Motion Picture: Regina Hall Joins The Cast of ‘Lizard Music’ Alongside Dwayne Johnson, Whoopi Goldberg To Lead ‘Women Like Us’ For Netflix
Action/Thriller/Sci-Fi: The trailer for Oscar winner Micheal B. Jordan’s upcoming film The Thomas Crown has just been release. Jordan will be directing, starring in and producing the highly anticipated heist thriller for Amazon MGM Studios. The trailed reveals a visually breathtaking and action packed feature that promises edge of your seat thrills.
Josh Bowman, Ron Perlman, and Esai Morales have joined the cast of the upcoming action thrillerLive 2 Die. The film follows an elite operative pulled into a dangerous mission that quickly spirals into a fight for survival. Production is currently underway. The film will be produced by Jason Strickland, Jasmin Espada and Rios. Morales, Tony Sarandos, Nickie Davis, Daniel Hayes, Peter Lenkov, Charles Jones & Dr. Ed Haronian are executive producers.
Author Tomi Adeyemi takes to social media to speak about the completion of filming on the adaptation of her bestselling fantasy novel Children of Blood and Bone, sharing an emotional message about the experience. Adeyemi revealed she was brought to tears after going through the production process. She wrote “What I’m about to share is not a secret to the people involved,” she said in the social media clip. “It’s a reality that I’ve had to live with for about a year and a half, and everyone involved, at least at the highest level, has been made aware of this reality, and they haven’t done anything to make it better. If anything, they’ve only antagonized me, and I accept that. But I also accept if I don’t say something, I think it’s just going to be worse.” The author claims she will not watch the film adaptation.The highly anticipated fantasy adaptation boasts an all-star cast and is scheduled for release next year.
Regina Hall has joined Dwayne Johnson in Lizard Music from acclaimed filmmaker Ben Safdie. The project is a live-action adaptation of Daniel Pinkwater's cult-favorite children's novel. This surreal adventure follows a young boy who stumbles upon a bizarre late-night television broadcast featuring lizards playing music before embarking on a strange journey with an eccentric man known as the Chicken Man (Johnson) and his 111-year-old pet chicken. Hall will portray one of the Chicken Man's coworkers. The film marks another collaboration between Safdie and Johnson following The Smashing Machine and is being produced by Amazon MGM Studios and United Artists.
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Drama: David Oyelowo has joined the cast of Little Five, a new feature produced by Oscar winner Anne Hathaway. Inspired by a true story, the film follows five women who come together to attempt one of the world's most dangerous mountain climbs. Production is expected to begin later this year. “Directed by Ian Samuels from a screenplay by Gillian Williams and Paul Shoulberg, Little Five is inspired by the legendary Little 500 cycling race at Indiana University and tells the story of a determined group of young women who challenge tradition, forge an unlikely team, and redefine what is possible through resilience, friendship, and grit.” Oyelowo will star alongside the previously announced Ariana Greenblatt (Barbie) and Rain Spencer (The Summer I Turned Pretty). Oyelowo will portray Randall, a former cycling champion whose own dreams were cut short.
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Comedy: The upcoming comedy Thud has expanded its ensemble with Steve Agee, Karan Soni, Skyler Gisondo, Patti Harrison, Mary Holland, Rory Scovel, and Jon Gabrus joining the cast. The film centers on a former superhero forced to confront both his past and an unexpected new challenge, blending action and comedy. The first trailer for the project has been released. The film promised a comedic take on the superhero genre, introducing a washed-up former hero unexpectedly pulled back into action. The preview highlights the ensemble cast, irreverent humor, and darkly comedic and romantic tone ahead of the film's release.
Whoopi Goldberg and Jenifer Lewis are set to lead Women Like Us for Netflix alongside Vanessa Williams, and Vivica A.Fox. The comedy film follows “a recently widowed woman who is dragged to the Hamptons by her lifelong best friends and sister on what should have been her 30th anniversary. The weekend turns into a reckoning — with grief, with marriage, with the sisterhood that’s carried them throughout the years, and with the realization that dreams don’t have an expiration date. ”The project reunites Goldberg and Lewis in what promises to be a heartfelt comedy. The project will shoot in New York city this fall. Tasha Smith, a director with TV credits like Bel-Air and Harlem, takes the director’s chair here after helming ‘Tis So Sweet', an upcoming faith-based drama for Netflix starring Taraji P. Henson and Joey Bada$$.
Armida López - Albert L. Ortega
Industry: Blacklight and Dark Star are partnering on a special theatrical tour for Wildcards bringing the film to select theaters across the country. The release strategy gives audiences the opportunity to experience the films through a traveling theatrical event before wider availability, continuing the growing trend of event-style independent releases. This is the latest feature from writer-director Wes Miller (Black Heat, Call Her King), Wildcards follows the trial of Theodore Sterling, a privileged young man accused of sexually assaulting a young Black woman.The first trailer for Wildcards teases a tense psychological thriller centered on secrets, paranoia, and escalating danger. The preview emphasizes the film's moody cinematography and suspense-driven storytelling as it prepares for its theatrical tour. “Blacklight and Dark Star Pictures are using the Aug 27, 2026 release date to reimagine a theatrical rollout by pairing a screening in select markets with a moderated discussion featuring members of the cast.”
The entertainment nonprofit Gold House has officially launched Gold House Studios, a new production venture designed to finance, develop, produce, and distribute film and television projects centered on Asian Pacific and multicultural storytellers. The studio aims to support creators across every stage of production while expanding opportunities for underrepresented voices in Hollywood. The initiative represents Gold House's latest expansion following its growing influence across entertainment, venture capital, and cultural advocacy. The company has campaigned for over 800 openings of films including projects such as Crazy Rich Asians.
Asian-American filmmaker Gregg Araki speaking at Outfest discussed the evolution of intimacy coordinators in Hollywood and changing attitudes toward sexuality among younger generations. Araki praised the value of intimacy coordinators in creating safer film sets while also reflecting on how Gen Z approaches sex differently than previous generations, noting broader cultural shifts in conversations surrounding intimacy and representation. He said “Sex is a huge part of my life. My journey as a person, as an artist — it’s all tied to sex, sexual experiences, relationships. All my movies are about that. I can’t comprehend life without it.” His latest project I Want Your Sex is currently in theaters.
Cinetic Media, the independent film sales and advisory company, has signed Academy Award-winning filmmaker Roger Ross Williams for representation. Williams, whose work includes Stamped From the Beginning, Cassandro, and the Oscar-winning short Music by Prudence, will be represented across film, television, and documentary projects. The partnership further strengthens Cinetic's roster of acclaimed independent filmmakers. Williams is currently working on his next project, the narrative feature, Strange Arrivals, starring Oscar nominee Demi Moore and 2x Oscar nominee Colman Domingo.
Women Behind the Camera, founded by filmmaker and actress Armida López (Boss Level, El Chicano) is behind a new grant supporting female filmmakers who want to shoot their projects on film. The initiative will provide selected directors with access to film stock, camera equipment, processing, and post-production resources, helping reduce the financial barriers associated with shooting on celluloid while encouraging the next generation of filmmakers to embrace the medium. Grantees were chosen from a pool of 500 applicants and will receive a full lens package from MasterBuilt Lenses and an additional camera package from ASCF. For the selected winners who will choose to shoot on film, 1,200 feet of free scanning will be provided.
Winston Duke has signed with UTA (United Talent Agency) for representation. The Black Panther star continues to expand his career across film and television following acclaimed performances in projects including Us and The Fall Guy. Winston is set to reprise the role in December’s Avengers: Doomsday. Duke confirmed at Comic-Comic that he was definitely coming back for Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther 3 due out in December 2028.
