerne Thomas on Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s drama Power on Starz. She will join Omari Hardwick, Naturi Naughton, Lela Loren, Joseph Sikora, 50 Cent and La La Anthony for its season three installment in 2016.
John Boyega makes his proud debut this Christmas with Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Star Wars saga continues with Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley, Lupita Nyong’o and newcomer John Boyega. Directed, co-produced, and co-written by J. J. Abrams, the hotly anticipated film is set thirty years after Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi, and finds Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and his allies facing a new threat from the evil Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and his army of Stormtroopers. Boyega, a Nigerian-British actor known for playing Moses in 2011 film Attack the Block, plays Finn, a redeemed First Order stormtrooper. When the Star Wars trailer released, Boyega received backlash from fans who rejected the idea of a Black actor playing a lead role in the iconic film, even threatening to boycott the movie. “It made me feel fine. I’m grounded in who I am, and I am a confident black man. A confident, Nigerian, black, chocolate man. I’m proud of my heritage, and no man can take that away from me. I wasn’t raised to fear people with a difference of opinion. They are merely victims of a disease in their mind. To get into a serious dialogue with people who judge a person based on the melanin in their skin? They’re stupid, and I’m not going to lose sleep over people. The presale tickets have gone through the roof — their agenda has failed. Miserably,” he told nytimes.com. Star Wars: The Force Awakens releases in theatres worldwide December 18.
