Tag Archives: Michael Kenneth Williams

Bleecker Street Acquires U.S. Rights to Dramatic Thriller “892,” Starring Selenis Leyva

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Things are looking pretty Bleecker for Selenis Leyva.

Bleecker Street has acquired the U.S. distribution rights to the dramatic thriller 892, starring the 49-year-old Cuban and Dominican American actress and former Orange Is the New Black star.

Selenis Leyva

Leyva is among a cast that includes John Boyega, the late Michael Kenneth Williams, Nicole Beharie Olivia Washington, Connie Britton, London Covington and Jeffrey Donovan.

The film recently made its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in U.S. Dramatic Competition, where it won its Special Jury Award for Ensemble Cast.

Based on a true story, the feature directorial debut of Abi Damaris Corbin picks up with former U.S. Marine Brian Brown-Easley (Boyega) as his disability check from Veterans Affairs fails to materialize, watching as he finds himself on the brink of poverty. Desperate and with no other options, he walks into a Wells Fargo Bank and says, “I’ve got a bomb.” What ensues is an edge-of-your-seat narrative that reminds us of the social responsibility we have to our soldiers, our colleagues, our families as well as to strangers.

Corbin penned 892 with Kwame Kwei-Armah, who serves as artistic director for the Young Vic in London.

Salman Al-Rashid and Sam Frohman produced the film for Salmira Productions with Ashley Levinson and Kevin Turen of Little Lamb Productions and Mackenzie Fargo of Epic.

Boyega executive produced.

“We put our hearts and souls into the honest telling of Brian’s story,” said Corbin, “and it is a joy to partner with the team at Bleecker Street, knowing they are committed to do the same.”

“Abi’s depiction of Brian’s story is an absolutely essential film that we feel deserves the widest possible audience in theaters. It thrillingly delivers an important message and features an incredible performance from John Boyega in addition to the rest of the cast,” added Bleecker Street’s co-founder and CEO Andrew Karpen. “We look forward to sharing this with audiences across the country.”

Bleecker Street is planning a late-summer release in theaters nationwide.

Vertical Entertainment Acquires North American Rights to John Leguizamo’s Feature Directorial Debut “Critical Thinking”

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It’s the perfect endgame for John Leguizamo…

Vertical Entertainment has acquired the North American rights to the 56-year-old Colombian actor/comedian’s feature directorial debut Critical Thinking, which he also stars in and produced.

John Leguizamo

Written by Dito Montiel, Critical Thinkingtells the 1998 true story of five LatinX and Black teenagers from Miami Jackson Senior High School, located in one of the toughest neighborhoods in Miami, who fight their way into the National Chess Championship under the guidance of their unconventional but inspirational teacher. 

The movie will hit VOD/digital on September 4.

“In today’s fractured society with so many disenfranchised young adults, in our country and around the world, this is a story which can and will inspire all of us to do better, keep focused and stay positive,” said Leguizamo. “With Critical Thinkingwe wanted to create a universal message of hope and spread this message to the world.”

“Given the challenges that many are facing right now, it gives the team at Vertical great pleasure to bring a story this inspiring to screens everywhere,” said Rich Goldberg, co-president of Vertical Entertainment. “It’s a story that celebrates young people who were brave enough to believe in themselves, and we hope audiences will walk away feeling the same.”

Rachel Bay Jones and Michael Kenneth Williams also star in the feature. 

The film was produced by Scott Rosenfelt and Jason Mandl, as well as executive produced by Harvey R. Chaplin, Carla Berkowitz and Emilio Estefan Jr.

Estevez to Direct the Dramedy “the public”

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Emilio Estevez is bringing his next project to the public…

The 54-year-old part-Spanish American actor/filmmaker is set to direct the dramedy the public, which will pull back the curtain on what is really happening inside America’s public libraries.

Emilio Estevez

Christian Slater, Jeffrey Wright and Michael Kenneth Williams will star in the film, which will tell the story about “the last bastion of Democracy in action.”

Having researched in the depths of the Los Angeles Public Library, Estevez said that libraries across the country have become a safe haven for the homeless.

“When I was doing research on the film Bobby, I spent a lot of time in the Los Angeles Public Library looking through microfiche for intel, so I saw this happening,” said Estevez, who wrote, is directing and also co-starring in the public.

“Then I read a Los Angeles Times article that was written by a former librarian about how the libraries have become de facto homeless shelters and how librarians had become social workers,” he added. “So on a daily basis, they would have to call emergency services about people who collapsed or had an overdose or diabetic comas … it’s the last bastion of democracy in action. I was so moved by the article and what I saw, having spent so much time at the public library, I decided to start researching for a new movie — the public.”

The film centers on a standoff with police and library officials during a brutal, life-threatening cold snap. Staging an Occupy-style sit-in, library patrons — many of whom are homeless and mentally ill — turn the Cincinnati Public Library into an impromptu shelter for one night. Drawing from the current political climate, the film strives to give equal voice to both sides as it examines the question of who will care for those who are unable to care for themselves.

After the critically acclaimed Bobby, the public also has become a nice ensemble film with Alec Baldwin, Taylor Schilling, Jena Malone, Gabrielle Union and Che “Rhymefest” Smith also in the cast.

“I haven’t done a film in a library for over 30 years, so I’m going back to it,” Estevez, who starred in The Breakfast Club said with a laugh. “But I think that the issues we’re dealing with in our story really shows both sides of the debate and the ongoing discussion about corporate personhood vs. the public. It’s something that I wanted to do in a film — show it from the inside out.” Very timely, considering what the national discussion in our nation has become.

Varela to Star in the Ice Age Epic “The Solutrean”

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It’s back to the “ice age, baby” for Leonor Varela…

The 43-year-old Chilean actress has landed a supporting role in Studio 8’s ice age epic The Solutrean from director Albert Hughes.

Leonor Varela

Inspired by the controversial “solutrean hypothesis,” which advances the idea that Stone Age Europeans might have been among the earliest settlers of the Americas, the coming-of-age tale of survival is set 20,000 years ago.

It follows a young boy injured during a hunting expedition and left for dead who must use his skills, intuition and force of will to make it back home. Along the way, he befriends a wolf, who becomes his close companion.

Varela is playing the shaman of the boy’s tribe; described as wise, powerful and compelling, she performs religious rituals of protection, healing and thanksgiving.

Varela most recently appeared in Paramount Pictures’ Captive, opposite Kate Mara, David Oyelowo and Michael Kenneth Williams.

Her other credits include Ride opposite Helen Hunt and Luke Wilson, a seven-episode arc on TNT’s Dallas, and Odd Thomas with Anton Yelchin and Willem Dafoe. She also appeared in Blade II and The Tailor of Panama.