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    New 'Candyman' Teaser Reveals Haunting Origin Story

    Universal Pictures

    Presented in the form of shadow puppet short, the latest promo for Nia DaCosta’s upcoming horror movie highlights the racial history of the classic slasher film.
    Jun 18, 2020
    AceShowbiz – A new teaser for Nia DaCosta’s “Candyman” is here for viewing pleasure to tide fans over its upcoming release. Unveiled aptly during the fight for social justice for black community in the U.S., the latest sneak peek tackles racial history of the horror classic.
    The haunting teaser reveals the origin story of the title character which is presented in the form of shadow puppet short. It recounts stories of black people being persecuted and prosecuted, which is so familiar to everyone right now.
    In the original 1992 film, Daniel Robitaille, a black artist in the late 1800s, falls in love with the white woman whose portrait he is hired to paint. This enrages the woman’s father and others, who brutally murder Daniel, cutting his hand off before throwing him into a flame.
    Sharing the teaser on her Twitter page, DaCosta wrote along with it, “CANDYMAN, at the intersection of white violence and black pain, is about unwilling martyrs. The people they were, the symbols we turn them into, the monsters we are told they must have been.”
    [embedded content]
    The upcoming movie will follow Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), who finds himself entangled in a series of horrific murders. The previously released trailer suggests that Anthony is possessed by the spirit of Candyman, who was played by Tony Todd in the original film.
    According to the official synopsis, “For as long as residents can remember, the housing projects of Chicago’s Cabrini Green neighborhood were terrorized by a word-of-mouth ghost story about a supernatural killer with a hook for a hand, easily summoned by those daring to repeat his name five times into a mirror.”
    “In present day, a decade after the last of the Cabrini towers were torn down, visual artist Anthony McCoy and his girlfriend, gallery director Brianna Cartwright (Teyonah Parris), move into a luxury loft condo in Cabrini, now gentrified beyond recognition and inhabited by upwardly mobile millennials.”
    “With Anthony’s painting career on the brink of stalling, a chance encounter with a Cabrini Green old-timer (Colman Domingo) exposes Anthony to the tragically horrific nature of the true story behind Candyman. Anxious to maintain his status in the Chicago art world, Anthony begins to explore these macabre details in his studio as fresh grist for paintings, unknowingly opening a door to a complex past that unravels his own sanity and unleashes a terrifyingly viral wave of violence that puts him on a collision course with destiny.”
    The new “Candyman” movie was originally slated to open on June 12, but is now pushed back to September 25 due to the coronavirus outbreak.

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    Livestreams to Watch: A Rock the Vote Concert, and Benefits for Hard-Hit Communities

    Here are a few of the best events happening Thursday through Wednesday and how to tune in (all times are Eastern).Rock the Vote’s ‘Democracy Summer’ ConcertThursday at 8 p.m. on Democracy Summer’s websiteKaty Perry and the Black Eyed Peas will headline Rock the Vote’s virtual “Democracy Summer 2020” concert, a virtual event to encourage eligible voters to register. Other performers include Ne-Yo, Chuck D, Eve, Big Freedia and Lucy Hale. The senators Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker, and the former Obama cabinet member Julián Castro, will also participate. Rosario Dawson and Logan Browning will host.When: 8 p.m.Where: Democracy Summer’s website.‘Inspired: Together #forStJude’Thursday at 6 p.m. on YouTubeSt. Jude is hosting a two-hour livestreaming event to raise money for the treatment of those with sickle cell disease. Throughout the evening, called “Inspired: Together #forStJude,” St. Jude patients battling the disease will share stories, and stars of gospel and R&B will perform. Participants include Anthony Brown, Erica Campbell, Major, George Willborn and Anthony Hamilton.When: 6 p.m.Where: St. Jude’s YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.‘Praying with Our Hearts, Hands, and Feet’Thursday at 5 p.m. on YouTubeAs part of the 92nd Street Y’s new “Confronts Hate” programming, the friends Rabbi Peter Rubinstein and Imam Al-Hajj Talib ’Abdur-Rashid will come together (virtually) for the session “Praying with Our Hearts, Hands, and Feet.” They’ll discuss searching for a way forward during this time of upheaval, according to the values of their faith. Attendees can ask questions during the live chat.When: 5 p.m.Where: The 92nd Street Y’s YouTube channel, and its website.An Adventure in New York CityThursday at 1 p.m. on the New York Adventure Club websiteThe New York Adventure Club wants to take you down one of the most storied stretches in Manhattan: the Bowery. And you don’t even have to wear a mask. During the webinar “The Bowery: Rise, Fall, & Resurgence of NYC’s Oldest Street,” the historian Stephen Paul DeVillo will guide viewers through over four centuries of a Manhattan corridor that has taken on many personas: a Native American trail, a shadowland of hard-knuckle saloons, a cultural hot spot. A Q. and A. with DeVillo will follow. Tickets are $10.When: 1 p.m.Where: Register on the New York Adventure Club’s website.A Juneteeth ReadingFriday at 10 p.m. on ZoomMore than 30 Bay Area theaters are teaming up to present a virtual reading of Vincent Terrell Durham’s “Polar Bears, Black Boys & Prairie Fringed Orchids.” The event will be held on Juneteenth, an annual holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, and is led by PlayGround, the Lorraine Hansberry Theater and Planet Earth Arts. While it’s free to attend, donations are encouraged and will benefit black theater projects.When: 10 p.m.Where: Reserve tickets here to receive a Zoom link.Allison Williams and Christopher Walken in ‘Peter Pan Live!’Friday at 2 p.m. on YouTubeIf you missed “Peter Pan Live!,” a television special broadcast by NBC in 2014, now is your chance. The show stars Allison Williams as the title character and Christopher Walken as Captain Hook. When the three-hour production initially aired, Alessandra Stanley wrote in a review for The New York Times that Williams had “a lovely singing voice — as smooth as double-churn caramel ice cream,” and that she “convincingly pulled off a British accent and was, all in all, a confident, lively and suitably impudent Peter Pan.”When: 2 p.m., and it will be available for 48 hours.Where: The Show Must Go On’s YouTube channel.A Conversation with Joyce Carol OatesFriday at 7:30 p.m. on ZoomJoyce Carol Oates, the celebrated author of novels, short stories, essays and plays, will join Emily Mann, the resident playwright at the McCarter Theater Center in Princeton, N.J., for a conversation that will touch upon their long friendship, influence on each other and lifetime achievements.When: 7:30 p.m.Where: Register here. The conversation will also stream on the McCarter’s Facebook page.A 12-Hour Electronic Dance FestivalSaturday at noon on MDL Beast’s websiteThe 12-hour digital music festival Freqways, hosted by the Saudi Arabian lifestyle brand MDL Beast, will feature a host of popular D.J.s including Steve Aoki, Afrojack, Maceo Plex, who’ll spin from locations around the globe. Some of the Saudi D.J.s will be performing their sets from beautiful environs — some of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites — in Diriyah, Abha, Al Baha, Jeddah and more. Other D.J.s will play from Berlin, Washington, Miami, Las Vegas, Amsterdam, New York, Dallas and elsewhere.When: NoonWhere: MDL Beast’s website.Raising the Stories of Poor and Low-Income PeopleSaturday at 10 a.m. on the June 2020 websiteWanda Sykes, David Oyewolo, Danny Glover, Erika Alexander, former Vice President Al Gore, Jane Fonda and Debra Messing are among the artists, activists and leaders joining the digital assembly “Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival.” The stories of poor and low-income people across the country will be the focus of the program.When: 10 a.m. and again at 6 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, and 6 p.m. on Sunday.Where: June 2020’s website. MSNBC will also air the assembly on some of its platforms.‘SOS Rainforest Live’Sunday at 3 p.m. on YouTubeSting, Manu Chao, Gilberto Gil and Maná are headlining a virtual concert in support of Indigenous peoples’ fight against the coronavirus and the destruction of the rain forests in which they live, in Africa, Asia and South America. In addition to live performances, this three-hour event, “SOS Rainforest Live,” will include messages from Indigenous leaders, scientists and activists. Oona Chaplin, an Indigenous-rights activist and actress starring in the next “Avatar” film, will host.When: 3 p.m.Where: The Rainforest Foundation’s YouTube and TikTok channels.‘All in Washington’ With Pearl Jam and MacklemoreWednesday at 10 p.m. on TwitchPearl Jam, Ben Gibbard, Brandi Carlile, Sir Mix-a-Lot, Macklemore, Dave Matthews and other stars from Washington State (and beyond) are gathering virtually for the “All in Washington” concert, to raise money for Covid-19 relief efforts across the state.When: 10 p.m.Where: Amazon Music’s Twitch channel. It will be available on Amazon Prime Video after it airs. In the Seattle area, the concert will air on the local NBC affiliate.A Concert to Help Minority-Owned BusinessesSaturday at 4 p.m. across social mediaBrittany Howard, 2 Chainz, Brandi Carlile, T-Pain, Leon Bridges and more will bring attention to the small businesses close to their hearts during “Small Business Live”: a music event to help minority-owned small businesses across the United States, with a focus on those run by women and people of color. Proceeds will benefit the Accion Opportunity Fund, which provides grants to at-risk small businesses hit hard by the coronavirus crisis.When: 4 p.m.Where: YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitch, Twitter and LiveXLive. Find out where to watch by visiting the festival’s website.Celebrating the Music of New OrleansSaturday at 9 p.m. on YouTubeFor decades, Preservation Hall has been protecting New Orleans’s musical traditions and helping to care for elder musicians. On Saturday, the organization will present “’Round Midnight Preserves,” featuring a series of musical collaborations, and never-before-shared performances from past Midnight Preserves. The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Dave Grohl, Irma Thomas, Elvis Costello, Dave Matthews and Beck are among those participating. Funds raised during the program will benefit the 60 musicians who make up the Preservation Hall Musical Collective. Spotify is matching all donations.When: 9 p.m.Where: Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s YouTube and Facebook pages, and Preservation Hall Foundation’s Twitch channel.A Father’s Day ConcertSunday at 5 p.m. on City Winery’s websiteInspired by his song “Dear Father,” the singer-songwriter Colin Hay, a former Men at Work frontman, has teamed up with City Winery for a digital Father’s Day concert. The lineup includes Billy Bragg, Bruce Cockburn, Joan Osborne, Dar Williams, Martin Sexton, Fantastic Negrito, Citizen Cope and Jorma Kaukonen. Tickets are $12.When: 5 p.m.Where: City Winery’s website.Rethinking the Global EconomySunday on World Localization Day’s website and ZoomThe Dalai Lama, Noam Chomsky, Jane Goodall, Russell Brand, Annie Lennox, Vandana Shiva, Brian Eno and many other public figures, economists, artists and leaders will be participating in this program of inspirational talks, interviews, films and music for World Localization Day. This festival, which is expected to last about three hours, was organized in response to the pandemic with the mission of rethinking of the global economy.When: The prerecorded segments will be made available at midnight and will be accessible all day Sunday. Ticketholders will be emailed links to the live Zoom webinars, which will be held at 6 a.m., 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.Where: The prerecorded segments will be posted on World Localization Day’s website. Register to join here.A Weeklong Theater Festival BeginsMonday at 5 p.m. through June 28 at 6 p.m. on ZoomRattlestick Playwrights Theater and New York Theater Salon will showcase over 30 theater artists from 28 different countries during the Global Forms Theater Festival, a weeklong event that aims to uplift voices of international artists during the pandemic. The festival will include online performances, videos, documentaries, workshops and panel discussions, and will explore themes of humanity, freedom, home and isolationism.When: 5 p.m. on Monday through 6 p.m. on June 28Where: Zoom and other platforms. See the full schedule, and find out how to attend, here.A Virtual Festival for Fans of Virtual RealityWednesday through June 26Do you have a virtual reality headset? Dust it off. “Cannes XR” — part of the Cannes Film Festival and Marché du Film Online, and in partnership with Tribeca Film Festival — is dedicated to immersive entertainment and will offer 55 interactive works over three days. Content will be provided or supported by leaders in VR, including the Museum of Other Realities, VeeR VR, Positron and Kaléidoscope. There will also be dozens of panels, conferences and other sessions.When: Wednesday through June 26.Where: Various platforms including the Marché du Film Online, Tribeca Film Festival and Kaléidoscope websites. Learn more here.Peter Libbey contributed research. More

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    Pete Davidson to Star Opposite Colin Jost in Wedding Comedy 'Worst Man'

    WENN

    To be produced by ‘Saturday Night Live’ creator Lorne Michaels, this upcoming film is based on an original story idea by Jost, Matthew Bass, and Theodore Bressman.
    Jun 18, 2020
    AceShowbiz – “Saturday Night Live” regulars Pete Davidson and Colin Jost are set to star in new wedding comedy “Worst Man”.
    The film, based on an original story idea by Jost, Matthew Bass, and Theodore Bressman, will follow a soon to be married couple and the family issues they must face before walking down the aisle.
    “SNL” creator Lorne Michaels will produce the film.
    The production comes as Jost is preparing for his own nuptials to movie star Scarlett Johansson, while Davidson is enjoying on-demand movie success as the star of Judd Apatow’s new film “The King of Staten Island”.

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    Kristen Stewart Confirmed to Play Princess Diana in New Movie 'Spencer'

    WENN

    The ‘Twilight’ actress has been tapped to portray the late mother of Prince William and Harry in an upcoming movie written by ‘Peaky Blinders’ creator and directed by ‘Jackie’ helmer.
    Jun 18, 2020
    AceShowbiz – “Charlie’s Angels” star Kristen Stewart has signed on to play Princess Diana in director Pablo Larrain’s new film, “Spencer”.
    The film, written by “Peaky Blinders” creator Steven Knight, imagines a weekend in the early 1990s when Prince Charles’ wife decided her marriage to the heir to the throne wasn’t working.
    Production is expected to begin in early 2021 and the film is expected to be one of the hot ticket packages up for grabs at the virtual Cannes Market.
    Larrain, who previously enjoyed success with the biopics “Jackie” and “Neruda”, will also produce the film.
    The Chilean filmmaker accepts he might be considered an odd choice to direct a film about Princess Diana, but he insists he’s perfect, telling Deadline, “We all grew up reading and understanding what a fairytale is. Usually, the prince comes and finds the princess, invites her to become his wife and eventually she becomes queen. That is the fairytale. When someone decides not to be the queen, and says, I’d rather go and be myself, it’s a big big decision, a fairytale upside down. I’ve always been very surprised by that and thought it must have been very hard to do. That is the heart of the movie.”
    “How and why do you decide to do that? It’s a great universal story that can reach millions and millions of people, and that’s what we want to do. We want to make a movie that goes wide, connects with a worldwide audience that is interested in such a fascinating life.”
    And the director can’t wait to turn Stewart into Diana, calling the “Twilight” star “one of the great actors around today.”
    “Kristen can be many things, and she can be very mysterious and very fragile and ultimately very strong as well, which is what we need,” Larrain adds. “The combination of those elements made me think of her. The way she responded to the script and how she is approaching the character, it’s very beautiful to see. I think she’s going to do something stunning and intriguing at the same time. She is this force of nature.”
    “I’ve seen movies from Kristen that are so diverse it’s incredible, showing different layers and her diversity and strength as an actress. We’re very happy to have her, she’s very committed. As a filmmaker, when you have someone who can hold such a weight, dramatic and narrative weight just with her eyes, then you have the strong lead who can deliver what we are looking for.”
    He continues, “It’s a very energetic and beautiful script by Steven Knight, whose work I have admired for years. It captures what I have always found and that is an enormous amount of beauty in the power of Diana. When she had the stage of the world and what she had to say in her own story and how strong she could be when she needed to transform herself into something different, to find her own path. It’s a romantic story of a woman going through difficult times who finds the light and the solution.”
    “She died years after where our story is set and so we don’t deal with that. It’s only three days of her life and in that very small amount of time, you’re able to get into a wider, bigger perspective of who she was. We all know her fate, what happened to her, and we don’t need to go there. We’ll stay in this more intimate space where she could express where she wants to go and who she wants to be.”

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    John Boyega Hints at Possible Return to 'Attack the Block' Sequel

    Screen Gems

    The ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ actor reveals he has met with director Joe Cornish to discuss his possible return to the second installment of the cult science-fiction movie.
    Jun 18, 2020
    AceShowbiz – John Boyega has been talking to his “Attack the Block” director Joe Cornish about returning for a sequel to the cult science-fiction hit.
    The 2011 movie about a gang of south London teenagers fighting off an alien invasion earned raved reviews and started John’s rise to fame as a leading player in the revamped “Star Wars” franchise.
    In a chat on the Script Apart podcast, Joe revealed the actor has talked to him about reprising his role as the leader of the teens, Moses, in a sequel set a decade after the first film.
    “We’ve got ideas,” The Kid Who Would Be King filmmaker said. “I met with John a couple of months ago to talk about it. We’ve always had ideas after the first one. But obviously we’ve both been busy doing different things. In a way, the longer you leave it, the more interesting it is. So that’s all I’ll say.”
    Joe is also proud that some have revisited the film after John’s impassioned speech at a Black Lives Matter protest in London earlier this month, June 2020 as the star’s leadership skills and challenging of prejudice prompted comparisons with Moses’ heroism in the movie.
    “It’s wonderful that people are revisiting the film,” the director added. “Most of all, it’s a moment for John, and it’s a moment for hopefully some social change. To be a tiny little part of something that I hope is much, much bigger is exciting.”
    John subsequently commented on the sequel reports, quoting an Empire article and tweeting,”…think imma need the whole of London for an army on this one……”
    He also wrote that he “wouldn’t imagine” the movie without co-star Alex Esmail.

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    Bryce Dallas Howard Finds Expectant Father in Brother for 'Dads' Documentary

    WENN

    Talking about her upcoming Father’s Day movie, the daughter of Ron Howard admits she learns during filming that men have no rite of passage when they become fathers.
    Jun 17, 2020
    AceShowbiz – Bryce Dallas Howard struck gold while she was making her new Father’s Day movie, “Dads”, when her brother announced he was having a baby.
    The actress was on the hunt for an expectant dad to complete her parenting documentary when suddenly the project became a real family affair.
    “When I started making this movie, my hope was to profile fathers around the globe and I kept saying… ‘We’ve got to find an expectant father; we need to capture that before and after that is fatherhood, where your life is never the same ever again’,” “The Help” star explains, “and about half way through shooting, my brother and his wife shared with us that they were pregnant, and so he became my expectant father.”
    And the filmmaker knew she had something special when she tracked down her brother and her dad, Ron Howard, “hiding” at a baby shower bash.
    “I was filming… my sister-in-law’s baby shower and I was like, ‘Where’s Reed? Where’s my dad?’ – because I knew that they were in the house…,” Bryce told “Good Morning America”.
    “I went down to the basement and I was filming them there and I realised that men have no rite of passage when they become fathers, and here they were listening to the screams of countless women supporting (mum-to-be) Ashley in this adventure… and yet my brother was downstairs with my dad, just sort of, like, hiding.”
    [embedded content]
    “Dads” hits AppleTV+ on Friday, June 19, just ahead of Father’s Day.

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    Ewan McGregor Done Recording His First Part for Guillermo del Toro's 'Pinocchio'

    WENN

    In a new Zoom interview, the ‘Doctor Sleep’ star confirms his casting as Jiminy Cricket in the revamp project, and gets cryptic on the possibility of him contributing to a musical number.
    Jun 17, 2020
    AceShowbiz – Ewan McGregor has joined the cast of Guillermo del Toro’s “Pinocchio” revamp – he’ll voice the character Jiminy Cricket.
    In a new Zoom interview with ACE Universe, the Scottish movie star has confirmed the casting, revealing he started working on the project before the coronavirus lockdown shut down the film industry.
    “It’s stop-motion animated, so it’s going to take them a great long time to make that film, but my first part, which is recording his dialogue, is sort of done,” Ewan says. “There may or may not be a song that has to be recorded. I’m not sure I’m at liberty to discuss that.”
    [embedded content]
    Oscar winner del Toro previously revealed that his version of the classic Carlo Collodi fairytale will be dark.
    “In our story, Pinocchio is an innocent soul with an uncaring father who gets lost in a world he cannot comprehend,” “The Shape of Water” director said. “He embarks on an extraordinary journey that leaves him with a deep understanding of his father and the real world.”

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    Queen Latifah Talks Racist Treatment Received by 'Gone With the Wind' Star Hattie McDaniel at Oscars

    WENN

    The ‘Living Single’ star urges people not to celebrate ‘Gone With the Wind’ for Hattie McDaniel’s Oscar win because the black actress received horrendous discriminations at the awards show.
    Jun 17, 2020
    AceShowbiz – Queen Latifah has mixed emotions about the decision by HBO Max bosses to reinstate “Gone with the Wind” because the 1939 film is often wrongly considered a civil rights success story due to Hattie McDaniel’s Oscar win.
    The movie was pulled from the new streaming service earlier this month, June 2020 after film critics suggested the racist and slavery undertones of the story were too much for the current era following weeks of Black Lives Matter protests.
    African-American filmmaker Spike Lee urged HBO Max bosses to reconsider and now the film will return to the site with an introduction from Jacqueline Stewart, a Cinema and Media Studies professor at the University of Chicago in Illinois.
    But Latifah, who portrayed “Gone With the Wind” star McDaniel in Ryan Murphy’s Netflix hit “Hollywood”, feels viewers should also be educated on Hattie’s role in the 1939 film, which earned her the first Academy Award for an African-American.
    “They didn’t even let her in the theatre until right before she got that award,” the “Chicago” star says. “Someone came outside and brought her into the auditorium. She wasn’t even allowed to sit in there.”
    “And then she had to read a speech that was written by a studio. You know that’s not what the hell she wanted to say…”
    “Then after that, all she could do was play the same kinds of roles…, so the opportunities at that time and the way that those in power in that business were relegating us and marginalising us and not allowing us to grow and thrive after that was just terrible. And a lot of that is still around today.”

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    Jimmy Kimmel Set to Host Emmy Awards for Third Time

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