My Publicist Note Book

As the old show business saying goes “Dying is easy, and comedy is hard,” and that’s been the case for a number of titles in the genre at the box office this year which has dropped like flies. Take your pick:  Rough Night, Baywatch, The House, Fist Fight , the list goes on. Compare this to last year when four comedies –all released during the summer– held their own including  Ghostbusters  (it made $128M despite being a financial upset),  Central Intelligence  ($127.4M),  Bad Moms  ($113.3M) and  Sausage Party  ($97M) . But this summer, and this year to date, Universal can relish the fact that they bucked a downward box office trend with their sleeper hit  Girls Trip  from director Malcolm D. Lee which is crossing $100M at the domestic box office today. Many say that the female audience is underserved, and again it shows that they’re titillated by raunchy comedies, and that’s why  ...

Best friends Ryan, Sasha, Lisa and Dina are in for the adventure of a lifetime when they travel to New Orleans for the annual Essence Festival. Along the way, they rekindle their sisterhood and rediscover their wild side by doing enough dancing, drinking, brawling and romancing to make the Big Easy  blush. The film stars  Regina Hall ,  Queen Latifah ,  Tiffany Haddish ,  Jada Pinkett Smith ,  Larenz Tate  and  Mike Colter  and produced by  Will Packer Release date:  July 21, 2017 (USA) Director:  Malcolm D. Lee Budget:  28 million USD Production companies:  Universal Pictures ,  Will Packer Productions Producers:  Malcolm D. Lee, Will Packer "Women, particularly black women, we made this movie for you," said Director Malcom D. Lee. "It’s time you receive the big-screen treatment and we hope we delivered for you." For the ladies o...

Nearly two weeks after the release of  Straight Outta Compton , producers still trying to understand what its success means for hip-hop. There are now  111 million reasons  why they should be paying attention to the pivotal hip-hop biopic and its accompanying press. Undoubtedly, it makes a claim for the return of engaging, big-budget Black films that do not star a man in a dress. Its careful storytelling and well-rounded edge means that hip-hop history is capable of gripping a vast audience.  More importantly, hip-hop biopics are filmed through an empathetic lens: by practice, it often regards the artist (or those closest to them) as subject matter experts. For many Black artists, a biopic places the national narrative into their hands for the first time. Dr. Dre and Ice Cube’s presence during the film’s production no doubt influenced the finished product. Inevitably, their revisionism led to the absence of certain stories. Despite the group’s noto...

Watch out Wendy Williams and Steve Harvey, Queen Latifah is back on the scene for another shot at daytime success! The triple threat entertainer is the cover star for the August issue of the Hollywood Reporter, and she says the new “Queen Latifah Show” will “bring some positivity to daytime TV.” This isn’t the queen’s first rodeo. In 1999, she launched her first self-titled talk show but it ended after just two season. Luckily, she “had enough great moments that I’m not completely turned off toward doing a talk show again.” The Queen Latifah Show has been sold to 94 percent of the country, including CBS’ 16 owned stations, mostly in afternoon time periods. It is the first talk-show acquisition for the powerful station group, which has a daytime slate produced by its own syndicator, CBS Television Distribution (CTD). The Sony Pictures Television-produced talk show is scheduled of a September 16th premiere. Will you be tuning in?  The 43-year-old entertainer will be ...

Join Michael Beasley, co-starring as 'Spud' and Cast members for the World Premiere of "Steel Magonolias" at Nina Chanel Boutique in Atlanta! Living Heart 2 Heart Foundation and I sis Ra Films are having a viewing party and fundraiser on Oct. 7, 2012 from 7pm to 1am! Special invited celebrity guests, cocktails, food and lots of fun !! YOU MUST PURCHASE TICKETS TO ATTEND!! The highly anticipated Lifetime Original Movie Event, "Steel Magnolias" is set to air on Sunday, October 7 at 9/8c. The movie stars Academy Award nominee, Queen Latifah as ‘M’Lynn’, Golden Globe and multiple Emmy-winner Alfre Woodard as ‘Ouiser,’ Tony Award winner Phylicia Rashad as ‘Clairee,’ Grammy winner Jill Scott as ‘Truvy,’ Adepero Oduye as ‘Annelle,' Condola Rashad as ‘Shelby’ and Michael Beasley as 'Spud.' NOTE:  October 5th, 2012- *Lifetime’s “Steel Magnolias” remake gets a green light to debut this Sunday after a temporary restraining order sought ...