Amazon Announces "Julian Fellowes Presents Doctor Thorne" to its Original Series Lineup

Amazon Prime Video Adds the Latest Series from The Weinstein Company and Oscar and Emmy-winner Julian Fellowes, Julian Fellowes Presents Doctor Thorne, to its Original Series Lineup

Julian Fellowes Presents Doctor Thorne, which is based on the book series by Anthony Trollope and stars Tom Hollander, Ian McShane and Alison Brie, will premiere exclusively for Prime members in the U.S. on May 20

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon announced it has added the period drama series Julian Fellowes Presents Doctor Thorne to its lineup of Amazon Original Series, and is scheduled to premiere the series on Prime Video in the U.S. on May 20, 2016.

A production from The Weinstein Company, Julian Fellowes Presents Doctor Thorne is the latest series from Oscar and Emmy-winning writer Julian Fellowes; and is directed by Niall MacCormick and stars Tom Hollander (Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation) as Doctor Thorne, Ian McShane (Ray Donovan) as Sir Roger Scatcherd, and Alison Brie (Mad Men) as Miss Martha Dunstable.

The series—a story of love, vanity, arrogance and illegitimacy—will debut on Prime Video in the U.S. for Prime members to stream and download at no additional cost to their membership. The Weinstein Company had previously picked up the North American rights to series from Hat Trick International earlier last year. Amazon Prime members can watch the entire first season of Julian Fellowes Presents Doctor Thorne using the Amazon Video app for TVs, connected devices including Amazon Fire TV, and mobile devices, or online at Amazon.com/originals. Customers who are not already Prime members can sign up for a free trial at Amazon.com/prime.

    “Doctor Thorne’s multilayered storytelling coupled with an outstanding ensemble cast is an exciting addition to our line-up”

Fellowes’ PBS hit Downton Abbey garnered three Golden Globe Awards and 47 other awards. The series is extremely popular with customers and has nearly doubled in streaming hours year-over-year on Prime Video.

“Doctor Thorne’s multilayered storytelling coupled with an outstanding ensemble cast is an exciting addition to our line-up,” says Roy Price, Vice President, Digital Video and Amazon Studios. “Prime members have loved having access to Downton Abbey, making each season a top streamed show on Prime Video since 2011, and we hope to make Prime Video the home for even more of Julian Fellowes future projects.”

“Downton Abbey captivated audiences for six incredible seasons and it’s a tremendous thrill to be part of creator Julian Fellowes’ next endeavor Doctor Thorne. Amazon Prime is the perfect home to bring Fellowes’ beautiful, smart, and creative world to US audiences,” said Harvey Weinstein, Co-Chairman of The Weinstein Company. “Amazon’s millions of fans who tuned into Downton Abbey will love this new show. Each episode will feature an exclusive, special introduction from Julian Fellowes himself. And we hope this is the first of many Julian Fellowes Presents that we plan on creating with Amazon and our UK partner at Hat Trick.”

Doctor Thorne is a beautiful book written by Anthony Trollope and considered a classic in many countries. Trollope may not be a household name like Jane Austen or Charles Dickens, but there are many people who believe he belongs alongside them in the literary pantheon. Julian Fellowes has adapted this story with the same love and care he gave to Downton Abbey and Gosford Park—for which he won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

In the series, Dr. Thomas Thorne (Hollander) lives a quiet life with his niece Mary (Stefani Martini, Endeavour) in the English village of Greshambury, which is ruled with an iron fist by the terrifying Lady Arabella Gresham (Rebecca Front, Humans). But Lady Arabella’s world is forever changed when she learns that her beloved son is planning to elope with common-born Mary, rather than follow through on his arranged marriage to the rich American heiress Martha Dunstable (Brie). Unbeknownst to the rest of the town, the prestigious Gresham family has all but lost their fortune after their patriarch Francis Gresham Senior (Richard McCabe, Cinderella) squandered it on one of his many fruitless pursuits; they’re now forced to take loans from drunken millionaire Sir Roger Scatcherd (McShane) in order to survive. Lady Arabella’s scheme to regain their fortune through the arranged marriage now seems poised for disaster; but Lady Arabella is not one to be easily dissuaded, and thus resolves to achieve her goal by any means necessary.

Julian Fellowes Presents Doctor Thorne also stars Phoebe Nicholls (Fortitude) as Countess de Courcy, Gwyneth Keyworth (Game Of Thrones) as Lady Augusta Gresham, Kate O’Flynn (No Offence) as Lady Alexandrina de Courcy, Harry Richardson (Looking for Grace) as Frank Gresham, Cressida Bonas (Tulip Fever) as Patience Oriel, Danny Kirrane (Critical) as Mr. Moffatt, Janine Duvitski (Benidorm) as Lady Scatcherd, and Tom Bell (Humans) as Lord Porlock.

Julian Fellowes Presents Doctor Thorne is executive produced and written by Julian Fellowes, The Weinstein Company’s Bob and Harvey Weinstein, Hat Trick’s Mark Redhead, Christopher Kelly and Ted Childs. Helen Gregory (The Catch) serves as producer.


About Amazon Video
Amazon Video is a premium on-demand entertainment service that offers customers the greatest choice in what to watch, and how to watch it. Amazon Video is the only service that provides all of the following:

•     Prime Video: Thousands of movies and TV shows, including popular licensed content plus critically-acclaimed and award-winning Amazon Original Series and Movies from Amazon Studios like Transparent, The Man in the High Castle, kids series Tumble Leaf, and Chi Raq, available for unlimited streaming as part of an Amazon Prime membership
•     Add-on Subscriptions: Dozens of subscriptions to networks like SHOWTIME, STARZ and more, available to Amazon Prime members as add-ons to their membership
•     Rent or Own: Hundreds of thousands of titles, including new-release movies and current TV shows available for on-demand rental or purchase for all Amazon customers
•     Instant Access: Instantly watch anytime, anywhere through the Amazon Video app on TVs, mobile devices, Amazon Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, and Fire tablets, or online. For a list of all compatible devices visit www.amazon.com/howtostream
•     Premium Features: Top features like 4K Ultra HD, High Dynamic Range (HDR) and mobile downloads for offline viewing

In addition to Prime Video, the Prime membership includes unlimited Free Two-Day Shipping on millions of items across all categories, more than one million songs and thousands of playlists and stations with Prime Music, early access to select Lightning Deals all year long, free secure, unlimited photo storage in Amazon Cloud Drive with Prime Photos, access to borrow books with the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library, and more. To sign-up for Prime or to find out more visit: www.amazon.com/prime.

About Amazon
Amazon.com opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995. The company is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about.

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"Samurai Spider-Man" Swinging in Later This Year

BLUEFIN ANNOUNCES FORTHCOMING RELEASE OF NEW SPIDER-MAN SAMURAI MEISHO MANGA REALIZATION FIGURE

Distinctive Collectible Figure Incorporates Japanese Samurai Aesthetic For New Release Of Legendary Superhero Web Crawler

Irvine, CA – Bluefin, the leading North American distributor of toys, collectibles, and hobby merchandise from Japan, proudly announces the newest addition to the hit Meisho Realization figure series from Tamashii Nations as the company reimagines famous superheroes starting with the release of the Samurai Spider-Man later this year.

Scheduled to debut to retailers in late-Summer/Fall, the highly detailed, 7-inch figure pays homage to the Samurai aesthetic and artfully takes Spidey back to feudal-era Japan, casting him in distinctive, web-like black and crimson warrior armor. The figure is exquisitely constructed with hybrid materials and features up to 15 points of articulation to create endless posing possibilities. Meisho Manga Realization Spider-Man will carry an MSRP of $91.99 from authorized Bluefin retailers nationwide and also from a variety of leading online outlets. Preorders are available now.

Meisho Manga Realization Samurai Spiderman
Height: Approx. 7 inches; MSRP: $91.99

Leave it to top sculptor and designer Takayuki Takeya to take Spider-Man back to Feudal Japan in full, web-like Samurai warrior armor. True to the feudal spirit, Samurai Spider-Man’s ninja kaginawa-style grappling web hook is crafted as chain-like firing mechanism. Like the preceding Meisho Movie Realization products before it, Samurai Spider-Man is crafted with semi-soft materials that allow for superior articulations and dynamic posing. Set includes interchangeable hands (x3), Japanese katana set, and kaginawa web hook set (left and right wrist parts).

Collectors also can enjoy several notable figures from the Tamashii Nations Meisho Movie Realization Star Wars product line – available now from Bluefin – that include the “Ronin” Boba Fett, “Ashigaru” Stormtrooper, and the Samurai General “Taisho” Darth Vader and Samurai General “Daisho” Darth Vader. Each is clad in a unique set of armor and comes with an array of weapons and other accessories. Additional new figures will be announced in coming months. For more information on the Meisho Movie Realization Star Wars figures distributed by Bluefin, please visit: www.bluefincorp.com/catalog/tamashii-nations/meisho-movie-realization.html.


About Bluefin
Based in Irvine, CA, Bluefin built its reputation as a leading distributor of Japanese toys, collectibles, novelty and hobby products. In recent years, Bluefin has grown to include a range of high quality collectible lines from the United States, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore and established itself as the official North American consumer products and retail development partner for Studio Ghibli. Selling to thousands of specialty, chain and independent stores, Bluefin is an official North American distributor for Bandai Hobby, Kotobukiya and Capcom, is the sole provider of Bandai Tamashii Nations products, and is also the exclusive and official distributor for Hero Cross, Beast Kingdom, Comicave, Mr. Hobby, SEN-TI-NEL and X-Plus. Bluefin also represents TruForce Collectibles products worldwide. Additional information is available at: www.bluefincorp.com.

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Another Schlocky Bill O'Reilly Book, "Killing Reagan" Headed to the Small Screen

Tim Matheson and Cynthia Nixon Set to Star in National Geographic Channel's Two-Hour Scripted Movie Killing Reagan

Rod Lurie to Direct With a Script by Eric Simonson

Produced by Scott Free Productions and Bill O'Reilly, Killing Reagan, Based on the Best-Seller, Set to Begin Principal Photography Later This Month for a Fall Premiere

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--National Geographic Channel (NGC) announced today that veteran actor Tim Matheson (“The West Wing,” “Burn Notice,” “Animal House”) will star as the actor turned California governor turned president in the network’s forthcoming two-hour scripted movie Killing Reagan, joined by Cynthia Nixon (“Sex and the City,” Tony Award for “Rabbit Hole”) as first lady Nancy Reagan. The director will be Rod Lurie (“The Contender”), a self-professed political junkie, with a script written by Eric Simonson, an Academy Award winner for Best Documentary, Short Subject.

    .@NatGeoChannel Announces Cast & Creative Team for #KillingReagan

“With this fourth installment of the highly successful Killing franchise, we are, along with our partners, Bill O’Reilly and Scott Free Productions, going to use the assassination attempt as a crucible to tell the fascinating and compelling story of Ronald Reagan and his lasting impact on the global stage,” said Carolyn Bernstein, NGC executive vice president and head of global scripted development and production. “We’re delighted to have Tim and Cynthia on board to bring this story to life during an unpredictable and historic election year.”

“Even nearly 30 years after his presidency, and more than 10 years after his death, Ronald Reagan’s mark on American politics and the global geopolitical landscape, through both his actions and his policies, still reverberates today,” said Bill O’Reilly. “There is much that can be learned by looking back at that riveting period in history.”

Tim Matheson is no stranger to the political arena on screen, having played Vice President John Hoynes in the Emmy-winning series “The West Wing.” With an acting career that began in his teens and has spanned more than 50 years, he is perhaps most beloved for his role as Otter in the comedy classic “Animal House.” This is actually Matheson’s second time portraying the Gipper on film, having played the role in the 2011 unproduced pilot “The Talker,” in which he played the ghost of the former president.

Tony-, Grammy-, Emmy- and SAG Award-winning actress Cynthia Nixon is best known for her role as Miranda Hobbs in “Sex and the City” on both TV and film — a role that earned her four Golden Globe nominations. She has also recently appeared in the critically acclaimed TV series “Hannibal,” “The Big C” and “The Affair,” and will next be seen as Emily Dickinson in Terence Davies’ film “A Quiet Passion.”

A Washington, D.C., native, Rod Lurie burst onto the scene with the feature film “The Contender,” starring Joan Allen, in 2000. He later created the ABC drama “Line of Fire” and the critically acclaimed USA series “Commander in Chief,” which received a 2006 Golden Globe nomination for Best Television Series – Drama, and earned its star, Geena Davis, a Golden Globe award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama. Screenwriter Eric Simonson has a career marked by success in writing and directing film and documentary shorts. He won a 2006 Academy Award for “A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin” in the category of Best Documentary, Short Subject, and has twice been nominated for a News & Documentary Emmy Award for his work in long form.

Killing Reagan will be the fourth in a successful partnership between NGC, Scott Free Productions and Bill O’Reilly, with the previous three collaborations, Killing Lincoln, Killing Kennedy and Killing Jesus, serving as the network’s three most-watched programs of all time and earning multiple Emmy nominations. The movie is the first in a steady stream of scripted programming the network will put into production in the coming months, including the just-announced Ron Howard-produced scripted series Genius, signifying the network’s ongoing commitment to the genre.

Based on O’Reilly’s fourth No. 1 best-selling book, Killing Reagan takes a different approach than its predecessors, exploring how the attempted assassination on the newly elected president impacted his time in office. From the final, hotly contested months leading up to his 1980 election, the movie explores Reagan’s journey to the nation’s highest office and the challenges he faced to define himself as a leader. During this time, the mental health and obsessive tendencies of his would-be assassin, John Hinckley, unravel — leading up to that fateful day in 1981. The story is told in the same riveting fashion that has made best-sellers of O’Reilly’s first four books, and must-see hits of NGC’s movie adaptations. It will premiere on National Geographic Channel in the U.S. this fall, and around the world early next year in 170 countries and 45 languages.

Killing Reagan will be produced for National Geographic Channels by Scott Free Productions. For Scott Free, Ridley Scott. David W. Zucker and Mary Lisio are executive producers, and Clayton Krueger is co-Executive Producer. Bill O’Reilly is also executive producer. For National Geographic Channels, Carolyn G. Bernstein is executive vice president and head of global scripted development and production.


About National Geographic Channels
The National Geographic Channels (The Channels) form the television and production arm of National Geographic Partners, a joint venture between 21st Century Fox and the National Geographic Society. As a global leader in premium science, adventure and exploration programming, the Channels include: National Geographic Channel (NGC), Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo People and Nat Geo MUNDO. Additionally, the Channels also run the in-house television production unit, National Geographic Studios. The Channels contribute to the National Geographic Society’s commitment to exploration, conservation and education with entertaining, innovative programming from A-level talent around the world, and with profits that help support the society’s mission. Globally, NGC is available in more than 440 million homes in 171 countries and 45 languages, and Nat Geo WILD is available in 131 countries and 38 languages. National Geographic Partners is also a leader in social media, with a fan base of 250 million people across all of its social pages. NGC contributes over 55 million social media fans globally on Facebook alone. For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com and www.natgeowild.com.

About Scott Free Productions
Scott Free Productions is the film and television production company of acclaimed film director Ridley Scott. In the 20 years since Scott Free was formed, the company has earned over 70 Emmy nominations with 20 wins, and 20 Golden Globe nominations for its highly acclaimed television projects, which include the Peabody Award-winning “The Good Wife,” which is in its seventh and final season on CBS; a series adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s classic “The Man in the High Castle” for Amazon, now in production on season two; the Civil War medical drama “Mercy Street,” PBS’ first scripted series in over a decade, now in production on season two; “BrainDead,” a satiric-thriller CBS summer series from Robert and Michelle King; and the acclaimed Killing telefilms (Killing Kennedy, Killing Lincoln and Killing Jesus) for National Geographic, each of which premiered to record numbers for the channel. Current productions in 2016 include “Taboo” for FX and BBC, Killing Reagan for National Geographic, “The Terror” for AMC, “Sensory” for CBS and “Jean-Claude Van Johnson” for Amazon.

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I Reads You Review: DREAMING EAGLES #1

DREAMING EAGLES No. 1 (OF 6)
AFTERSHOCK COMICS – @AfterShockComix

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

WRITER: Garth Ennis
ARTIST: Simon Coleby
COLORS: John Kalisz
LETTERS: Rob Steen
COVER: Francesco Francavilla
VARIANT COVERS: Brian Stelfreeze; Phil Hester
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (December 2015)

For mature readers

Dreaming Eagles created by Garth Ennis

“We Cannot Consecrate”

Okay.  So back on September 11, 2015, Comic Book Resources posted an interview that assistant editor, Brett White, conducted with comic book luminary, Garth Ennis, concerning his then-upcoming miniseries, Dreaming Eagles.  Drawn by Simon Coleby, Dreaming Eagles tells the story of the first African-American fighter pilots to join the United States Army Air Force in World War II.  The series also deals with the 1960s Civil Right movement.

The first question that White asked Ennis was related to Mark Waid and J.G. Jones' current miniseries, Strange Fruit.  That comic book blends superhero comics to tell a story of racism during the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927.  Prior to the release of the first issue, there was some criticism by African-Americans leveled at Wade and Jones for telling their story in this manner, especially as privileged White American comic book creators.

So White asked Ennis, “Do you have any concern that you'll face similar scrutiny in writing about the Tuskegee airmen and their experiences?”

Ennis' response is so typically American White male privilege that it is hard to believe that he is originally from Northern Ireland:  “My attitude to that is that it's going to be what it's going to be; it's so far beyond my control that there's no point worrying about it. I'll write the best and most honest story I can, with appropriate attention to detail in terms of historical research. If you think I have no right to tell the story because I'm white, don't read it. If you don't think that and you're interested, give it a try.”

It is not that Black people do not want White people telling stories about Black people and African-American subject matter or featuring Black characters.  The complaint or grievance is that the same opportunity to produce such comic is, in large measure, not afforded to Black comic book creators.  Unless the story would be tailored to one of their characters, neither Marvel nor DC Comics would publish something like Dreaming Eagles produced by an African-American creative team.  In fact, it is unlikely that any of the major independents that publish creator-owned comic books would publish something like Dreaming Eagles by a team of Black creators.

How do I know that?  Well, they haven't...  A few times a year, Image Comics makes a big deal out of announcing its slate of upcoming creator-owned titles, and none are by African-American creative teams.  I think once, out of embarrassment, Image tossed in a token Negro title, which I have yet to see.  So AfterShock Comics is doing the same as the other publishers, and Garth Ennis is officially an American White male, willfully blind to his unearned White privilege.

So, onto the review...

Dreaming Eagles #1 (“We Cannot Consecrate”) opens in 1966, at night, outside “The Silver Pony” (a restaurant in New York City?).  The place is owned by a Black man, WWII veteran, Reggie Atkinson.  Tonight, he is thinking about his son, Lee, who is a budding activist in the 1960s Civil Rights movement.  Father and son don't agree on the movement, but tonight, Atkinson will finally tell Lee about his time as Lt. Reggie Atkinson, one of the first African-American fighter pilots in the United States Army Air Force in WWII.  And those first Black men had to prove a lot of White men wrong about a lot of things.

My diatribe to open this review aside, I like this first issue of Dreaming Eagles, which will be a six-issue miniseries.  The conflict between father and son is nothing new.  The old Black man versus the young brotha' conflict has popped up in much of the fiction and storytelling about the Black struggle for equality and dignity in the United States (most recently in the film, Lee Daniels' The Butler).  What I like is that Garth Ennis is depicting the father-son struggle as not being toxic, but instead, as a matter of perspective and worldview brought on by different life experiences.

Ennis is also blunt and to-the-point in stating the obstacles facing Black men in the U.S. military before and during WWII.  Ennis' storytelling has always been blunt and to-the-point which gives the drama and action in his stories the force of a series of jabs that keeps the readers always on his feet and engaged with the story.

If this comic book were published by DC Comics' Vertigo imprint, which published practically all of Ennis' work for about a decade, Simon Coleby would be the artist and this story would not look different.  He is not a fall-back choice for a name writer looking for as an artist.  Coleby gives each panel just the right amount of drama that is needed, from subdued to momentous.  He does not force a mood to pander to reader expectations, simply because he understands the build up to moments – immediately and for later chapters.

I think that this first issue is rather languid compared to what I expect to come in later issues, but I could be wrong.  My sense of expectation suggests that readers of Garth Ennis' war comics will want to read beyond the first issue.  However, I don't know that people who have enjoyed Ennis' work on comic books like Preacher and The Punisher will care for this.

A-

[This comic book includes a five-page preview of the comic book , Replica #2, by Paul Jenkins and Andy Clarke.]

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Once Again... 2016 Harvey Nomination Ballot Deadline is Monday, April 9th

2016 HARVEY NOMINATION BALLOT DEADLINE IS MONDAY

Final Notice -- Nomination Ballots due May 9

The final 3 days for voting in the Harvey Awards are upon us! Here are the key details. Please share this simple information with all your friends!

Who: Comic book, comic strip, webcomic, and graphic novel creators!

What: Final weekend to vote in the Harvey Awards Nomination Ballot! You decide what goes onto the final round! Vote for 1 category, all categories, or anywhere between.

Where: http://harveyawards.org/2016-nomination-ballot/

When: The next 4 days. Ballot deadline is midnight Pacific Time Monday, May 9th!

Why: Your opinion as a creator is respected and desired by your peers! Check Twitter to see how people are voting -- https://twitter.com/search?src=typd&q=harvey%20awards.

Thanks for your time,
Harvey Awards Committee

About The Harvey Awards
The Harvey Awards are one of the comic book industry's oldest and most respected awards. With a history of over 29 years, the last 10 in conjunction with the Baltimore Comic-Con, the Harveys recognize outstanding achievements in 22 categories. They are the only industry awards nominated and selected by the full body of comic book professionals.  For more information, please visit www.harveyawards.org

About The Baltimore Comic-Con
The Baltimore Comic-Con is celebrating its 17th year of bringing the comic book industry to the Baltimore and Washington D.C. area.  With a guest list unequaled in the industry, the Baltimore Comic-Con will be held September 2-4, 2016.  For more information, please visit www.baltimorecomiccon.com.

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Negromancer News Bits and Bites from May 1st to 7th, 2016 - Update #26

Support Leroy on Patreon.

MOVIES - From MoviedotCom:  Tom Hooper won an Oscar for directing "The King's Speech."  Then, he directed the Academy Award-winning film adaptation of "Les Miserables."  Now, he adapting the Tony Award-winning legendary musical, "Cats" into film.

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MOVIES - From Collider:  We finally have a synopsis for "The Mummy" reboot starring Tom Cruise.

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COMICS - From ScreenRant:  There is a strong chance of a "Black Widow" movies, says Marvel super-producer Kevin Feige.

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STAR WARS - From YahooMovies:  Young Han Solo is Alden Ehrenreich.

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COMICS - From XMenMovies:  Play X-Men" retro arcade game.

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  Netflix has ordered a 10-episode series based on Justin Simien's film, "Dear White People."

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MOVIES - From LatinoReview:  Universal is producing a new series of movies based on Anne Rice's "The Vampire Chronicles," and the first movie may have its Lestat.

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BLACK LIVES MATTER - From Truthout:  Man who spent 37 years in Angola for killing to Klanmen cops, dies at 98.

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COMICS - From GMA:  Anthony Mackie makes a surprise appearance at Langley Air Force Base.

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MUSIC - From RSN:  Afeni Shakur, the mother of the late rapper, Tupac Shukar, died Tuesday, May 3, 2016.  She was 69.

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MOVIES - From LatinoReview:  Did you know that Bruce Willis is headlining a remake of Charles Bronson's "Death Wish?"  Well, it has lots its directors.

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  FOX picks up sci-fi TV series from Seth MacFarlane.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Russell Crowe in talks to star with Tom Cruise in "The Mummy" reboot.

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THEATER - From YahooNews:  "Hamilton" breaks record at the 2016 Tony Award nominations with 16.

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MOVIES - From Variety:  Stephenie Meyer, the creator of the "Twilight" novels, is developing someone else book franchise, "Anna Dressed in Blood," for film.

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POLITICS - From YahooNews:  Sen. Ted Cruz is out of 2016 Republican primary.

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COMICS - From CinemaBlend:  There looks to be some subtraction in Marvel's ABC television plans.

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MOVIES - From TheWrap:  Director Justin Lin of the "Fast and Furious" films is set to direct "Space Jam 2" with LeBron James... Do you remember the original "Space Jam" with Michael Jordan?  Is this a sign of the apocalypse?

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TELEVISION - From DeadlineTV:  Complete list of 2016 Daytime Emmy Award winners.

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  On "Game of Thrones," Jon Snow's fate is revealed.

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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The #1 movie at the box office for the 4/29 to 5/01/2016 weekend is Disney's "The Jungle Book" with a take of $42.4 million.  This is its third week on top.

From Variety:  "Captain America: Civil War" makes it international debut, taking in a haul of $200.2 million in 37 major territories.

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TELEVISION - From Variety:  HBO to sumbit Beyonce's "Lemonade" special for Emmy Awards consideration.

From Variety:  See "The Late Late Show's" James Corden parody "Lemonade."

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POLITICS - From YahooNews:  A list of President Obama's top zingers at 2016 White House Correspondence Dinner.

POLITICS - From YahooNews:   Helen Mirren wears body art and purple dress in tribute to Prince.

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COMICS - From SlashFilm:  Jon Favreau does not rule out directing another Marvel film. He previously directed Iron Man and Iron Man 2.

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COMICS - From FlickeringMyth:   Rumors say that Zack Snyder and Warner Bros. execs are fighting over the direction of their Justice League film.  Warners once called Snyder "visionary director."

Kobe Bryant, Sports Illustrated and Believe Entertaiment Partner for "Dear Baskeball" Media Projects

Time Inc.’s Sports Illustrated Group, Kobe Bryant’s Kobe Studios and Believe Entertainment Group Announce Exclusive Multi-Platform Development Project around Dear Basketball, Bryant’s Epic Homage to the Game

Dear Basketball Animated Short Film to Premiere on SI.com;

SI Films Documents Making of Short Film Directed by World-Renowned Animator Glen Keane,

Music by Academy Award Winning Composer John Williams

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Time Inc.’s (NYSE:TIME) Sports Illustrated Group and NBA legend Kobe Bryant’s new production company, Kobe Studios, along with Believe Entertainment Group, announced an exclusive multi-platform video production and development project devoted to Dear Basketball, Bryant’s poetic tribute to the game. The collaboration includes the world premiere of Dear Basketball the animated short film on SI.com as well as a series of exclusive SI Films mini documentaries taking viewers behind the scenes of the animation process. Dear Basketball is targeted to premiere in the fall on SI.com.

Bryant’s retirement poem, “Dear Basketball,” reverberated across the Internet and has been analyzed by renowned poets, professors and scholars alike. It was originally published on The Players’ Tribune, which will also help promote the project. Dear Basketball, the animated short film, will be narrated by Bryant and will be visually brought to life in a new and compelling way. Glen Keane, the iconic and prolific animator behind such classic animated features as Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Tarzan and Tangled, will helm the production. Five-time Academy Award-winning composer John Williams, who has composed some of the most popular and recognizable film scores in cinematic history—including Jaws, Superman, the Indiana Jones series, E.T., Jurassic Park, the Harry Potter films and Star Wars—will provide the musical backdrop to this animated ode to sport.

“Dear Basketball is the perfect tribute to something I’ve loved for so long. Glen and John are two legends in their industries, so to partner with them on the creative process is a dream come true,” said Bryant. “Working with Sports Illustrated on this special project is an amazing opportunity to hopefully inspire fans all over the world."

Bryant gave rare and exclusive access to Sports Illustrated for the project, speaking openly about what Dear Basketball means to him, how it all came together and what he has learned from the creation process. The Dear Basketball collaboration will come to life across SI Group platforms, including video and text reports and interviews with Bryant and other key players in this unique production along with the animated short film to stream on SI.com. In addition, SI, Kobe Studios and Believe Entertainment Group will co-host a red carpet premiere event to celebrate Dear Basketball.

“We are proud to collaborate with Kobe to tell the comprehensive story of his first endeavor after retiring from the NBA in a way that only SI can,” said Rich Battista, President of the Time Inc. Entertainment and Sports Group and Video. “We are excited for Kobe’s fans and the global community of sport, entertainment and art enthusiasts to experience these productions.”

"We’re honored to partner with Sports Illustrated for the launch of this amazing animated short film and to work with them on a making of series that will reach a global audience across its platforms. The chance to partner with Kobe at this time is an incredibly compelling business and content opportunity for Believe,” said Dan Goodman, co-founder, Believe Entertainment Group.


ABOUT TIME INC.
Time Inc. (NYSE:TIME) is one of the world's leading media companies, with a monthly global print audience of over 120 million and worldwide digital properties that attract more than 150 million visitors each month, including over 60 websites. Our influential brands include People, Sports Illustrated, InStyle, Time, Real Simple and Southern Living, as well as more than 50 diverse titles in the United Kingdom.

ABOUT KOBE STUDIOS
Kobe Studios is a division of Kobe Inc, which was formed by NBA Legend Kobe Bryant in 2013. Kobe Inc. is a multi-media content creation company focused on helping athletes maximize their full potential and teaching the process of excellence. Kobe Studios’ first project, Kobe Bryant’s Muse, debuted on Showtime in February 2015, and in China in August 2015 via a partnership with the Alibaba Group. Bryant served as creator and executive producer on the film. Kobe Inc. is headquartered in Newport Beach, CA.

ABOUT BELIEVE ENTERTAINMENT GROUP
Believe Entertainment Group is a New York City-based digital entertainment company producing high-profile content in partnership with elite talent and leading brands through a variety of digital outlets such as web, mobile, VOD and social media. Believe Entertainment Group has launched a steady stream of recent projects including: The LeBrons, an original, animated web series with two-time NBA champion and four-time league MVP LeBron James, on Xbox LIVE (the-lebrons.com); In the Booth, a documentary-style series with DJ/Producer Tiësto (youtube.com/Tiesto); Money Where Your Mouth Is, a new, original game show series hosted by comedian, actor, radio host and author, Jay Mohr, that was ranked the top game show of Winter 2013-14 on Hulu and Hulu Plus; Inspired: by Sabrina, a new women’s lifestyle show hosted by HGTV star Sabrina Soto; and @EpicEDM, a new, ongoing original content series featuring top electronic dance music (EDM) artists, festivals and clubs worldwide that is the first studio-originated content series designed specifically for the Twitter platform. The company’s studio division develops and produces digital-first original series for OTT and digital distribution partners (including Maker Studios, People/Time Inc., Mashable, New York Post and Haven Home Media, a division of Reader's Digest Association) and develops and produces premium branded entertainment programs exclusively for individual brands, including the original animated series with Marriott International, Hot Shoppe. Believe Entertainment Group is led by co-founders Dan Goodman and William H. Masterson III. The company signed an investment deal with ITV plc in 2014.

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