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Recently, BGN had the opportunity to sit down and have a Zoom interview with Mrs. Pauletta Washington from the legal drama: Reasonable Doubt. This hit series is brought to viewers by Hulu’s Onyx Collective, a dynamic all-Black writers’ room, showrunner Raamla Mohamed, and Executive Producer Kerry Washington.
Reasonable Doubt is the new fan fave. Everyone’s talking about it, and you, Miss Mama Lu! [Laughs] With her all-knowing side-eye, and nosy questions, fans absolutely love her.
[Laughs] YES, YES, YES, YES! I love that you caught the side eyes!
Of course! Your character is so relatable and enthralls the viewer. The show spotlights legal attorneys in a way we haven’t seen before, especially within our community. To watch high power attorney Jax Stewart, the central character, through her journey–who she is in the workroom and outside of it — is intriguing!
The writing, first of all, is top-notch. t’s not cliche. It’s authentic, thoughtful and thought-provoking! The conversations that are written are ones that most of us have had or have been privy to hearing, you know?
Regardless of whether we’ve been involved, that makes for an amazing experience for the actor! We really have an amazing cast. So it’s one of the best experiences I’ve had, and Raamla is beyond herself. She’s amazing — I love her!
That’s good to hear because what people pick up from the first episode is authenticity. What we love about your character, Mama Lu, who plays the mother of Jax, is that we met her before. Not just on screen, but she often mirrors people in our own lives!
She does, and on top of that, this is her only child!
Sometimes who our parents are can be a reflection of ourselves. That’s important in our community regarding what we keep and take away because we want to have our own identity. As we see with Jax, her personal life constantly clashes with her professional career.
Constantly!
And as a mother, you’re quick to remind her: “Hey! You’ve got to be a mom. You have to be a wife.” These moments come from a deep place of love and a mother’s innate desire to ensure that her child is safe and okay, even if it’s a little annoying. [Laughs] Have you found any parallels between Mama Lu and yourself?
Oh, for sure! Not only myself, but my mother, my grandmother, my aunties, and several women who were in the village of my growing up influenced me. I mean there are so many people I am drawing from, which is one of the reasons I was so excited about doing it because there are so many others!
She’s a complex woman, and as you will see and see more, I think last week’s episode revealed a little more. Being the matriarch of the family so far is quite a responsibility, and she takes it seriously.
Also, she’s not short of reminding Jax how long she’s been a paralegal for all these many years, right? So many times that Jax even knows what’s coming up! [Laughs] Also, her desire is to keep the family together, so I have my family — my mom and dad worked together the whole time. You know I tried to find out where divorce happened in my family, and it was generations and generations ago, but I had friends whose families experienced being divorced or separated.
So then I could see whether that influence was good or bad. For some of the people whose parents separated, it was a good thing for the child. The tension in the home was so extraordinary that it made for a dire situation — although the results later flourished as they got older. So, it’s interesting, dynamic, and gives a whole lot of background to study and draw from as an actor.
The show reflects how uncommon it is to be transparent in discussing sensitive issues such as divorce and the ripple effect it may have generations from now. In the series, we see that’s still something that Jax struggles with day to day — which is why Mama Lu is quick to remind her to keep the family foundation together. With that in mind, what do you hope the Black community gains from the show’s messaging?
I want us to remain unified within the family and then within the community. Because as we see, it takes the village, it really does! This is about the village and where it starts, which is in the family, you know? Keeping communication is a big factor in this in Reasonable Doubt, both for Jax in her career and personal life. I think that’s the key!
Agreed! Lastly, as we mentioned earlier — there’s an authenticity that the show delivers, but even more importantly, complexity!
Absolutely, there is!
As viewers watch this series, one’s mind changes every few seconds because there’s always more than meets the eye! [Laughs] The show is doing so well because it goes beyond the surface level of human desire and explores how complex we are as humans.
From your perspective, what are you hoping viewers take away from this series? As we grow older, we keep thinking that we’ll have life figured out, but that couldn’t be any further from the truth! So, what are some lessons that audiences can learn from the show?
If someone is observing this show, they stay open to rolling with the punches! We, as a community, do that. Hopefully, this show will keep us in that realm. We are now exposed to so many things because of the internet and our access to knowledge. Not all knowledge is not wisdom!
If we continue to stay within our strengths as a people and as a community and keep tapping into that. You know, do not get distracted by all the craziness. I think that Reasonable Doubt shows that because it really does! Through every character, we see that.
Keep your eyes on the prize, folks!
[Laughs] Yes, keep our eyes on the prize and continue to embrace each other!
Reasonable Doubt streams Tuesdays on Hulu. Did you catch this week’s season finale? Let us know your thoughts on Twitter @BlackGirlNerds!
Recently, BGN had the opportunity to sit down and have a Zoom interview with Mrs. Pauletta Washington from the legal drama: Reasonable Doubt. This hit series is brought to viewers by Hulu’s Onyx Collective, a dynamic all-Black writers’ room, showrunner Raamla Mohamed, and Executive Producer Kerry Washington.
Reasonable Doubt is the new fan fave. Everyone’s talking about it, and you, Miss Mama Lu! [Laughs] With her all-knowing side-eye, and nosy questions, fans absolutely love her.
[Laughs] YES, YES, YES, YES! I love that you caught the side eyes!Of course! Your character is so relatable and enthralls the viewer. The show spotlights legal attorneys in a way we haven’t seen before, especially within our community. To watch high power attorney Jax Stewart, the central character, through her journey–who she is in the workroom and outside of it — is intriguing!
The writing, first of all, is top-notch. t’s not cliche. It’s authentic, thoughtful and thought-provoking! The conversations that are written are ones that most of us have had or have been privy to hearing, you know?
Regardless of whether we’ve been involved, that makes for an amazing experience for the actor! We really have an amazing cast. So it’s one of the best experiences I’ve had, and Raamla is beyond herself. She’s amazing — I love her!
That’s good to hear because what people pick up from the first episode is authenticity. What we love about your character, Mama Lu, who plays the mother of Jax, is that we met her before. Not just on screen, but she often mirrors people in our own lives!
She does, and on top of that, this is her only child!
Sometimes who our parents are can be a reflection of ourselves. That’s important in our community regarding what we keep and take away because we want to have our own identity. As we see with Jax, her personal life constantly clashes with her professional career.
Constantly!
And as a mother, you’re quick to remind her: “Hey! You’ve got to be a mom. You have to be a wife.” These moments come from a deep place of love and a mother’s innate desire to ensure that her child is safe and okay, even if it’s a little annoying. [Laughs] Have you found any parallels between Mama Lu and yourself?
Oh, for sure! Not only myself, but my mother, my grandmother, my aunties, and several women who were in the village of my growing up influenced me. I mean there are so many people I am drawing from, which is one of the reasons I was so excited about doing it because there are so many others!
She’s a complex woman, and as you will see and see more, I think last week’s episode revealed a little more. Being the matriarch of the family so far is quite a responsibility, and she takes it seriously.
Also, she’s not short of reminding Jax how long she’s been a paralegal for all these many years, right? So many times that Jax even knows what’s coming up! [Laughs] Also, her desire is to keep the family together, so I have my family — my mom and dad worked together the whole time. You know I tried to find out where divorce happened in my family, and it was generations and generations ago, but I had friends whose families experienced being divorced or separated.
So then I could see whether that influence was good or bad. For some of the people whose parents separated, it was a good thing for the child. The tension in the home was so extraordinary that it made for a dire situation — although the results later flourished as they got older. So, it’s interesting, dynamic, and gives a whole lot of background to study and draw from as an actor.
The show reflects how uncommon it is to be transparent in discussing sensitive issues such as divorce and the ripple effect it may have generations from now. In the series, we see that’s still something that Jax struggles with day to day — which is why Mama Lu is quick to remind her to keep the family foundation together. With that in mind, what do you hope the Black community gains from the show’s messaging?
I want us to remain unified within the family and then within the community. Because as we see, it takes the village, it really does! This is about the village and where it starts, which is in the family, you know? Keeping communication is a big factor in this in Reasonable Doubt, both for Jax in her career and personal life. I think that’s the key!
Agreed! Lastly, as we mentioned earlier — there’s an authenticity that the show delivers, but even more importantly, complexity!
Absolutely, there is!
As viewers watch this series, one’s mind changes every few seconds because there’s always more than meets the eye! [Laughs] The show is doing so well because it goes beyond the surface level of human desire and explores how complex we are as humans.
From your perspective, what are you hoping viewers take away from this series? As we grow older, we keep thinking that we’ll have life figured out, but that couldn’t be any further from the truth! So, what are some lessons that audiences can learn from the show?
If someone is observing this show, they stay open to rolling with the punches! We, as a community, do that. Hopefully, this show will keep us in that realm. We are now exposed to so many things because of the internet and our access to knowledge. Not all knowledge is not wisdom!
If we continue to stay within our strengths as a people and as a community and keep tapping into that. You know, do not get distracted by all the craziness. I think that Reasonable Doubt shows that because it really does! Through every character, we see that.
Keep your eyes on the prize, folks!
[Laughs] Yes, keep our eyes on the prize and continue to embrace each other!Reasonable Doubt streams Tuesdays on Hulu. Did you catch this week’s season finale? Let us know your thoughts on Twitter @BlackGirlNerds!
By day, he’s a mild-mannered archaeology professor with longstanding daddy issues. By night—and, actually, also plenty of daylight hours—he’s a jet-setting, whip-wielding adventurer with a yen for preservation. He, of course, is Henry Jones, Jr., a.k.a. Indiana (after the dog). And he’s gearing up for a fifth cinematic adventure, more than 40 years after his first.
Finally, we have our first official look at Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones from this upcoming movie.
Director James Mangold also shares of Indiana Jones 5 as a whole:
It became really important to me to figure out how to make this a movie about a hero at sunset. The issues I brought up about Indy’s age were not things I thought were being addressed in the material being developed at the time. There were ‘old’ jokes, but the material itself wasn’t about it. To me, whatever you greatest liability, you should fly straight towards that. If you try to pretend it’s not there, you end up getting slings and arrows the whole way.
Inspired by the film, the subscriber cover for Empire’s Indiana Jones 5 issue finds Indy in 1960s-era New York City, bathed in golden light, whip in hand. Illustrated exclusively for Empire by Sam Hadley.
— Empire Magazine (@empiremagazine) November 18, 2022
READ MORE: https://t.co/LMIMWIF8CS pic.twitter.com/vdP0Y6HvxY
The look at the movie from Empire additionally teases the setting of the upcoming film. Looks like Indiana Jones is heading to… the big city? According to the publication, Indiana Jones 5 “finds Indy in 1960s-era New York City, bathed in golden light, whip in hand.” We guess we will have to wait and see what that means for our favorite adventurer.
Paramount Pictures
Title
For now, we only know the film as Indiana Jones 5.
Indiana Jones 5‘s Plot
We have no word yet on the where, when, or what of Indiana Jones’ next adventure. But given that it (presumably) takes place 15 or so years after Crystal Skull, that lands us in the early 1970s. We wonder how Indy will take to the times…
Behind the Scenes
The prospect of a fifth Indiana Jones movie has been underway, formally or otherwise, since shortly after the fourth film. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull released in 2008; middling reception notwithstanding, Steven Spielberg maintained the intention to carry forth with another story.
Given Harrison Ford’s alleged skepticism about the project, early rumblings suggested the graduation of Shia LaBeouf to the starring role; LaBeouf had portrayed sidekick Mutt in Crystal Skull. For one reason or another—or both, or all, or every conceivable—that idea died out before long.
Further development stalled up through Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012. Another three years passed before Kathleen Kennedy confirmed development on Indy 5, just shy of The Force Awakens’ release. (And overwhelming box office success.) Lucasfilm originally scheduled the movie for a 2019 release. However, further shakeups behind the scenes preempted that plan…
The first big switcheroo involved replacing original screenwriter David Koepp. Koepp was enlisted for the script after writing Crystal Skull. In 2018, Koepp left the project and the team brought in Jonathan Kasdan, son of Lawrence Kasdan and co-writer of that year’s Solo: A Star Wars Story. However, Kasdan’s draft was eschewed in favor of a new turn by Dan Fogelman.
Paramount Pictures
Most fans expected that Spielberg, director of every Indy film so far, would return to helm the fifth installment; in fact, it seemed as though Spielberg was considering the job for some time. However, in 2020, the still-unproduced movie fell into the hands of a different director: James Mangold.
At this point, the screenplay saw yet another change of hands. Mangold took the reins in this department alongside screenwriting partners and brothers Jez and John-Henry Butterworth. In a more harmonious fashion (in more ways than one), John Williams is returning to score the picture.
Indiana Jones 5‘s Cast
Early resistance notwithstanding, Harrison Ford ultimately signed on to revive the character of Indy proper. This time, he’d be joined by a slew of exciting costars. Topping the list: Fleabag creator and No Time to Die writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who costarred in the aforementioned Solo; and Mads Mikkelsen (per Deadline), ever the welcome entry in any anticipated project. Also on board (per The Hollywood Reporter): Narcos‘ Boyd Holbrook, and the MCU’s Shaunette Renée Wilson and Thomas Kretschmann. (She played a Dora Milaje; he played Baron von Strucker.) In the latest high-profile casting is Antonio Banderas, per Deadline. Like the others, his character is currently under wraps.
Amazon
Indiana Jones 5‘s Release Date
Indiana Jones 5 is set to arrive in theaters on June 30, 2023.
That's a wrap!!! #indianajones pic.twitter.com/pQRTw0oOXx
— Frank Marshall (@LeDoctor) February 27, 2022
Recently we learned that production on the movie had wrapped.
Featured Image: Sony Pictures Classics
Originally published on May 14, 2021.
The post INDIANA JONES 5 Reveals 1960s NYC Setting and First Look Image appeared first on Nerdist.
Netflix done went and opened up the floodgates on some peak anime with Cyberpunk Edgerunners. Oh, is Edgerunners your first jump into the world of Cyberpunk? Then let me put you on to some of the source material and highlight some of the awesomeness of the franchise.
What Y’all Need to Know is…
The Cyberpunk transmedia universe, as we know it, is the most vast and most expansive gaming universe in known media. It spans roleplaying, board games, video games, and now animated mediums. On top of the many accolades and years of critical acclaim – the creator is a Black nerd legend: Mike Pondsmith. Yes, a Black man is responsible for designing and developing this sprawling piece of prophetic media. So when you watch a series like Edgerunners and see a brown-skinned protagonist, know it was with an intention beyond the well-meaning of some executives working out how to deal with their white guilt.
I say that to say this: the impact of Pondsmith’s work in shaping the way we see the future, dystopian or otherwise, includes and introduces Black and Brown people to a vision of that future. Although he doesn’t center any one kind of person, there is something profound in having a Black creative design a future that imagines us in it. So much so, that despite the many many glitches in the Cyberpunk 2077 video game, folks are still investing in the richness of a world that focuses on the juxtaposition of ‘lowlife and high tech’.
Style Inside of the Substance
Cyberpunk Edgerunners is all killer, no filler right out the gate. Audiences are dropped headfirst into a world built with decades of lore. In all honesty, if you are not familiar with the Cyberpunk universe, it can take an episode or two to really engage. There is an entire culture in this fictional world, a look, a feel, and even a language unto itself. Once you’re absorbed in it, you’ll feel like you were born into Night City (molded by it), the mega-metropolis where Red and 2077 take place. This thing starts with the blood, sex, violence, and economic disparity synonymous with the franchise and doesn’t let up the entire ten episodes.
Of the many ways Edgerunners impresses, the use of visual symbolism is by far the most impressive. Not only does the series look pretty, but it uses the raw greed of a corporate economy as the driving force for the ‘end of the world’ and the only thing that survives that ‘ending’ is scary. Because bio-modding (adding tech to one’s body) aka ‘chroming’ is the way of the world, a brilliant character development tool is allowing those mods to be an extension of who the character is. While you are watching the show, characters you never meet have an entire backstory and exposition indicated by just their mods. That kind of coding makes for a colorful and detailed world and Edgerunners delivers on that.
Animation on Edgerunners is absolutely S-tier. There are few anime on Netflix that can even compare with the work on this, let alone compete. Studio Trigger Director and animator Hiroyuki Imaishi dipped put his blood in the pen and put numbers on the board in his past works. Maybe you’ve heard of Kill La Kill and Gurren Lagann? Yeah, he’s that guy. Suffice it to say, not only does the animation look as fluid as water rolling off a waterproof jacket, but the action is frenetic and blurs the line between real physics and the imagined. The fights are easy to follow and do as much to tell the story as the dialogue.
Break the Rules (of Representation)
If it wasn’t enough to have this world created by a Black man, to have the main character in Edgerunners be a Black Latinx homie from a part of town called Santo Domingo had me at hello. David Martinez got put through the wringer of denizenship in Night City. If David had been in NYC instead of California, he’d have a secret dap with Miles Morales on the way to the bodega to get some Takis. It absolutely breaks the mold of representation by having this character upfront and seeing this world through the lens of their experience. Even more so to have David surrounded by a supporting cast of deeply nuanced and highly capable women.
In many visions of the dystopian cyberpunk future, women and people of color are so often left to the margins and/or made into caricatures (I ain’t never forgetting Benny from Total Recall). In Edgerunners there is so much attention to detail with regard to representation that it all feels very authentic. Forced representation is what we now call ‘diversity’ – if it has to be forced, then it was never in your imagination. Being able to imagine Black people in the future is what Afrofuturism is steeped in. Pondsmith redefines a genre he played a huge part in shaping by taking such care to keep non-white and female characters in the foreground.
Attitude is Everything
Ladies, gentlemen, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming folks: Edgerunners was dope. It hit. The series was so impressive that player interaction on the Cyberpunk 2077 video game hit seventy-thousand concurrent players after it dropped. For those that don’t know what that means, the anime-inspired people to play the video game again with the same numbers as when the game first launched…In 2020! So yeah, the series left its mark on the franchise. Furthermore, CD Projekt Red went and added aspects of Edgerunners to the game. There ain’t a show out there that can say that. Edgerunners really came with the goods and showed out with a knockout blast of an anime series that pushes the envelope for what transmedia narratives can do. Not to mention the critical acclaim of a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score. That it all was born from a Black mind is the icing on a very engaging and genre-defining cake. The entire first season of Cyberpunk Edgerunners is available on Netflix. If you’re into either Cyberpunk or anime, check that out.
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The post Cyberpunk Edgerunners Bringing Black Visibility to the Anime Party appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
Rick Riordan released the first book in his Percy Jackson and the Olympians fantasy series in 2005. The five-book fantasy novel series focuses on Percy Jackson, a young demigod. He learns about his special history and then gets thrown into stopping the Titans from destroying everything. We did get movie adaptations of the first two books in 2010, but they were not well received. (Rick Riordan himself wasn’t a big fan). But now, Percy Jackson gets another chance at an on-screen adaptation, this time on Disney+.
The Percy Jackson series has a spectacular cast, including the recently announced Lin-Manuel Miranda in a guest-starring role as the god Hermes.
Here’s everything we know about the Percy Jackson and the Olympians TV series.
Title
This adaptation of Rick Riordan’s book is called Percy Jackson and the Olympians. This matches the title of Riordan’s overall book series centered on Percy Jackson.
Percy Jackson and the Olympian‘s Plot
In a release, Disney+ shared that Percy Jackson and the Olympians…
…tells the fantastical story of a 12-year-old modern demigod, Percy Jackson, who’s just coming to terms with his newfound supernatural powers when the sky god Zeus accuses him of stealing his master lightning bolt. Now Percy must trek across America to find it and restore order to Olympus.
So, first season is focusing on the first book, The Lightning Thief. In the book, Percy discovers the truth about himself and his background: he’s a demigod. He goes to Camp Half-Blood for the first time and meets others like him. Then, he goes on a quest with his closest friends Annabeth and Grover. Percy must find a thief who stole Zeus’ master bolt, all while reckoning with the identity of his father (I’m not sharing who, because spoilers) and his new life.
Behind the Scenes
Rick Riordan and Jon Steinberg wrote the pilot for Percy Jackson and the Olympians. James Bobin is directing the pilot.
Steinberg will oversee the series with his producing partner Dan Shotz. Steinberg and Shotz serve as executive producers alongside Bobin, Rick Riordan, Rebecca Riordan, Bert Salke, Monica Owusu-Breen, Jim Rowe and Gotham Group’s Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Jeremy Bell, and D.J. Goldberg.
Season one of Percy Jackson and the Olympians will have eight episodes. Filming is underway.
Percy Jackson and the Olympian‘s Cast
The cast for the Percy Jackson series is age appropriate for the series, which is a good start. Walker Scobell (The Adam Project) plays Percy Jackson. Aryan Simhadri plays Grover Underwood and Leah Sava Jeffries plays Annabeth Chase.
We also have:
- Virginia Kull as Sally
- Glynn Turman as Mr. Brunner, a.k.a. Chiron
- Jason Mantzoukas as Mr D.
- Megan Mullally as Mrs. Dodds
- Timm Sharp as Gabe
- Adam Copeland as Ares
- Suzanne Cryer as Echidna
- Jessica Parker Kennedy as Medusa
- Lin-Manuel Miranda as Hermes
- Jay Duplass as Hades
- Timothy Omundson as Hephaestus
Percy Jackson and the Olympian‘s Release Date
The Percy Jackson series doesn’t have a release date yet, but Rick Riordan shared a guess in a blog post that has since been deleted. He thinks “the most likely air date will probably be early 2024.”
Originally published on August 3, 2022.
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