News

“I would describe my aesthetic as Old World trash and treasure,” says Margarita (Anna Baryshnikov), a few minutes into Idiotka. “She’s milking a cow at five, but she needs to be at the ballet at 5:10. Loves a bargain bin.”

As a description of a style, it’s nonsense. As an illustration of an imagined wearer, it’s word salad. And yet there’s something compelling about its quirkiness — which, in its way, makes it a perfect encapsulation of Idiotka. The feature debut by writer-director Nastasya Popov is certainly messy, a mélange of contrasting tones and contradictory ideas. But darned if it isn’t bursting with enough personality to charm you all the same.

For the first act or so, Idiotka presents itself as a sendup of a certain soulless type of content. Margarita’s explaining her look in that very first scene because she’s filming a submission...

One of the predominant worries of our age is the desire to live authentically. There’s a profusion of technological developments and variables — now extending to artificial intelligence — that both help and hamstring us from achieving this, with much neurosis and self-consciousness brought on if we can’t. The 2010s and the ongoing Trump era have also intensified the clamor for identity politics, where a sometimes fragile sense of empowerment is gained by asserting difference in the face of mass American conformity.

So, the faux-inspirational outcome is that we must embrace our truth, and “Slay, Serve, and Survive,” to reference the in-film reality show contest in Nastasya Popov’s SXSW premiere “Idiotka.” Premiering in the non-competitive Narrative Spotlight section, Popov’s upbeat and genial comedy capably interrogates these ideas, with its tale of a young, aspiring LA fashion designer (from a Russian emigré background not unlike the director’s own...

Exclusive: Writer-director Jamal Dedeaux (Laff Mobb’s Laff Tracks) has rounded out the cast for his indie dark comedy The Late Night Creep, starring Single Parents alum Jake Choi. Newcomers include Tosin Morohunfola (Run the World), Jason Mitchell (Mudbound), Karen Obilom (The Mill), Lori Laing (That Damn Michael Che), Paula Jai Parker (Hustle & Flow), Lewis Belt (House Party), Leslie Jones (SNL) and Bradley Nnadi (I Wanna Dance with Somebody).

Details as to the roles these actors will play haven’t been disclosed.

The film tells the story of an unhappily married man (Choi) who sneaks out of the house to go on a date with his college crush and ends up having the night from hell. Dedeaux is producing the pic alongside Rebecca Haze and Kris Simms. Kim Williams handled casting.

Morohunfola is repped by Stewart Talent, ColorCreative, and Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz; Mitchell by TCA Mgmt, Cultivate Entertainment Partners,...

Exclusive: Jake Choi (Single Parents) has been tapped to star in The Late Night Creep, a dark comedy from writer-director Jamal Dedeaux (Laff Mobb’s Laff Tracks).

The film tells the story of an unhappily married man (Choi) who sneaks out of the house to go on a date with his college crush and ends up having the night from hell. Dedeaux is producing the indie alongside Rebecca Haze and Kris Simms.

Best known for starring alongside Taran Killam, Leighton Meester, Brad Garrett and more on the comedy series Single Parents, which ran for two seasons on ABC, Choi most recently starred opposite Nico Tortorella, Juan Pablo Di Pace and Emily Hampshire in the indie drama The Mattachine Family, exec produced by Zach Braff.

Previously, he’s also been seen in films including Justin Chon’s Sundance drama Ms. Purple, Warner Bros and MGM’s YA romance The Sun Is Also a Star,...

It would be easy to simply peg The Mattachine Family as an LGBTQ film. It is that, but so much more, too. Relationships, friendships, and a longing for family command the spotlight in director Andy Vallentine’s heartwarming feature, which he cowrote with his screenwriter Danny Vallentine. Tapping into those universal themes elevates this emotionally rich tale, one that will not only make audiences laugh and cry on different occasions, but also inspire them to reflect on the bounty of good that exists in their lives, especially during life transitions.

The Mattachine Family is currently on the festival circuit, most recently premiering at Chicago’s LGBTQ Reeling Film Festival. The movie stars Nico Tortorella, Juan Pablo Di Pace, Emily Hampshire (Schitt’s Creek), Cloie Wyatt Taylor, Heather Matarazzo, Carl Clemons-Hopkins (Hacks), Jake Choi (Single Parents), and Colleen Foy (Quantum Leap).

If you’re a fan of feel-good films that touch upon family ties,...

Is there a formula to hip-hop greatness, or does it just have to be in your DNA? For Prem Pratel, a 12-year-old math genius who learns his recently deceased dad was a famous rapper, both answers can be true. So unfolds “World’s Best,” coming to Disney+ this Friday, June 23, 2023. Written by Utkarsh Ambudkar and Jamie King and directed by Roshan Sethi, the new musical hip-hop comedy adventure stars Manny Magnus in the starring role of Prem as he sets out to pursue a career for himself as a rap superstar, fueled by his late dad’s “the world’s best never rest” attitude. “World’s Best” will be available to stream on Disney+ on Friday, June 23. You can watch World's Best with a subscription to Disney+.

How to Watch ‘World's Best’ When: Friday, June 23, 2023 Where: Disney+ Stream: Watch with a subscription to Disney+. Sign Up Now$7.99+ / month disneyplus.com

Get Disney+, Hulu,...

Beginning on June 23, World's Best will be available to stream exclusively on Disney+. The film centers around 12-year-old math genius, Prem, who finds his deceased father's notebook and realizes he's the son of hip-hop legend Suresh Patel. Determined to follow in Suresh's footsteps, Prem changes course to find out if he has what it takes to be a rap superstar.

Utkarsh Ambudkar and Manny Magnus star as the father-and-son duo, with Ambudkar also serving as a writer and executive producer. Ambudkar is known for his leading role in the CBS sitcom Ghosts and for portraying Manish Kulkarni in Netflix's Never Have I Ever. Meanwhile, Magnus has worked on projects such as Game Changer, I Want You Back, and Home Team. Punam Patel, Jake Choi, Max Malas, Piper Wallace, Kayla Njeri, Dorian Giordano, Chris River, Christopher Jackson, and Doug E. Fresh complete the main cast.

Related: Ghosts Season 3: Cast,...

"Riding in cars with high schoolers?!" So dangerous! Disney has unveiled the official trailer for a comedy called World's Best, co-written by and starring actor / rapper Utkarsh Ambudkar. The film is about a young 12-year-old mathematics genius named Prem Patel who discovers his deceased father was actually a great rapper. He immediately sets out to pursue a career as a rap superstar, in addition to continuing to ace math competitions. Newcomer Manny Magnus stars as Prem, and Ambudkar appears as his father Suresh in visions to help him accomplish his dreams and overcome the bullying that is holding him back. The cast also includes Punam Patel, Jake Choi, Max Malas, Piper Wallace, Kayla Njeri, Dorian Giordano, and Kathryn Greenwood. "Dream exponentially" - is the tagline. This has that usual Disney cheesiness, with a cliche "follow your dreams" plot, though it looks like good fun. And the mix of math + rap is amusing.

Exclusive: Robert Morgan’s Talaria Media has launched development on Arigato Tokyo, a new drama set in the world of women’s professional wrestling, after acquiring a feature pitch by Daytime Emmy winner Mark Blutman. Jamie Anderson is on board to direct the pic, with Morgan to exec produce.

The film will tell the story of Annie Able, an aging pro wrestler, who despite battles with addiction and mental health, returns to the land of the Rising Sun to reignite her feud with local Japanese legend Hoshi Tokao, whose series of epic and often bloody matches in the late ’90s made them rich and famous. During the build-up of their big match at the landmark Tokyo Dome, Annie falls for the son of Hoshi, a young man half her age, and while the unlikely relationship angers Hoshi, the meaningful bond they form is unbreakable.

Blutman is...

‘World’s Best’, Disney’s all-new hip-hop musical comedy adventure, produced by the director of “Hamilton,” will stream exclusively on Disney+ Hotstar beginning June 23. Co-written, co-executive produced and starring Utkarsh Ambudkar, who co-wrote the film’s original songs, this Disney+ Original Movie was directed by radiation oncologist turned filmmaker Roshan Sethi.

Joining Ambudkar in the film are newcomer Manny Magnus, Punam Patel, Jake Choi, Max Malas, Piper Wallace, Kayla Njeri, Dorian Giordano, Kathryn Greenwood, Christopher Jackson and Doug E Fresh. “World’s Best” was written by Jamie King & Ambudkar, with original songs by Ambudkar and Charlie Wilder.

Produced by Thomas Kail, who directed the Broadway smash “Hamilton” and produced and directed the 2020 film version, and Kate Sullivan, the film reunites Kail and Ambudkar who first collaborated as director and performer, respectively, of the improvisational hip-hop comedy musical group Freestyle Love Supreme. Terry Gould and Ambudkar serve as the film’s executive producers.

When asked about R.I.P.D., Jeff Bridges said he was “a little underwhelmed” after finally watching the 2013 movie. “The studio made some, uh, choices that I wouldn’t have made,” he added. Bridges’ colorful performance was praised, but that was as much positivity critics could muster about this misfire of a comic-book adaptation. Adding insult to injury was the box-office report; Robert Schwentke’s action-comedy cost Universal 130 million and failed to break even. Despite the first movie’s failings, Universal went ahead with a sequel. Nine years later. It’s standard to dust off, kick around and spruce up old IPs these days, but surely no one was expecting another go at the Dark Horse comic book, much less one worse than the first attempt.

Like in the first movie, R.I.P.D. 2: Rise of the Damned follows the otherworldly misadventures of two officers from the Rest in Peace Department. The most remarkable change here,...

R.I.P.D. 2: Rise of the Damned is a Western directed by Paul Leyden, starring Jeffrey Donovan and Penelope Mitchell.

A blend of the wild west with a more mystical supernatural dimension.

Premise

When Sheriff Roy Pulsipher finds himself in the afterlife, he joins a special police force and returns to Earth to save humanity from the undead.

R.I.P.D. 2: Rise of the Damned About the Movie

A rather banal production that might have an audience. It is difficult to foresee.

Bordering the B movie category, this is a feature that will neither be remembered nor leave a mark. The characters are unconvincing, the gimmicks are bad, but at the same time it is harmless entertainment.

Enjoy.

Sequel of R.I.P.D. (2013)

Director: Robert Schwentke

Writers: Peter M. Lenkov,David Dobkin,Phil Hay

Cast: Jeff Bridges,Ryan Reynolds,Kevin Bacon

Plot: A recently slain cop joins a team of undead...

"That was unexpected." Universal All-Access has revealed a short trailer for a direct-to-video sequel titled R.I.P.D. 2: Rise of the Damned. Yes, they decided to make a sequel to R.I.P.D., the wacky supernatural action movie from 2013 that ended up bombing when it opened. Considering it took them almost 9 years to make this sequel, it seems to be a cash grab move for the studio, bringing back an existing IP for more "content" instead of making anything new. Like Back to the Future Part III, this sequel is set in the Old West in 1876. The Wild West has gone to Hell, literally, and the world's best hope of being saved lies in the gun-slinging hands of Sheriff Roy Pulsipher as he becomes the newest officer for the Rest In Peace Department enforcing the afterlife's laws. Jeffrey Donovan stars with Penelope Mitchell, Jake Choi, Richard Brake, and Kerry Knuppe. At least the trailer is free to watch,...

Hulu has ordered 10 episodes of Interior Chinatown, a drama series from 20th Television and creator/exec producer Charles Yu, who wrote the 2020 bestseller of the same name. Jimmy O. Yang (Crazy Rich Asians) will star, and Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit) will direct pilot and executive produce.

Related Story Kurt Sutter’s Western ‘The Abandons’ Rustles Up Series Order At Netflix Related Story 'Honeymoon Friends': 'Single Parents' Alum Jake Choi Latest To Join 20th's 'Vacation Friends' Sequel For Hulu Related Story Andrés Delgado Joins Cast Of Hulu's Limited Series Boxing Drama 'La Máquina'

Yang will play Willis Wu, a background actor in a procedural cop show called Black & White. Relegated to the background, Willis goes through the motions of his on-screen job, waiting tables and dreaming about a whole world beyond Chinatown. When he inadvertently becomes a witness to a crime, Willis begins to unravel a criminal web in Chinatown, and...

Exclusive: Jake Choi (Single Parents) has signed on to star alongside Lil Rel Howery, Yvonne Orji, John Cena and Meredith Hagner in 20th Century Studios’ Vacation Friends sequel Honeymoon Friends for Hulu.

In the original film released to the streamer in August of 2021, an uptight couple (Howery and Orji) makes friends with a rowdy couple (Cena and Hagner) while on vacation in Mexico, but their friendship takes an awkward turn when they get back home.

Clay Tarver directed the buddy comedy from his script co-written by Tom Mullen, Tim Mullen, Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, seeing it score Hulu’s biggest opening weekend for an original title, though the Predator franchise prequel Prey has since trumped it. Todd Garner and Timothy M. Bourne produced, with Steve Pink and Sean Robins exec producing.

Details as to the sequel’s plot are being kept under wraps. While unconfirmed, we hear that...

One of the wildest, campiest, least apologetic films of the 2022 festival season is “Please Baby Please.” Amanda Kramer’s 1950s-set LGBT musical thriller tells the story of a straight-passing married couple who begin questioning their conceptions of gender, sexuality, and monogamy after witnessing a murder and becoming involved with a greaser gang known as the Young Gents. The movie premiered at the Rotterdam Film Festival and was soon acquired by Music Box Films, who is giving it a theatrical release later this year.

“There are many things we love about this film, including Andrea Riseborough’s fierce and fearless performance,” said Music Box Films’ Brian Andreotti. “Director Amanda Kramer’s bold mise en scene and stylized 1950s iconography combine to give adventurous audiences a highly entertaining musing on gender roles and desire that is both timely and timeless,”

“Please Baby Please” is directed by Amanda Kramer, working from a script...

Nine years ago, Universal released a supernatural action comedy called R.I.P.D.: Rest in Peace Department, which didn’t do much at the box office despite starring Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges. Made on a budget somewhere in the 150 million range, R.I.P.D. only earned 78.3 million worldwide. It was considered a bomb… but that hasn’t stopped Universal from making a direct-to-video sequel. Made completely under the radar, the sequel is called R.I.P.D. 2: Rise of the Damned – and it has already been screened for the ratings board at the Motion Picture Association, earning a PG-13 rating for “sequences of violence, language, disturbing images and some crude/sexual references“.

According to IMDb, R.I.P.D. 2: Rise of the Damned was directed by Paul Leyden (Chick Fight) from a screenplay he wrote with Andrew Klein. Since the film was made in secrecy, a plot...

Mosaic has signed multi-hyphenate actor, director, and writer Sujata Day for representation in all areas.

Day’s directorial debut “Definition Please” was recently acquired by Ava DuVernay’s Array and is currently streaming on Netflix. The indie film earned multiple awards on its festival circuit including the Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature at San Francisco Caam Fest, Best Feature Film at Indian Film Festival of Cincinnati, and Outstanding Directorial Debut Award at the South Asian Film Festival of America. Day also received the Special Jury Award for Fresh Narrative Voice at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. For her work illuminating race and mental illness on film, Day was additionally profiled for NBCUniversal News Group’s Inspiring America series.

“Definition Please” follows Monica (Day), a former Scribbs Spelling Bee champion in the U.S. who must reconcile with her estranged brother when he returns home to help care for their sick mother.

Monica Chowdry (Sujata Day) was everything her Indian immigrant parents could have hoped from a child. Not only did she win the national Scribbs Spelling Bee, but she also became somewhat of a young intellectual celebrity courtesy of the victory tour with photographic keepsakes alongside Oprah Winfrey and fellow Pittsburgh-area native M. Night Shyamalan as well as an episode of television with host LeVar Burton that her mother (Anna Khaja’s Jaya) still watches to this day almost twenty years later. The sky was the limit and expectations were astronomical, yet here she is still living at home and working as a tutor for new, hopeful spelling champions. Not even confirmation of a research job in Cleveland can light a fire. Maybe this quiet life is all she wanted.

It’s a relatable and familiar dynamic wherein unwanted attention and external pressures have just as much of a chance to...

Ava DuVernay’s Array Releasing has acquired award-winning feature films “Definition Please” and “Donkeyhead” and will debut them on Netflix.

Array has acquired distribution rights to both films in the U.S., U.K., Australia and New Zealand, with the additional territory of Canada for “Definition Please,” and will debut them on Jan. 21 on Netflix.

Both films are by South Asian origin female actor-filmmakers making their feature directorial debuts and who also star in them. “Definition Please” is by Sujata Day, whose acting credits include HBO’s “Insecure” and she directed and starred in short “Cowboy and Indian,” which is now being developed as a series.

The film follows Monica (Day), a former Scribbs Spelling Bee champion in the U.S. who must reconcile with her estranged brother when he returns home to help care for their sick mother. The film also features Ritesh Rajan (“Russian Doll”), Anna Khaja (“The Walking Dead: World Beyond...

Exclusive: Array Releasing has acquired two new feature films from emerging South Asian female directors: Agam Darshi’s Donkeyhead, and Sujata Day’s Definition Please. The company has acquired distribution rights to both films in the U.S., UK, Australia and New Zealand, with the additional territory of Canada for Definition Please. Both films will debut January 21 on Netflix.

“Array Releasing is proud to distribute the work of Sujata Day and Agam Darshi, two promising South Asian women filmmakers who both wrote, directed and star in their directorial debuts,” Array president Tilane Jones said. “Definition Please and Donkeyhead beautifully showcase the dynamic talent of their creators while sharing the oftentimes humorous dynamics of tradition and culture that film lovers of all kinds can relate to, appreciate and celebrate.”

Definition Please follows Monica (Day), a former Scripps spelling bee champion who must reconcile with her estranged brother when he returns home...

Exclusive: Nico Tortorella (Younger, The Walking Dead: World Beyond), Juan Pablo Di Pace, Emmy nominee Carl Clemons-Hopkins and Emily Hampshire have signed on to star in The Mattachine Family, a drama executive produced by Zach Braff. The film is currently in production.

The first feature from video and commercial director Andy Vallentine centers on the relationship between Thomas (Tortorella) and Oscar (Di Pace). While the pair are very much in love, they find, after their first foster child returns to his birth mother, that they have different ideas about what it means to make a family.

Vallentine is directing from a script by his husband Danny Vallentine, which is based on a story by the pair.

Jake Choi, Annie Funke, Heather Matarazzo and Cloie Wyatt Taylor will round out the cast of the film, which Andy Vallentine is producing with Mike Diaz, Scot Boland, Siddharth Ganji and Cameron Hutchison.

Tortorella is represented by Gersh; Di Pace by Innovative Artists, Hamilton Hodell (UK) and Lichter, Grossman, Nichols; Clemons-Hopkins by Stewart Talent and Authentic Talent and Literary Management; Hampshire by Paradigm, Creative Drive Artists, Atlas Artists, Jazo P.R. and Felker Toczek Suddleson Abramson; Choi by Paradigm and Authentic Talent and Literary Management; Funke by The Kohner Agency, Authentic Talent and Literary Managent, and attorney Michael H. Mahan of Peikoff Mahan; Matarazzo by Margrit Polak Management; Taylor by Ellis Talent Group and Sandy Oroumieh Management.

Andy Vallentine is repped by Atn Entertainment; Braff by CAA, Management 360 and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller. The production is represented by Asa Pitt at Pitt Apc.

Demi Moore and her young Willis women have been vacationing and sharing pictures of breathtaking Grecian landscapes in the foreground of their statuesque selfies while they soak up the sun. Today, Demi Moore posted a pic showing she could still stand up to Viggo Mortensen's training ala G.I. Jane with her abs of steel. Captioned, "Getting ready for another day in paradise." You can check out Demi Moore's latest bikini selfie as shared on Instagram.

Demi Moore is currently working on writer/director Amanda Kramer's new feature. Please Baby Please is the story of newlyweds Suze and Arthur who, after witnessing a murder in the gritty streets of a surreal 1950s Manhattan, become the dangerous obsession of a greaser gang that awakens a sleeping quandary about the couple's sexual identity. The Ladyworld creator has cast Demi Moore alongside Harry Melling, Karl Glusman, Ryan Simpkins, Karim Saleh, Jake Choi,...

"I give you freedom, and this is what you do with it." 1091 Pictures has released an official trailer for Lust Life Love, a star-crossed love story set in the world of polyamory and sex parties in New York City. How's that for a pitch? The film is directed by Benjamin Feuer & Stephanie Sellars, and stars Stephanie Sellars as Veronica. A polyamorous writer's life turns upside down when she falls in love with a monogamous man. She thought she had it all and was enjoying life until she meets Daniel, a handsome, monogamous, married man. The cast includes Jake Choi, Makeda Declet, Jeanna Han, Rolando Chusan, Renee Erikson, and Bill Irwin. I'm glad this film tries to approach polyamory honestly and address a lot of what's going on in that scene. I'm always curious to learn more about different perspectives and this has some unique ones. Here's the official trailer...

In today’s TV news roundup, Jake Choi has joined the cast of ABC comedy “American Housewife,” and HBO Max unveiled the official trailer for “My Gift: A Christmas Special from Carrie Underwood.”

Casting

Jake Choi has joined the cast of ABC sitcom “American Housewife,” Variety has learned exclusively. He will play J.D., a recent divorcee and aspiring father who becomes fast friends with Katie (Katy Mixon) and Tami (Holly Robinson Peete). Choi began filming this week and will first appear in the series next year. The actor recently appeared in the romantic drama “The Sun is Also a Star,” comedy series “Single Parents” and Netflix series “Eastsiders.” His previous TV credits also include “Broad City,” “Gotham” and “Difficult People.” Beyond the screen, Choi is outspoken about Lgbtqia+ issues, having received a Human Rights Campaign Visibility Award last year. The winter finale of “American Housewife” airs Dec. 2 at 8:30 p.

An upcoming documentary following the early career of an aspiring Asian American actor unveiled a new trailer that features a conversation with Sandra Oh among other trailblazing actors of East Asian descent.

“Searching for Anna May Wong,” produced by Quentin Lee, traces the journey of actor Natasha Tina Liu, who raises the question, “If trailblazing actor Anna May Wong were still alive today, would she still face the same racism and challenges she experienced during her time in Hollywood?”

The half-hour film also features interviews with James Hong, Tzi Ma, Amy Hill, the late Elizabeth Sung, Jake Choi, Ludi Lin and Anna May Wong’s grandniece, Anna Wong. The interviewees remember the late Chinese American actor’s career and speak out on the challenges Asian American creatives still experience in the industry.

“Historic Asian American figures like Anna May Wong really came up despite all the odds,” Lin said. “They had to be rebels,...

Exclusive: Ryan Simpkins (Fear Street 2 & 3), Karim Saleh (Transparent), Jake Choi (Single Parents), Matt D’Elia (American Animal), Jake Sidney Cohen (Homecoming), Cole Escola (At Home with Amy Sedaris, Search Party), Jaz Sinclair (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Paper Towns) Dana Ashbrook (Twin Peaks), and Mary Lynn Rajskub (24) have joined the cast of feature Please Baby Please.

Starring are Andrea Riseborough, Demi Moore, Harry Melling and Karl Glusman. Amanda Kramer is directing from a script by Kramer and Noel David Taylor.

The film follows newlyweds Suze and Arthur who, after witnessing a murder in the gritty streets of a surreal 1950s Manhattan, become the dangerous obsession of a greaser gang that awakens a sleeping quandary about the couple’s sexual identity.

Principal photography commenced last week in Butte, Montana.

Please Baby Please is the first project from Rivulet Media, which recently launched as a publicly traded company with Mike Witherill and Arizona...

Strand Releasing has acquired North American rights to Ray Yeung’s “Twilight’s Kiss” (“Suk Suk”) which world premiered at Busan and played at this year’s Berlin Film Festival.

Sold by Films Boutique, “Twilight’s Kiss” tells the story of two closeted married men in their twilight years, Pak, a 70 year-old taxi driver who refuses to retire, and Hoi, a 65 year-old retired single father. Despite years of societal and personal pressure, they are proud of the families they have created through hard work and determination. Yet, when they meet, something that had been suppressed for so many years is unleashed in them.

Strand Releasing, whose roster is packed with renowned world auteurs, previously handled Yeung’s film “Front Cover” with Jake Choi (“Single Parents”). “The delicate and beautiful story of two older men finding love later in life is a refreshing and realistic story and although uniquely Asian, is universal,...

So long, Single Parents. The cast and creators of the cancelled TV show recently posted their goodbyes.

The sitcom centers on Will Cooper (Taran Killam), a single father in his 30s, who is sorely in need of a life apart from raising his daughter, Sophie (Marlow Barkley). When the other parents around him realize how far out of touch he is with his own identity, they team up to help him come into his own. The cast also includes Leighton Meester, Kimrie Lewis, Jake Choi, Tyler Wladis, Devin Trey Campbell, Mia Allan, Ella Allan, and Brad Garrett.

Read More…...

It was a bloody Thursday for ABC.

The network renewed a bunch of shows, and canceled some more on Thursday.

Among those cancellations were comedies Single Parents and Bless This Mess, and the co-creator of both shows took to Instagram with her comments on the matter.

“Two shows canceled in one day? I get the message, ABC! This is my broadcast Red Wedding,” Liz Meriwether said on the social media site, sharing photos of her with Bless This Mess co-creator and star Lake Bell, as well as other members of the series’ cast.

“But seriously, folks, thank you so much for watching these shows,” added Meriwether.

“We loved making them. We loved writing them. I feel so grateful to have been given the chance to work with so many incredible people. Thank you, thank you.”

Leading out of The Conners, ABC’s top comedy, Bless This Mess averaged a 0.67 demo rating and 3.6 million total viewers,...

Are the kids more mature than the parents on the second season of ABCs Single Parents TV show? As we all know, the Nielsen ratings typically play a big role in determining whether a TV show like Single Parents is cancelled or renewed for season three. Unfortunately, most of us do not live in Nielsen households. Because many viewers feel frustration when their viewing habits and opinions aren't considered, we invite you to rate all of the second season episodes of Single Parents for us here. Status update below.

An ABC ensemble comedy series, Single Parents stars Taran Killam, Leighton Meester, Kimrie Lewis, Jake Choi, Marlow Barkley, Tyler Wladis, Devin Trey Campbell, Mia Allan, Ella Allan, and Brad Garrett. The show revolves around a group of single parents of seven-year-old kids. They lean on each other as they try to be good parents...

Last season, Single Parents was renewed while The Kids Are Alright, another newbie ABC sitcom with similar ratings, was cancelled. The ABC execs are surely hoping that Single Parents' rating will improve this time around but, will they? Will ABC's gamble pay off? Will Single Parents be cancelled or renewed for season three? Stay tuned. Status update below.

An ensemble comedy series, Single Parents stars Taran Killam, Leighton Meester, Kimrie Lewis, Jake Choi, Marlow Barkley, Tyler Wladis, Devin Trey Campbell, Mia Allan, Ella Allan, and Brad Garrett. The show revolves around a group of single parents of seven-year-old kids. They lean on each other as they try to be good parents and maintain some sort of personal life at the same time. Will Cooper (Killam) has been so focused on raising his daughter that he's lost sight of who he is as a man. He is...

The saga of Single Parents won't continue. ABC just revealed they've cancelled the comedy series so it won't be back for the 2020-21 season.

The Single Parents sitcom centers on Will Cooper (Taran Killam), a single father in his 30s, who is sorely in need of a life apart from raising his daughter, Sophie (Marlow Barkley). When the other parents around him realize how far out of touch he is with his own identity, they team up to help him come into his own. The cast also includes Leighton Meester, Kimrie Lewis, Jake Choi, Tyler Wladis, Devin Trey Campbell, Mia Allan, Ella Allan, and Brad Garrett.

Read More…...

ABC has canceled freshman drama Emergence and sophomore comedies Bless This Mess, Single Parents and Schooled as well as the new Kids Say The Darndest Things revival with Tiffany Haddish.

This cancelations are part of a big round of renewal decisions at the Disney-owned network today, which included the pickup of 13 current series for its 2020-21 slate.

While the cancellation of Emergence was considered likely, bubble comedies Single Parents, Bless This Mess and The Goldbergs’ spinoff Schooled all getting the axe was surprising, especially given the auspices involved. Two other ABC bubble shows, freshmen For Life and The Baker and the Beauty, remain in limbo.

The coronavirus pandemic grounding Hollywood production and throwing the 2020 pilot season into chaos was expected to benefit bubble series. While ABC has only ordered two new shows straight-to-series, Big Sky, from David E. Kelley and Call Your Mother, from Kari Lizer, the network, possibly encouraged...

The days of scheduling playdates are over for ABC’s Single Parents: The sitcom has been cancelled after two seasons, TVLine has learned.

Single Parents this season averaged a 0.6 demo rating and 2.6 million total viewers (in Live+Same Day numbers), down 32 and 24 percent from its freshman run. Out of the 10 sitcoms ABC aired this TV season, it ranked No. 7 in the demo and ninth in audience (besting only Fresh Off the Boat’s farewell voyage).

More from TVLineSingle Parents and Bless This Mess Co-Creator Reacts to Double Cancellation: 'This Is My Red Wedding!'ABC Renews 13 Additional Series, Including The Rookie and Stumptown -- Plus,...

Exclusive: As film festivals postpone and cancel across the country due to the coronavirus pandemic, independent films have taken a hit — but Seed&Spark has stepped into action to help by launching a platform specifically built for online festivals. On top of that, they will partner with an all-star roster of actors, filmmakers and celebrities have signed on to support the initiative.

Seed&Spark has shed light on improving equity and inclusion in entertainment for the last 8 years. The new online screening platform is an effort to help save 2020 film festivals as the indie films try to figure out what to do with their projects as a result of the numerous cancellation

More from DeadlineSet To Open L.A.'s Jewish Film Festival, The Documentary 'Carl Laemmle' Recalls Some Grand Humanity'Cemetery Tales: A Tale of Two Sisters' Found Life Thanks To George A. RomeroFarewell To Arms At A Changing Toronto...

Exclusive: The fourth and final season of Kit Williamson’s Emmy-nominated Lgbtq series Eastsiders will be available on Netflix on December 1.

Thanks to a Kickstarter campaign that raised over $140,000 from fans, Eastsiders, a co-production with Wolfe Video, will be back with a fourth season that picks up with the Silver Lake gang one year later. Executive produced by Williamson and his husband John Halbach, who also star, the six-episode Season 4 tackles heavy, adult-world questions like how do two human beings make love last? What does commitment really look like in a long-term relationship? And what unique challenges does a “gay marriage” present?

Cal (Williamson) and Thom (Van Hansis) are back home from Season 3’s cross-country road trip, still a couple but wondering if they are really just best friends with benefits. Douglas (Willam Belli) and Quincy (Stephen Guarino) are engaged to be married, but with very different ideas about what a gay wedding should be.

Vulture Watch

Can the PTA be funny?  Has the Single Parents TV show been cancelled or renewed for a third season on ABC? The television vulture is watching all the latest cancellation and renewal news, so this page is the place to track the status of Single Parents, season three. Bookmark it, or subscribe for the latest updates. Remember, the television vulture is watching your shows. Are you?  

What's This TV Show About?

Airing on the ABC television network, Single Parents stars Taran Killam, Leighton Meester, Kimrie Lewis, Jake Choi, Marlow Barkley, Tyler Wladis, Devin Trey Campbell, Mia Allan, Ella Allan, and Brad Garrett. The show revolves around a group of single parents of seven-year-old kids. They lean on each other as they try to be good parents and maintain some sort of personal life at the same time. Will Cooper...

"My beautiful daughter. You're the only thing I have in this world." Oscilloscope Labs has debuted the first official trailer for an indie set in Koreatown, Los Angeles titled Ms. Purple, the latest film from acclaimed Korean-American filmmaker Justin Chon (of the films Man Up and Gook before this). This premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, and it also won the Grand Jury Prize at the Dallas Film Festival this spring. Ms. Purple stars Tiffany Chu as Kasie, a young woman who works a deadend job as a karaoke hostess in Koreatown. She reconnects with her estranged brother Carey in the final days of their father's life, struggling to make ends meet. The small cast includes Teddy Lee, Octavio Pizano, James Kang, and Jake Choi. An intimate character study about taking care of family and how tough life can be. Have a look. Here's the first official...

Now in its 37th year, Outfest serves up an inclusive and intersectional slate of programming, two-thirds of which includes content directed by women, people of color and trans filmmakers. The fest, which will be held July 18-28 in Los Angeles, will open with Rachel Mason’s documentary Circus of Books which spotlights L.A.’s iconic brick-and-mortar gay erotica emporium and bookstore. Sundance favorite Before You Know It directed, co-written and starring Hannah Pearl Utt, as well as Judith Light, Alec Baldwin and Mandy Patinkin, will serve as the festival’s closing night film.

The fest will have films from 33 countries and in 26 languages and will include appearances from Kathy Griffin, RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars winner Trixie Mattel, Pose actress Angelica Ross, horror icon Robert Englund, musician and actor Sam Harris and others.

“As my tenure comes to an end I am most proud of Outfest’s increased...

Exclusive: Sujata Day from HBO’s Insecure is set to make her directorial debut with Definition Please which will star Ritesh Rajan and Jake Choi. Day wrote the script and will produce alongside Cameron Fife of June Street Productions. Gook and Ms. Purple‘s Justin Chon and Alex Chi will serve as consulting producers. Executive producers are Ahmad Cory Jubran and Hiren C. Surti.

Definition Please, which is written by Day, follows a Scripps Spelling Bee champion that must reconcile with her estranged brother when he returns home to help care for their sick mother. “Definition Please is loosely based on my relationship with my family and growing up Indian-American in my hometown of Greensburg, Pennsylvania,” Day told Deadline. “Instead of waiting for the powers that be to greenlight my film, I greenlit it myself.

Ah, the Spring, when hearts turn to love. But is there room for romance at the multiplex, with a certain Mr. Wick taking out a near-endless platoon of assassins just a couple screens down, next to naughty R-rated romp? Well, the studios seem to think so, especially since this is based on a popular “young adult” novel (The Fault In Our Stars certainly did well five summers ago). Unlike that flick, there’s no “grim reaper” lurking about as he did a couple of months past in Five Feet Apart, though, as we find out, there is a clock “ticking down” on our two incredibly photogenic TV star young lovers. Oh, and one half of the pair is an aspiring college astronomy major, which is why she gets to state the title The Sun Is Also A Star.

After she narrates a post-title collage about humanity and her own past,...

The Sun Is Also a Star is the film adaptation of Nicola Yoon's bestselling romance novel. Two high school seniors from different ethnic backgrounds fall madly in love during a magical day in New York City. It's a hokey premise that surprisingly grew on me. Young adult romances tend to lack sophistication on the big screen. The lead characters here actually have depth and just the right amount of chemistry to warm your heart. Their attraction makes up for some of the sillier style choices by the director.

Yara Shahidi stars as Natasha Kingsley, a Jamaican born girl that grew up in Brooklyn. A practical thinker, she eschews the fantastical or immeasurable. Yara loves astronomy. Anything that exists must be measurable by the scientific method. Her family is facing an immediate crisis. Illegal immigrants, they are going to be deported in twenty-four hours. She embarks on a last ditch...

“I thought it would take me a lifetime to understand the human heart,” says Natasha Kingsley (Yara Shahidi), a montage of New York City playing underneath her voiceover. “All it took was a single day.” Given the placement of that line of dialogue, this means it takes roughly three minutes for someone watching The Sun Is Also a Star, the adaptation of Nicola Yoon’s 2016 Ya novel, to roll their eyes. This is the first time you’ll find yourself rotating those orbs a full 360-degrees in exasperation, and given...

Ask Natasha Kingston (Yara Shahidi) who she adores, and she’ll answer astronomer Carl Sagan, whose presence hovers like Cupid over Ry Russo-Young’s winsome and intelligent teen romance “The Sun Is Also a Star,” based on the bestselling Ya novel by Nicola Yoon. Like Sagan, Natasha is rational and trusts only in the scientific method. Love, she insists, is “legit dead-ass not real” — or at least, it’s not provable — until Natasha cosmically collides with moony high schooler Daniel Bae (Charles Melton) when her baseball jacket embroidered “Deus Ex Machina” catches the would-be poet’s attention.

Alas, tomorrow, Ins is scheduled to deport Natasha, an undocumented Jamaican. Between appointments with her immigration lawyer (John Leguizamo), the strangers have one day to wander the city debating their destiny, during which Daniel takes his cues from the New York Times’ viral 2015 Modern Love column “To Fall in Love With Anyone, Do This.

The premiere of The Sun Is Also a Star brought the casts of Riverdale, Grown-ish and Black-ish to the blue carpet in support of the film's cast — including Charles Melton, Yara Shahidi and Jake Choi. Director Ry Russo-Young joined them along with Nicola Yoon, the author who wrote the young-adult, immigrant romance that led to the movie.

"Having a young-adult romance that centers on stories of immigration is really important because it's our reality," Shahidi told The Hollywood Reporter on the carpet, which stretched down a long pathway surrounding the front of Pacific Theatres at The Grove. "...

The premiere of The Sun Is Also a Star brought the casts of Riverdale, Grown-ish and Black-ish to the blue carpet in support of the film's cast — including Charles Melton, Yara Shahidi and Jake Choi. Director Ry Russo-Young joined them along with Nicola Yoon, the author who wrote the young-adult, immigrant romance that led to the movie.

"Having a young-adult romance that centers on stories of immigration is really important because it's our reality," Shahidi told The Hollywood Reporter on the carpet, which stretched down a long pathway surrounding the front of Pacific Theatres at The Grove. "...

Since The Middle ended last spring with nine seasons, Modern Family and The Goldbergs are growing long in the tooth, and the cancelled Roseanne comeback has been retooled as The Conners spin-off, ABC is in search of its next, big humorous hit. Enter the Single Parents TV show. Does it have the stuff to bring in viewers and earn big Nielsen ratings for the Alphabet Network? Will Single Parents be cancelled or renewed for season two? Stay tuned. *Status update below.

ABC sitcom, Single Parents stars Taran Killam, Leighton Meester, Kimrie Lewis, Jake Choi, Marlow Barkley, Tyler Wladis, Devin Trey Campbell, Mia Allan, Ella Allan, and Brad Garrett. The ensemble comedy centers on Will Cooper (Killam), a single father in his 30s, who is sorely in need of a life apart from raising his daughter, Sophie (Barkley). When the other parents realize how far out...

How do you like Will Cooper and the gang during the first season of the Single Parents TV show on ABC? As we all know, the Nielsen ratings typically play a big role in determining whether a TV show like Single Parents is cancelled or renewed for season two. Unfortunately, most of us do not live in Nielsen households. Because many viewers feel frustration when their viewing habits and opinions aren't considered, we'd like to offer you the chance to rate all of the Single Parents season one episodes here. *Status update below.

An ABC ensemble comedy, Single Parents stars Taran Killam, Leighton Meester, Kimrie Lewis, Jake Choi, Marlow Barkley, Tyler Wladis, Devin Trey Campbell, Mia Allan, Ella Allan, and Brad Garrett. The sitcom centers on Will Cooper (Killam), a single father in his 30s, who is sorely in need of a life apart from...

ABC wants to stay hitched with Single Parents. The alphabet network has renewed the freshman sitcom and season two will air as part of the 2019-20 television season.

An ensemble comedy, Single Parents stars Taran Killam, Leighton Meester, Kimrie Lewis, Jake Choi, Marlow Barkley, Tyler Wladis, Devin Trey Campbell, Mia Allan, Ella Allan, and Brad Garrett. The sitcom centers on Will Cooper (Killam), a single father in his 30s, who is sorely in need of a life apart from raising his daughter, Sophie (Barkley). When the other parents realize how far out of touch he is with his own identity, they team up to help him come into his own. Read More…...