News

We will update this article throughout the season, along with all our predictions, so make sure to keep checking IndieWire for the latest news from the 2025 Emmys race. The nomination round of voting takes place from June 12 to June 23, with the official Emmy nominations announced Tuesday, July 15. Afterwards, final voting commences on August 18 and ends the night of August 27. The 77th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards are set to take place on Sunday, September 14, and air live on CBS at 8:00 p.m. Et/ 5:00 p.m. Pt.

The State of the Race

FX has the option to do the funniest thing.

The reigning network in the Outstanding Drama Series race does not boast a major contender this time around, as it has already canceled “The Old Man” (which did earn star Jeff Bridges an Emmy nomination for Season 1), and has not received the greatest ratings and reviews for new Ryan Murphy show “Grotesquerie.

Few feelings are more unforgettable than first love: The passion. The butterflies. The heartbreak! Megaproducer Mara Brock Akil clearly agrees, as she’s tackling one of the most impactful first-love stories of all time: Forever by the bestselling young adult author Judy Blume, coming to Netflix on May 8. “I’ve always credited Judy Blume as part of the seasoning of my voice as a writer. She was one of the first writers I read that dared to be honest about the human condition in young people and you can see traces of her writing style within my own,” says Brock Akil, who serves as the show’s executive producer and showrunner. “I’m honored to reimagine one of my favorite books, Forever.”

A reimagination of the 1975 novel, the romantic drama Forever follows the epic love story of two Black teens exploring their identities through the awkward and moving journey of...

Issa Rae is working to spotlight the history of Black television with her upcoming HBO docuseries “Seen & Heard,” which she discussed at length in a keynote conversation at SXSW.

The moderator, Rotten Tomatoes’ Jacqueline Coley, described the first episode of “Seen & Heard” as focusing on how studios in the past “used Black audiences” and then “abandoned them as soon as it was convenient.” Rae said she wanted to dive into that history because “it sounds like a conspiracy” on the surface, but producing the documentary proved to her just how that trend had played out.

“It’s one thing to say it. You might have heard someone say that in the history of television and the history of particular networks,” Rae said. “But to have the actual creators, showrunners and writers chronicle the history of that is undeniable. We wanted to make a comprehensive history and showcase, with evidence,...

Amazon is no longer dancing around a launch date for its latest series from Marvelous Mrs. Maisel creator Amy Sherman-Palladino.

The streamer announced Thursday that Étoile, the ballet-themed dramedy from Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino, will premiere Thursday, April 24, with all eight episodes of the series dropping at once.

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The series adaptation of Judy Blume’s novel “Forever” will premiere Thursday, May 8, on Netflix.

Showrunner and creator Mara Brock Akil is behind the new series, which is based on the 1975 book that follows teenagers and their experience of losing their virginity. The show takes a new angle, presenting “an epic love story of two Black teens exploring romance and their identities through the awkward journey of being each other’s firsts, set in Los Angeles, 2018,” according to the official logline.

The cast includes Lovie Simone, Michael Cooper Jr., Karen Pittman, Wood Harris, Marvin Winans III, Xosha Roquemore, Niles Fitch, Barry Shabaka Henley, Ali Gallo, Xavier Mills, E’myri Crutchfield, Adriyan Rae and Paigion Walker.

Akil executive produces the drama with Blume, Susie Fitzgerald, Sara White, Erika Harrison, Regina King, Reina King, Anthony Hemingway and Shana C. Waterman.

First Looks/Trailers

“Love on the Spectrum” from Northern Pictures is returning to...

Netflix has set a May 8 release date for Forever, a new series based on Judy Blume’s 1975 novel. The adaptation moves the setting to 2018 Los Angeles, following two Black teenagers, Keisha and Justin, as they experience first love while navigating their ambitions.

A Contemporary Approach to a Classic Story

Lovie Simone stars as Keisha Clark, a confident track athlete with her sights set on life after high school. Michael Cooper Jr. plays Justin Edwards, a talented basketball player working toward a future beyond his parents’ success. Their relationship becomes a defining moment that shapes their lives.

Mara Brock Akil, known for Girlfriends and Being Mary Jane, serves as executive producer and showrunner. This marks her first project under her overall deal with Netflix. Discussing Blume’s influence on her work, Brock Akil told Netflix’s Tudum, “She was one of the first writers I read that dared to be honest...

Netflix is sharing a first look at its upcoming series based on Judy Blume’s 1975 novel, Forever.

The series will follow the love story of two Black teens Keisha (Lovie Simone) and Justin (Michael Cooper Jr.), young athletes who become each other’s first love, which ultimately impacts them for the rest of their lives. Forever will be set in 2018 Los Angeles.

Simone will play Keisha Clark, a confident track star with dreams for life after high school. Meanwhile, Cooper Jr. will portray Justin Edwards, who dreams of playing division-one basketball and achieving more than his successful parents.

Mara Brock Akil, known for creating the sitcom Girlfriends and the drama Being Mary Jane, serves as the show’s executive producer and showrunner. Forever is Akil’s first project under her overall deal with Netflix. Judy Blume, Susie Fitzgerald, Erika Harrison, Sara White, Regina King, Shana C. Waterman and Anthony Hemingway serve as executive producers.

Once you get all of your jokes à la “Wait, another TV series titled Forever?!” out of the way, you might want to mark your calendars: Netflix’s series adaptation of the controversial-for-its-time Judy Blume novel will release Thursday, May 8, the streamer announced Wednesday.

Netflix has also released a new batch of first-look photos from Mara Brock Akil’s reimagining of the 50-year-old novel, which you can scroll down to see. (A previously released teaser trailer can be viewed above.)

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After more than 20 years, ESPN will stop going Around the Horn this spring.

TVLine has confirmed that the cable network’s long-running roundtable series Around the Horn is set to conclude, with the very last episode scheduled for Friday, May 23, at 5 pm Et. The debate show will have been on the air for nearly 23 years and more than 4,900 episodes at the time of its sign-off.

More from TVLineForever: Netflix Sets May Release Date for Mara Brock Akil's Adaptation of Judy Blume Novel - Get First LookIn Bosch: Legacy Final-Season Trailer, Maddie Wonders: Did Her Dad Cross a Line? -...

Kevin Bacon has been to hell and back… and he’s taking a few demons back with him.

Prime Video has released the official trailer for The Bondsman, a new horror-comedy series from Blumhouse Television that premieres all eight episodes on Thursday, April 3. In the trailer, which you can watch above, Bacon stars as Hub Halloran, a bounty hunter who ends up getting murdered on the job. The next thing he knows, he’s back on Earth, where he’s informed he’s been resurrected so he can “hunt demons for the Devil.” Piece of cake, right?

More from TVLineTVLine...

"Feels good to be seen." Netflix has unveiled a teaser trailer for a new mini-series titled Forever, a powerful love story about two friends falling for each other. There's no final streaming release date for this set yet, but it's expected sometime in the first half of 2025. Judy Blume's groundbreaking 1975 novel, Forever..., is being reimagined for a new generation by Mara Brock Akil. This looks good so far. It's an epic love story of two Black teens exploring romance and their identities through the awkward journey of being each other’s firsts, set in Los Angeles, 2018. Another story set just before the pandemic. This "epic Black romance story" stars Lovie Simone as Keisha and Michael Cooper Jr. as Justin, along with Karen Pittman, Wood Harris, Xosha Roquemore, Marvin Winans III, Niles Fitch, Barry Shabaka Henley, Ali Gallo, Adriyan Rae, Paigion Walker, Xavier Mills, and E'myri Crutchfield. Just a nice little teaser so far,...

“Forever,” the 1975 coming-of-age novel by Judy Blume, is the inspiration for Netflix’s newest teen drama.

The series is named after Blume’s classic book about two high schoolers losing their virginity, but it isn’t a beat-for-beat adaptation. Instead, “Forever” is described as “an epic love story of two Black teens exploring romance and their identities through the awkward journey of being each other’s firsts, set in Los Angeles, 2018.” As previously announced, the cast will be led by Lovie Simone as confident track star Keisha Clark and Michael Cooper Jr. star as nerdy basketball player Justin Edwards.

“You have no idea who I am, do you?” Keisha says to Justin in the beginning of the teaser, which then flashes to what looks like a memory of them playing together as young children. Justin then remembers her name. The two continue to flirt and get to know each other,...

The Stay in LA campaign is growing.

Five days after launching the campaign – designed to encourage more production to return to the city following the devastating wildfires – the group now has over 15,000 signatures to its petition.

This now includes A-listers such as Keanu Reeves and Bette Midler.

Rian Johnson, Patty Jenkins, Joey King, Zooey Deschanel, Joshua Jackson, Olivia Wilde, Alex Winter, Kevin Bacon, Connie Britton, Charlie Hunnam, Sian Heder and Jason Reitman are among the signatories to the grassroots campaign, which was launched by Alexandra Pechman and Sarah Adina Smith.

Pechman, who has written on series such as Syfy’s Channel Zero and Hulu’s Into The Dark, and Sarah Adina Smith, who has directed episodes of Apple’s Lessons in Chemistry and FX’s Legion, started the campaign with a group of about 30 filmmakers and showrunners including Nick Antosca, Julie Plec, Michael Sucsy, and Alex Winter in partnership with CA United,...

Laverne Cox is starting over with a Clean Slate.

Prime Video released a trailer for the upcoming comedy Thursday; all eight episodes debut Thursday, Feb. 6. In the preview, Desiree (played by Orange is the New Black‘s Cox) returns home to reconnect with her father Harry (Batman Forever’s George Wallace).

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Keke Palmer, Giancarlo Esposito and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor will receive special awards at the seventh annual American Black Film Festival (ABFF) Honors ceremony, presented by Nice Crowd.

The intimate, non-televised dinner will be held on Feb. 17 at the Sls hotel in Beverly Hills, hosted by Zainab Johnson, winner of the 2013 ABFF Comedy Wings competition.

“For decades, these incredible ABFF honorees have captivated audiences and shaped the cultural landscape with their groundbreaking work,” stated Jeff and Nicole Friday, CEO and president of Nice Crowd, respectively. “It’s a privilege to honor Aunjanue, Giancarlo and Keke for their extraordinary contributions to both the industry and our shared culture.”

Palmer will receive the Renaissance award, which is presented to a “trendsetting content creator in recognition of their outstanding work and commitment to championing diversity, equity, and inclusion” through their work. The Emmy-winning actor, producer, author and host recently celebrated the launch of her memoir...

Star power was strong at the Critics Choice Association’s 7th annual Celebration of Black Cinema and Television, where some 14 awards were presented to actors, producers, directors and composers, including Tyler Perry, Cynthia Erivo, Regina King and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor.

The ceremony, held at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles on Monday, was hosted by comedian Jay Pharoah, who brought levity to the room as the night’s honorees spoke about the impact of their awards and the work for which they were garnered.

Perry addressed the death of Steve Mensch, the president of Tyler Perry Studios who died in a plane crash Friday night, while acknowledging the 15th anniversary of his mother’s death just the day before while accepting the Icon Award presented to him by Kelly Rowland.

“This life is but a moment, it’s so precious, and we need to lean into spreading love one to another; I’m 55 years old,...

Exclusive: Lena Waithe, the creator of The Chi, is to sit down with a slew of Black creators and actors in a new podcast.

Waithe is hosting the Legacy Talk podcast, which will launch on November 12. The series is produced by her own Hillman Grad banner with Lemonada Media overseeing ad sales, marketing and distribution.

Lemonada is the company behind Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Fail Better with David Duchovny that also signed a deal with Meghan Markle earlier this year.

Each episode will see Waithe interview Black icons, discussing specific projects in their careers that have served as key moments or milestones in their lives. They will dive deep into their journeys, how they’ve shifted narratives, broken barriers, and transformed the industry from every angle—whether on-screen, behind the camera, or in the writer’s room.

Guests include Sheryl Lee Ralph, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Jada Pinkett Smith,...

Exclusive: Anthony Hemingway has come aboard Ryan Murphy’s upcoming Hulu legal drama All’s Fair as director and executive producer. This marks the duo’s first collaboration since the Emmy-winning 2016 limited series People vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story. Just like they did back then, Murphy is directing the pilot for All’s Fair, with Hemingway directing multiple episodes.

In All’s Fair, Kim Kardashian stars as Los Angeles’ most successful divorce lawyer working at an all-female firm. The main cast includes Kardashian, Naomi Watts, Niecy Nash, Sarah Paulson and Glenn Close, who also executive produce, as well as Teyana Taylor and Matthew Noszka. Ed O’Neill is set to recur.

Murphy is writing and executive producing with Jon Robin Baitz, Joe Baken, Jamie Pachino, Lyn Greene and Richard Levine. Kris Jenner, Alexis Martin Woodall, Eric Kovtun and Scott Robertson also exec produce alongside Hemingway. 20th Television produces in association with Ryan Murphy Television.

The annual Through Her Lens: The Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program has officially announced its 2024 grant recipients. The star-studded three-day workshop is a coveted experience for selected female filmmakers, and has served as a launchpad for filmmakers such as Nikyatu Jusu (“Nanny”), Kat Coiro (“She-Hulk”), and A.V. Rockwell (“A Thousand and One”).

The 2024 jurors included Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Olivia Wilde, Beanie Feldstein, Lucy Liu, and Joanna Calo. Filmmaking duo Sophia Youssef and Céline Bava-Helms was awarded the grand prize for their short film “Black Shore.”

“Black Shore” received full production funding; per an official statement, “the short tells the story about Evangelina, who, forced to look after her ailing mother back home in Santorini, must confront the reality that her mother’s lifelong obsession with mythological monsters and an ancient family curse might not be pure fantasy, but a terrifying warning that some fates are inherited.”

In addition to “Black Shore” receiving full funding,...

The 2024 edition of Tribeca and Chanel’s Through Her Lens collaboration is falling into focus.

The three-day workshop — returning for a ninth year in New York from Sept. 17 to 19 — will feature a roster of boldfaced name participants and rising creatives. Chanel announced the team on Wednesday, a list that includes jury members Joanna Calo, Beanie Feldstein, Lucy Liu, Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Olivia Wilde, mentors Pamela Adlon, Mara Brock Akil, Janicza Bravo and Molly Gordon, and conversation leaders Ruth E. Carter, Patty Jenkins and Laura Karpman. The advisory committee also features Jenkins, Jane Fonda, Karpman, Past Lives breakout Greta Lee, filmmaker A.V. Rockwell and Kerry Washington.

Founded in 2015 by Tribeca and Chanel, Through Her Lens is an artist development program that brings together filmmaker finalists, jurors and industry insiders for a series of events, workshops, chats and peer-to-peer sessions. The workshops specifically deliver one-on-one mentorship and conversations focused on development,...

Through Her Lens: The Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program has announced this year’s jury members and mentors.

The jurors include Olivia Wilde, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Beanie Feldstein, Lucy Liu and writer, producer and director Joanna Calo. Mentors include Pamela Adlon, Jannicza Bravo, Chase Sui Wonders and Mara Brock Akil.

Founded in 2015 by Tribeca and Chanel, Through Her Lens provides industry support, artistic development and funding to emerging U.S.-based self-identifying women and non-binary filmmakers. The program includes a three-day immersive workshop with one-on-one mentorship and intimate conversations focused on script-to-screen development, music composition, costume design, producing and directing.

Five pairs of writer-directors and producers will participate in the program and pitch their short films to the jurors. One team will receive full financing to produce their film with support from Tribeca Studios. The four other teams will be awarded grant funds to support their films’ development.

This...

Showrunner Mara Brock Akil launched the artist’s residency The Writers Colony several years ago and is now expanding her efforts, launching a new program on the set of her upcoming Netflix series Forever.

Akil has launched the Shadow Program that will see alumni from The Writers Colony join her on the set of the Judy Blume adaptation Forever with the hope of providing hands-on experience and insights into television productions. In addition to experiences on set, the participants will receive mentorship and networking opportunities.

Forever is an adaptation of the Blume novel of the same name and will star Lovie Simone and Michael Cooper Jr. as two teens who are each other’s first loves.

“With the launch of The Writers’ Colony Shadow Program, we are furthering our commitment to our writers by moving them from crafting stories on the page to intentionally and collaboratively building worlds on set.

When Karen Pittman calls for our early-morning interview, she’s noticeably perky for someone who wrapped filming at 2 a.m. the night before. She’s in the midst of shooting “Forever,” Mara Brock Akil’s adaptation of Judy Blume’s seminal — and controversial — 1975 novel about two teens’ first love and intimacy.

“I love it! Fingers crossed it keeps going like this for the next 20 to 30 years,” Pittman says, laughing off the tiring schedule. “I’m not a workaholic, but I’m just very committed. I’m devoted to this work. I get the chance to tell a meaningful story about where women are right now.”

In the Netflix series, Pittman plays Dawn Edwards, an upper-middle-class mother whose high-school-age son Justin (Michael Cooper Jr.) is at the center of the show’s “forever love” story.

“She is a working mother in a successful marriage. She’s bright; she’s ambitious for...

On a wall in the top corner of Nkechi Okoro Carroll’s office hangs a photo from THR‘s 2018 Women in Entertainment issue. In it, the All American showrunner appears alongside 61 fellow Black women writers who are part of the Black Women Who Brunch group she co-founded with Lena Waithe and Erika L. Johnson in 2014 to create a network among their growing community within Hollywood. Membership has now swelled to 223 creatives at last count.

“That is the reason why I don’t feel lonely,” says Carroll, who is one of just a handful of Black women who’ve been at the helm of TV shows that have aired 100 episodes: Shonda Rhimes (Private Practice, Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal); Mara Brock Akil (Girlfriends); Yvette Lee Bowser (Living Single); Debbie Allen (A Different World). “Everyone is always so grateful to us for starting it, but it’s truly been a gift to me.”

All American,...

Anthony Hemingway has boarded the Netflix series adaptation of the Judy Blume novel “Forever” to direct multiple episodes, Variety has learned exclusively.

The series stars Lovie Simone and Michael Cooper Jr. and hails from creator Mara Brock Akil. The official logline states the series is “an epic love story of two Black teens exploring romance and their identities through the awkward journey of being each other’s firsts, set in Los Angeles, 2018.”

Hemingway will direct four episodes in total — the second and third as well as the seventh and eighth episodes, specifically. He will also now serve as an executive producer on the series. It was previously announced that Regina King would be directing the pilot and executive producing the series as well.

Hemingway is one of the most sought-after directors in television today. His recent credits include helming episodes of “Genius: Aretha,” the pilot of “Power Book II: Ghost,...

Exclusive: The Writer’s Colony is an LA-Based three month screenwriting residency where writers have the chance to develop an original script that showcases their writing voice and vision. Throughout the residency they workshop their scripts and have access to network with a variety of entertainment professionals at all levels to prepare them to launch into the industry. The residency is an opportunity for underrepresented writers, with cohorts made up of those who have not been on staff with a studio or been in a scripted television’s writers room. The goal of the colony is to amplify the voices of those who have not yet had the chance to bring their ideas to the page.

The spring cohort will include Duran Jones, who is building his independent film slate under his company Blk Mgc Content as a writer, producer and director. Dorado Quick, whose storytelling style has received international recognition from Cannes Lions,...

Exclusive: Netflix has rounded out the cast for Forever, adding Xosha Roquemore (Captain America) and Marvin Lawrence Winans III (Abbott Elementary) as series regulars opposite Michael Cooper Jr. and Lovie Simone in the upcoming drama series from Girlfriends and Being Mary Jane creator Mara Brock Akil. Additionally, five have been cast in recurring roles. They are Barry Shabaka Henley (A Star is Born), Ali Gallo (Unhuman), Niles Fitch (This is Us), Paigion Walker (All American) and E’myri Crutchfield (Fargo). In addition to Simone and Cooper, they join previously announced Wood Harris and Karen Pittman.

L-r: Barry Shabaka Henley, Ali Gallo, Niles Fitch, Paigion Walker & E’myri Crutchfield

A reimagining of Judy Blume’s influential — and controversial — 1975 novel Forever… for a new generation, the series adaptation tells the epic love story of two Black teens, Keisha Clark (Simone) and Justin Edwards (Cooper Jr.) exploring romance and their identities through the awkward...

My guest this week is Karen Pittman. She’s hit the headlines lately for her reported departure from the Max show And Just Like That…, and in this episode of 20 Questions on Deadline she explains why she won’t be back for Season 3.

Leaving the show was, Pittman said, purely due to a scheduling issue with her new upcoming Netflix series Forever and work on Season 4 of Apple TV+ series The Morning Show.

“There’s a lot of things that went into making that decision. In a perfect world I would have been able to come back and do it. We don’t live in a perfect world… I wish the girls good luck for Season 3. I’m going to be cheering them on. But I was disappointed that Nya wasn’t coming back, but I hope that she lives in the imagination of the audience, still walking around New York City.

Exclusive: Adriyan Rae lands recurring role on Netflix’s Forever created by Mara Brock Akil.

Forever is a reimagination of the 1975 novel by Judy Blume and follows the epic love story of two Black teens exploring their identities through the awkward — and moving — journey of being each other’s firsts in 2018 Los Angeles. Like its inspiration, the show will examine “the idea of your first love being with you forever,” said Brock Akil, who created acclaimed stories of Black love and growth like sitcom Girlfriends and drama Being Mary Jane. She was also a writer on the YA comedy Moesha.

Oscar winner Regina King (One Night in Miami) will serve as executive producer and will direct the first episode.

Rae will portray Brittany, one of Keisha’s older cousins, and is described as a social climber who looks out for Keisha and her well-being like an older sister—even if...

Karen Pittman — who played Dr. Nya Wallace on “And Just Like That” since the “Sex and the City” revival premiered in 2021 — will not return for Season 3.

After two seasons on the “Sex and the City” revival series on Max, the streamer announced that Pittman would not reprise her character for the upcoming season, due to scheduling conflicts.

“It has been a joy to have Karen Pittman play the smart and stunning Professor Nya Wallace on the first two seasons of ‘And Just Like That,'” a Max spokesperson said in a statement to Variety. “As we have thoroughly enjoyed working with this dynamic actress, so too have others. Due to her commitments to two other streamer series, it has become apparent that filming three shows at once isn’t possible. Due to the production realities, we are disappointed to announce that scheduling conflicts will not allow us to continue with...

Exclusive: A fan-favorite character is leaving And Just Like That… Karen Pittman, who played Nya Wallace in the first two seasons of the Sex and the City sequel, will not be returning for the upcoming third season of the hit Max series.

Pittman was already a series regular on Apple TV+’s The Morning Show when she was cast in And Just Like That…, originally as a recurring in Season 1; she was upped to a series regular in Season 2. Earlier this month, she also was tapped for a starring role in Forever, Netflix’s upcoming drama series reimagining Judy Blume’s novel from Mara Brock Akil.

This put Pittman in the middle of a scheduling conundrum involving three high-profile series on three major streamers filming new seasons this year within similar timeframes.

According to sources, there was every intention for Pittman to be in Season 3 of Ajlt, and Nya was written into the scripts.

Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including events for Love Lies Bleeding, Girls5Eva, Kung Fu Panda 4 and Damsel.

Only Murders in the Building FYC screening

Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez and Meryl Streep took part in an Emmy FYC screening and Q&a on the Paramount lot on March 1, alongside showrunner John Hoffman and songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.

Martin Short, Meryl Streep, Benj Pasek, John Hoffman, Selena Gomez, Steve Martin, Jane Lynch and Justin Paul

Damsel premiere

Millie Bobby Brown and Robin Wright walked the carpet on March 1 at the NYC premiere of their new Netflix film. Brown was also supported by fiancé Jake Bongiovi and his parents, Jon Bon Jovi and Dorothea Hurley.

Millie Bobby Brown and Robin Wright Jake Bongiovi, Millie Bobby Brown, Dorothea Hurley and Jon Bon Jovi

Kung Fu Panda 4 premiere

Jack Black,...

“And Just Like That” and The Morning Show” star Karen Pittman is adding to her stacked TV slate by joining Mara Brock Akil’s “Forever” alongside “The Wire” alum and “Creed” franchise stalwart Wood Harris.

Brock Akil’s highly-anticipated adaptation of Judy Blum’s 1975 Judy Blume novel “Forever” was originally ordered at Netflix in 2022 under the “Girlfriends” creator’s overall deal.

Last month, Lovie Simone and Michael Cooper Jr. were announced to star in the series, described as “an epic love story of two Black teens (Keisha and Justin) exploring romance and their identities through the awkward journey of being each other’s firsts, set in Los Angeles, 2018.”

Pittman and Harris play Justin’s parents Dawn and Eric, who are navigating parenting during a time of heightened awareness around the lack of safety for Black boys in America.

Pittman‘s Dawn is a college-educated, top executive in corporate finance with...

Karen Pittman (The Morning Show) and The Wire alum Wood Harris are set as leads opposite Michael Cooper Jr. and Lovie Simone in Forever, Netflix’s upcoming drama series from Girlfriends and Being Mary Jane creator Mara Brock Akil.

A reimagining of Judy Blume’s influential — and controversial — 1975 novel Forever… for a new generation, the series adaptation tells the epic love story of two Black teens, Keisha Clark (Simone) and Justin Edwards (Cooper Jr.) exploring romance and their identities through the awkward journey of being each other’s firsts, set in Los Angeles, 2018.

Pittman plays Dawn, a college-educated, top executive in corporate finance with an easy elegance that belies her loving but paranoid form of parenting, Justin’s (Cooper Jr.) mother Dawn might be strict at times, but it’s always out of love. She’s worked hard to give him the things he needs to succeed in life and...

Taraji P. Henson is going to keep telling her truth.

As she took the stage at the 2024 ABFF Honors on Sunday night, “The Color Purple” star pointed to a tattoo on her left bicep that spells out those words exactly: “The Truth.”

“If you are alive and God blessed you with another day to live, it is your job to tell your truth,” Henson told the crowd gathered for the American Black Film Festival’s marquee gala. “Because by you telling your truth, you set yourself free and somebody else free. When we stay quiet, nothing changes. The squeaky wheel gets fixed.”

That ideology is something Henson’s learned to keep close over the years, particularly when it comes to navigating Hollywood.

Late last year, Henson spoke her truth and sparked an important conversation about the unique challenges Black actresses face. She used her platform during “The Color Purple” press...

Taraji P. Henson showed off one of her tattoos as she took to the stage at the American Black Film Festival Honors on Sunday night.

“I got this tattoo a year ago, ‘The truth,’” she said, raising her left arm to the crowd, “because at the end of the day, that’s all we have, our truth. And if you are alive and God blessed you with another day to live, it is your time to tell the truth. Because by you telling the truth, you’re setting yourself free and somebody else free. But if you stay quiet, nothing changes.”

Henson was the female recipient of ABFF’s Excellence in the Arts Award, presented to her by longtime friend and Baby Boy co-star Tyrese. While on the promotional tour for The Color Purple at the end of last year, Henson spoke out about the pay disparity for Black actresses,...

Forever has its stars. Netflix has announced the cast for its upcoming teen drama from Mara Brock Akil (The Game) which is based on the 1975 Judy Blume novel of the same name. Brock Akil will serve as showrunner and Regina King will direct the first episode.

Lovie Simone and Michael Cooper Jr. will star as a pair of teens who fall in love and share each other’s firsts.

Read More…...

Lovie Simone and Michael Cooper Jr. (On the Come Up) are set as the leads of Forever, Netflix’s upcoming series from Girlfriends and Being Mary Jane creator Mara Brock Akil. Regina King (One Night In Miami) will direct the first episode and executive produce the series, a reimagening of Judy Blume’s influential — and controversial — 1975 novel Forever… for a new generation.

The series adaptation tells the epic love story of two Black teens, Keisha Clark (Simone) and Justin Edwards (Cooper Jr.) exploring romance and their identities through the awkward journey of being each other’s firsts, set in Los Angeles, 2018.

Simone’s Keisha Clark is a young confident, smart, and fiery track star with clear dreams for life after high school. Cooper Jr.’s Justin Edwards is a young man who is a nerd at heart disguised in an athlete’s body. Justin dreams of...

Mara Brock Akil’s Netflix series adaptation of the 1975 Judy Blume novel “Forever” has found its two series leads, Variety has learned.

Lovie Simone and Michael Cooper Jr. are set to star in the series, which was originally ordered at Netflix back in 2022. In addition, Regina King has boarded the series as an executive producer and will direct the first episode.

The official logline states the series is “an epic love story of two Black teens exploring romance and their identities through the awkward journey of being each other’s firsts, set in Los Angeles, 2018.”

Simone will star as as Keisha Clark, described as “a young confident, smart, and fiery track star with clear dreams for life after high school.” Cooper will play Justin Edwards, “a young man who is a nerd at heart disguised in an athlete’s body. Justin dreams of playing D1 basketball and achieving more than his successful parents.

The 6th American Black Film Festival (ABFF) Honors announced today that Kelvin Harrison Jr. is the recipient of the 2024 Rising Star Award which is presented to a contemporary artist in acknowledgement of their recent success and future promise in the film and television industry. The 2024 ABFF Honors is presented by Nice Crowd and will take place on Sunday, March 3rd at the Sls hotel in Beverly Hills, hosted by actor and comedian Tommy Davidson. Guests at the intimate, non-televised dinner will include ABFF honorees and festival partners.

As previously announced, the ABFF Honors will also celebrate legendary performer Garrett Morris; Academy Award nominated, Emmy nominated and Golden Globe-winning actress Taraji P. Henson; Tony, Emmy, AFI, and Golden Globe Award-winning actor Jeffrey Wright, and groundbreaking writer and producer Mara Brock Akil. The ABFF Fan Favorite Movie of the Year will also be announced at the show. Nominees in that category include: “A Thousand and One,...

Exclusive: The American Black Film Festival Honors said Tuesday that Kelvin Harrison Jr. is the recipient of its 2024 Rising Star Award, presented to a contemporary artist in acknowledgement of their success and future promise in the film and television industry.

The 2024 ABFF Honors will take place March 3 at the Sls hotel in Beverly Hills, hosted by Tommy Davidson.

As previously announced, the ABFF Honors will also celebrate Garrett Morris, Taraji P. Henson, Jeffrey Wright and Mara Brock Akil. The ABFF Fan Favorite Movie of the Year will also be announced at the ceremony among nominees A Thousand and One, directed by A.V. Rockwell; American Fiction, directed by Cord Jefferson; Origin, directed by Ava DuVernay; The Color Purple, directed by Blitz Bazawule; They Cloned Tyrone, directed by Juel Taylor; and The Equalizer 3, directed by Antoine Fuqua.

“It is amazing to see ABFF honorees,...

Taking place amid the crush of parties surrounding the 2024 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, the Fifteen Percent Pledge Gala — with its black-tie Black designer dress code — drew one of the most gorgeously turned out crowds of the entire bash-filled weekend.

Held for the first time in L.A. and hosted by Robin Thede, the gala raised money for the nonprofit equity organization Fifteen Percent Pledge, founded by Brother Vellies designer Aurora James, which asks retailers to devote 15 percent of shelf space to products from Black-owned brands.

First Lady Jill Biden, wearing designer Sergio Hudson, made a surprise appearance at the event, held on the lot at Paramount Studios. She touted the achievements her husband’s administration has made to help small and minority-owned businesses (including doubling the amount of loans given by the government to small Black-owned companies) and praised James for founding the Fifteen Percent Pledge in the wake...

Taraji P. Henson, Jeffrey Wright, Garrett Morris and Mara Brock Akil are the honorees of the 6th American Black Film Festival (ABFF) Honors.

The annual awards ceremony recognizes excellence in the motion picture and television industry. Actor and comedian Tommy Davidson will host the gala set to take place on Sunday, March 3rd at the Sls hotel in Beverly Hills, CA.

Henson will be presented with the Excellence in the Arts Award (Female) for her body of work, which includes Empire, Hidden Figures, and The Color Purple.

Wright will receive the Excellence in the Arts Award (Male) recognizing his body of work, which includes Basquiat, Westworld and American Fiction.

Morris, an actor, comedian, writer, singer, and the first Black cast member of Saturday Night Live, will be honored with the Hollywood Legacy Award.

Screenwriter and producer Akil of Girlfriends, The Game and Being Mary Jane, will receive the Industry Visionary Award.

The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) has revealed its honorees for its annual awards ceremony: This year, Garrett Morris, Taraji P. Henson, Jeffrey Wright and Mara Brock Akil will be recipients of special awards.

Morris, actor, comedian and first Black castmember of Saturday Night Live, is receiving the Hollywood Legacy Award, which is “presented to a trailblazing artists whose work (four decades or more) has inspired generations and made an enduring contribution to film and television.” Henson, who is a Golden Globe-winning and Academy Award-nominated actress, is receiving the Excellence in the Arts Award (Female), which honors “a highly acclaimed artist in recognition of their body of work and distinguished career achievement.”

The Excellence in the Arts Award (Male) will be awarded to Wright, who is Oscar-nominated this year for his work in American Fiction. The Industry Visionary Award will be presented to screenwriter and producer Akil (Girlfriends, The Game,...

Taraji P. Henson, Jeffrey Wright, Garrett Morris and Mara Brock Akil will be saluted at the sixth annual ABFF Honors, presented by Nice Crowd.

Founded in 2016, ABFF Honors is the American Black Film Festival’s awards season gala, dedicated to recognizing excellence in the motion picture and television industry. The intimate, non-televised dinner, to be held at the Sls in Beverly Hills on March 3, will be hosted by actor and comedian Tommy Davidson.

Henson and Wright — who sat down last year for Variety’s Actors on Actors series to discuss their turns in “The Color Purple” and “American Fiction,” respectively — will receive the Excellence in the Arts awards, presented in recognition of their body of work and career achievement. News comes a day after Wright earned his first Academy Award nomination for the role, adding to a trophy case that already includes Emmy, Golden Globe and Tony awards; meanwhile, the...

We sat down with Roger Ross Williams, Ibram X Kendi & Mara Brock Akil to talk about the importance of their new film – Netflix’s Stamped from the Beginning. Directed by Oscar-winning director Roger Ross Williams, based on Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s New York Times best-selling book of the same name, it exposes the long-standing and powerful presence of anti-black racism in American history, using vivid animations and leading female scholars to explore the history of anti-Black racist ideas.

Leading female academics and activists such as Dr. Angela Davis, Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, Brittany Packnett Cunningham, Dr. Jennifer L. Morgan, and Dr. Kendi guide viewers through a searing account of how racist tropes and imagery were developed and enshrined in American culture

Linda Marric asks the questions.

Stamped from the Beginning is available to watch on Netflix now.

Stamped from the Beginning Interviews

The post Stamped from the Beginning Interviews – Roger Ross Williams,...

Netflix’s trailer for Oscar-winning director Roger Ross Williams’ Stamped From the Beginning features clips of female scholars discussing the connection between the United States’ history of racism and the history of power. The documentary based on Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s bestselling book will premiere on November 10, 2023 in select theaters, followed by a release on the streaming service on November 20.

“When we started looking at historians and scholars, we came up with a long list. I noticed the pattern that most of the people doing the work around racism in America were Black women,” stated director Williams in an interview on Netflix’s Tudum. “I asked them in pre-interviews, ‘Why do you do this work?’ And many of them said the same thing — that they had no choice. This was their experience and their life. And if they’re going to dedicate their life to something, it’s going...

"I love all of the things that Blackness have given America, whether or not America acknowledges it." Ooh yes, say it. Speak it. Netflix has revealed an official trailer for a documentary film called Stamped From the Beginning, arriving in theaters and for streaming on Netflix later in November this fall. It premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, with stops at AFI Fest and Doc NYC. Directed and produced by Roger Ross Williams, Stamped From the Beginning is executive produced by Dr. Kendi and NAACP Image Award winner Mara Brock Akil. Oscar-winning director Williams brings Dr. Ibram X. Kendi's best-selling book titled Stamped From the Beginning to life, using vivid animations and leading female scholars to explore the history of anti-Black racist ideas. Described in rave reviews as "an important & eye-opening film that should be seen by everyone everywhere as it challenges conventional thought on the relationship between Black people and America.

Writer and producer Mara Brock Akil can now add actress to her resume. Known for creating such shows as Love Is, Being Mary Jane, The Game and Girlfriends, Brock Akil stars in a new action-adventure-style campaign video directed by Tyler, the Creator. It celebrates the latest collaboration between his sporty le Fleur clothing line and iconic label Lacoste.

The Lacoste x le Fleur capsule collection, available at lacoste.com and golflefleur.com, includes everything from a Varsity jacket and a knit cardigan to polo shirts, alpaca wool sweater vests, socks, T-shirts, pleated trousers and skirts, and even Swarovski pearl necklaces and bracelets, with prices ranging from $45 to $895 (for the Varsity jacket.) Logo details on the pieces include chainstitch embroidery with the word le Fleur as well as the Lacoste crocodile with Fleur printed on it.

Related: How Veteran Screenwriter and Producer Mara Brock Akil Is Supporting Writers With Nail Polish...

Jill Marie Jones is officially coming to “The Chi,” TheWrap can reveal thanks to an exclusive clip. The “Girlfriends” star is set to play Bianca in a guest starring role.

The clip shows Bianca (Jones) curled up on a bar couch next to Douda (Curtiss Cook). Framed by romantic lighting, Bianca flirtatiously helps Douda weigh the pros and cons of the best person to take over his gang. After he finds a fault in all available options, Bianca says, “They can’t all be cold-blooded like you.”

“But that’s the job,” Douda replies before kissing her. Watch the full clip above.

In Jones’ guest starring role she will be playing a business owner “with a shady clientele and a haunted past,” according to Showtime. Jones’ debut episode will take place on Aug. 25 in the episode “ReUp.”

Best known for portraying Toni Childs in Mara Brock Akil’s beloved sitcom “Girlfriends,...