The entertainment world was rocked with the recent revelations of rapper/producer P. Diddy dealing in a whole laundry list of criminal charges, including charges of sex trafficking and racketeering as well as sexual assault and violent abuse allegations. One person who has been vocal about the situation is rapper 50 Cent, aka Curtis Jackson, who has been taking to his social media to talk trash on Diddy and has been passionate about finding evidence that undoubtedly proves the guilt of Diddy, aka Sean Combs.
Variety is now reporting that Jackson is set to produce a new series on Netflix that explores the story behind the allegations that Combs now faces. The series is currently in production and Alexandria Stapleton is on board as the director. In a statement, both Jackson and Stapleton explain, “This is a story with significant human impact. It is a complex narrative spanning decades, not just the headlines or clips seen so far. We remain steadfast in our commitment to give a voice to the voiceless and to present authentic and nuanced perspectives. While the allegations are disturbing, we urge all to remember that Sean Combs’ story is not the full story of hip-hop and its culture. We aim to ensure that individual actions do not overshadow the culture’s broader contributions.”
50 Cent will executive produce the Netflix show through his G-Unit Film & Television banner, while Stapleton executive produces for House of Nonfiction. Earlier this month, Combs stuck to his guns after entering a “not guilty” plea to charges of sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to facilitate prostitution. If found guilty, Combs could spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Combs’ lawyers urged the court to release their client on a $50 million bond, restrict travel privileges, and use a “home detention with GPS monitoring” inside New York state. In contrast, the U.S. Attorney’s office wants Magistrate Judge Robyn F. Tarnofsky to order the music industry mogul to remain in custody because he is a flight risk. “Simply put, he is a serial abuser and a serial obstructor,” as explained by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson.
The very slick Persona 3 Reload’s DLC, Episode Aigis: The Answer, came out this month. If you’ve yet to jump in to the game’s epilogue, let’s run through everything you’ll need to know before you start.
The very slick Persona 3 Reload’s DLC, Episode Aigis: The Answer, came out this month. If you’ve yet to jump in to the game’s epilogue, let’s run through everything you’ll need to know before you start.
The time has come for Francis Ford Coppola’s newest epic to hit screens. The early receptions for Megalopolis have been divided, with even our own EIC, Chris Bumbray, finding himself on the negative side of the reactions, stating in his review, “Indeed, I despise the fact that Megalopolis turned out to be such an unwieldy mess, as the last thing I wanted to do at this year’s TIFF was join the choir of Coppola haters – of which I’ll never be one, even if I didn’t like his movie.” Meanwhile, the most positive review may have come from Coppola himself as the director joined Letterboxd and gave Megalopolisfive stars.
Inversely, the new animated film, The Wild Robot, has been given an immensely positive response as it currently sits at 98% on Rotten Tomatoes. Both films will be hitting theaters this weekend and The Hollywood Reporter takes a look at the projections for the week’s new releases. Coppola’s passion project was a self-financed venture that had a price tag of $120 million before marketing. Unfortunately, the ambitious film is only projected to make $5 million to $7 million.
Meanwhile, the new Dreamworks animated feature The Wild Robot has both early buzz and the appeal of being a heartfelt family film that can be comparable to Inside Out 2‘s big business from this summer. It’s being predicted that the movie wins the weekend above past releases, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and Transformers One, in the “$24 million range domestically, although more bullish forecasters believe it could easily fly past $30 million.” However, experts also kept in mind that Transformers One made $5 million less than projected after the film had the benefit of good word-of-mouth and action appeal as well as being a part of a popular IP.
While Coppola’s film explores the conflicts and politics of rebuilding a society, a film that aims to capitalize on election season is a new documentary from filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza about Donald Trump’s current bid to win the upcoming U.S. Presidential election. The film Vindicating Trump will be opening in 500 to 700 screens across the nation. The film was made in cooperation with Trump, who has been personally plugging the film, and comes from Faith-based distributor SDG, which recently put out the documentary Am I Racist?
Dragon Age: The Veilguard is changing how players carry over choices from previous games. BioWare’s fantasy RPG series has previously followed in the footsteps of Mass Effect and let you import your world state so you could have some continuity in your Dragon Age II and Inquisition playthroughs. This could include…
Dragon Age: The Veilguard is changing how players carry over choices from previous games. BioWare’s fantasy RPG series has previously followed in the footsteps of Mass Effect and let you import your world state so you could have some continuity in your Dragon Age II and Inquisition playthroughs. This could include…
Stephen King‘s novel The Institute (which can be purchased HERE) reached store shelves on September 10, 2019 – and that same day, it was announced that David Kelley and Jack Bender, the duo behind the King series adaptation Mr. Mercedes, were working on a limited series adaptation of The Institute. Nearly five years have gone since then and Kelley has dropped off the project along the way, but The Institute is moving forward at MGM+ – and Deadline has learned the names of eleven more cast members who have signed on as series regulars. They are: Julian Richings (Supernatural, pictured above),Fionn Laird (Under the Banner of Heaven), Hannah Galway (Sex/Life), Robert Joy (Land of the Dead), Viggo Hanvelt (Our Christmas Mural), Arlen So (Something Rotten), Birva Pandya (The Umbrella Academy), Dan Beirne (Ginny & Georgia), Martin Roach (Suits), Jane Luk (Streams Flow from a River), and – in the lead role of Luke Ellis – Joe Freeman. This will be the first screen acting role for Freeman, who happens to be the son of Martin Freeman, who’s known for his roles in The Hobbit and Black Panther.
These eleven actors join previously announced cast members Mary-Louise Parker of Weeds (and Mr. Mercedes), Ben Barnes of Shadow and Bone, Simone Miller of Detention Adventure, and Jason Diaz of The 100.
Set to run for eight episodes, The Institute will tell the following story: When 12-year-old genius Luke Ellis is kidnapped, he awakens at The Institute, a facility full of children who all got there the same way he did, and who are all possessed of unusual abilities. In a nearby town, haunted former police officer Tim Jamieson has come looking to start a new life, but the peace and quiet won’t last, as his story and Luke’s are destined to collide. Joe Freeman is 18 years old, so it looks like the TV version of Luke Ellis will be a bit older than the book version of the character.
Barnes will be playing Tim Jamieson, “a disillusioned ex-cop who takes a job as the night knocker in a small town, withdrawing from the world until Luke’s plight reignites him and gives him something to believe in.” Parker’s character is Ms. Sigsby, “the charming but iron-willed director of the Institute and a true believer in its awful mission. She’s certain history will come to see her as a hero.” Miller has been cast as Kalisha, “a sarcastic-but-friendly Institute inmate, who becomes one of Luke’s closest allies.” Diaz plays Tony, “the most sadistic of the Institute’s orderlies, who delights in wielding his power over the children.”
Coming our way from MGM+ Studios, The Institute is being directed and executive produced by Jack Bender (Lost) and written and executive produced by Benjamin Cavell (Justified). Filming will take place in Nova Scotia later this year.
King provided the following statement: “I’m delighted and excited at the prospect of The Institute, with its high-intensity suspense, being filmed as a series. The combination of Jack Bender and Ben Cavell guarantees that the results will be terrific.“
Michael Wright, head of MGM+ (which previously worked with King on Chapelwaite), had this to say: “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work again with Stephen King. And The Institute, based on his critically acclaimed novel, is an exciting addition to the MGM+ original series slate. There is no creative team I would trust more to bring the book to life than Jack and Ben, whose creative vision and love of Mr. King’s voice, will bring this thought-provoking and gut-wrenching story to life, in the engaging, cinematic, and thrilling style MGM+ viewers expect.“
In addition to Mr. Mercedes, Bender also worked on the King-inspired shows Under the Dome and The Outsider. He said, “I’m thrilled that Stephen King has entrusted me with another of his brilliant novels and continuing the extraordinary creative relationship with Michael Wright and MGM+. Working alongside Ben Cavell and a team of exceptional writers, to tell the story of these uniquely gifted children, will ensure a suspenseful and engrossing series.“
Cavell, who worked on the recent mini-series version of King’s The Stand, added, “It is my great honor to have another chance to adapt Stephen King, who has been generous and collaborative beyond my wildest imaginings. Also, the opportunity to work with Jack Bender, who has directed some of my all-time favorite television, is truly a dream come true. I couldn’t be more grateful to Michael Wright and MGM for putting this team together.“
What do you think of the cast that has been assembled for Stephen King’s The Institute? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
During TwitchCon 2024’s opening ceremony, the streaming service announced upcoming changes and advancements to its ban policy—namely that it would be making it more clear what constitutes a violation of the platform’s terms of service. According to Twitch, these changes “seek to improve clarity about our enforcements…
