News: Spring Edition

[jitterbug13]

Queen Latifah has struck a major deal with Focus Features and Rogue Pictures to develop multiple films under her Flavor Unit Entertainment banner.

First flick up is 'Welfare Queen,' a fact-based story of a woman who scammed the public assistance system. The film will be written by Abdul Williams and co-produced with Tracey Edmonds' Edmonds Entertainment. Latifah, born Dana Owens, is set to star.

Edmonds produced films such as 'Soul Food' and 'Light It Up,' and currently helms reality shows for BET, 'Countdown to Lockdown' and 'College Hill,' respectively.

Latifah's 17-year old Jersey City, N.J. based entertainment company's credits include 'Bringing Down the House,' 'The Cookout,' and last year's 'Beauty Shop.' The slasher flick 'Horror in the Hamptons,' scripted by Alex Mirkin, is included under the new deal with Focus. 'Reality Sucks,' described as a spoof of the reality show genre, is also included into the deal.

"We get our hands on a lot of material we can do well, and our dream is to work up to producing three movies a year," Latifah said in an interview. "This is the first major deal we've signed with a studio and we did it because we felt confident."

The Grammy Award winning music star made her major film debut in Spike Lee's 1991 'Jungle Fever,' and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2002 for her role in 'Chicago.' Latifah, who will next star in 'Stranger Than Fiction' alongside Dustin Hoffman, Will Farrell and Emma Thompson, will begin shooting the movie adaptation of the Broadway musical 'Hairspray' in the coming weeks. In January, the romantic comedy 'Last Holiday' bowed. Her voice is currently heard in 'Ice Age: The Meltdown.'

[jitterbug13]

I heard Flo today and she said Berine Mac has accuired the rights to redo "Claudine" and will have Halle in the lead role.

Please discuss.

[Neosoulchild]

Originally posted by jitterbug13
First flick up is 'Welfare Queen,' a fact-based story of a woman who scammed the public assistance system. The film will be written by Abdul Williams and co-produced with Tracey Edmonds' Edmonds Entertainment. Latifah, born Dana Owens, is set to star.

I'm sorry but the Queen needs to sit down somewhere. Aren't there more "fact-based" stories that show us in a positive light that she can make a movie about?

[Munchkin03]

Originally posted by jitterbug13
Latifah, who will next star in 'Stranger Than Fiction' alongside Dustin Hoffman, Will Farrell and Emma Thompson, will begin shooting the movie adaptation of the Broadway musical 'Hairspray' in the coming weeks.

Ummm...why are they making another movie adaptation of "Hairspray"?

[teena]

Originally posted by jitterbug13
I heard Flo today and she said Berine Mac has accuired the rights to redo "Claudine" and will have Halle in the lead role.

Please discuss.

Who and what is Claudine?

[txdiva]

Originally posted by jitterbug13
I heard Flo today and she said Berine Mac has accuired the rights to redo "Claudine" and will have Halle in the lead role.

Please discuss.

Some movies need to be left well enough alone.

Halle as Claudine? I just don't see it!

[jitterbug13]

Originally posted by teena
Who and what is Claudine?

Claudine is a movie from the '70s with Dianne(sp) Carroll and James Earl Jones.

RD, I agree with you on the Welfare Queen movie. And I agree with Munchkin03 on the remaking on Hairspray. The verson with Ricki Lake was good!

[soulfulremix]

Originally posted by txdiva
Some movies need to be left well enough alone.

Halle as Claudine? I just don't see it!

I don't see it either. People need to leave well enough A-L-O-N-E!

[ljkelly]

Originally posted by soulfulremix
I don't see it either. People need to leave well enough A-L-O-N-E!

I am telling you! How about something O-R-I-G-I-N-A-L!?! If I see another remake of a remake I am going to scream!

[1browngirl]

Originally posted by jitterbug13
I heard Flo today and she said Berine Mac has accuired the rights to redo "Claudine" and will have Halle in the lead role.

Please discuss.

Oh no! They just need to leave well enough alone ... Halle (IMO) is not that great of an actress.

[UrbanizdSkillz]

Originally posted by 1browngirl
Oh no! They just need to leave well enough alone ... Halle (IMO) is not that great of an actress.

Get that said.

[NUPE4LIFE]

'Babyface' Files Suit Vs. Anita Baker

Fri Apr 14, 7:00 PM ET


Grammy-winning singer-producer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds has filed a breach of contract lawsuit against singer Anita Baker, claiming she owes him more than $250,000.

According to the lawsuit, filed Thursday in Superior Court, Baker broke two oral agreements with Edmonds, who co-wrote, produced and performed on the song "Like You Used to Do" on Baker's 2004 album "My Everything."

The lawsuit claims Baker refused to pay Edmonds producer's royalties equaling at least $100,000 from an estimated more than 500,000 albums sold.

Edmonds, 47, also alleges that he and Baker had an agreement to play four concerts together, but that Baker canceled two shows and refused to pay $150,000 for those dates.

"Artists are used to working with producers, making the albums and doing the paperwork later ... It's always an oral agreement in this business," Edmonds' attorney Howard King said Friday.



Spokesman Cem Kurosman from Baker's label, Blue Note, declined to comment Friday, saying the label had no knowledge of the lawsuit.

Edmonds has written hits for a number of R&B stars, including Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige and Bobby Brown.

[UrbanizdSkillz]

Somebody gotta recoup some money from a certain divorce settlement...

[jitterbug13]

^^^^^
I was thinking the same thing!!!!

[kiml122]

Originally posted by UrbanizdSkillz
Somebody gotta recoup some money from a certain divorce settlement...

And you know this is what one of the radio stations was saying this morning.