August 99: Filmworld Buzz

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Samuel Jackson is said to be in final talks to play the lead in John Singleton's update of Shaft. After Shaft, Singleton plans to direct Baby Boy, a semi-sequel to Boyz 'N the Hood.

There is also talk of remaking some other popular blaxploitation movies including Get Christie Love, Superfly, The Mack, and Cleopatra Jones [click here for blackfilm.com's essay on blaxploitation].

BET has teamed up with Arabesque, a line of African-American romance novels, to create BET Arabesque Films, a film company that will transform ten novels into made-for-TV movies. The first movie, Incognito, will be directed by Julie Dash.

Both Spike Lee and Tim Reid were recently honored with Oscar Micheaux Awards from the Producers Guild of America. Oscar Micheaux was the most prolific African-American filmmaker in American cinema, having written, produced and directed forty-four feature length films...

Showtime has begun principal photography on Strange Justice, a dramatization of Clarence Thomas' controversial confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Wu-Tang's Raekwon and Power are teaming up to produce and star in Black & White, also starring Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., and Claudia Schiffer, among others.

The Wayans brothers are at it again with their next parody film: Last Summer I Screamed Because Friday the 13th Fell on Halloween. Shawn and Marlon will star; Keenan will direct.

Next Friday, the sequel to Friday starring Chris Tucker and Ice Cube, is scheduled to begin production this month.

Master P is staying on the fast track in the film world. Hot Boyz will be released later this year. Lockdown, starring P, was scheduled to begin production in April.

No Tomorrow has Pam Grier and Gary Busey attached, and Take Down has Skeet Ulrich and Tom Berenger featured.

New films currently in production:

Blade II, starring Wesley Snipes
Blue Streak, starring Martin Lawrence
Double-O-Soul, starring Chris Tucker and Mariah Carey
Fatal Attraction, produced by Will Smith
Finding Fish, directed by Denzel Washington
Ghetto Superstar, starring the Fugees
King Suckerman, starring Puffy
Nutty Professor II, starring Eddie Murphy
Pimp, starring Ice Cube

 

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