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Jennifer Hudson Makes a Big Move Back to the Big Screen

BuzzSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:30:38 -0800

I was a bit worried about what would become of Jennifer Hudson's film career when she followed up her tour de force performance in Dreamgirls with a role in Sex and the City, but it looks like the singer/actress is ready to sink her teeth into another juicy role. Hudson is set to play Winnie Mandela, Nelson's former wife, in the upcoming drama Winnie. The film is based on the Anne Marie du Preez Bezdrob biography Winnie Mandela: A Life and will be directed by Darrell J. Roodt.

We'll get a peek into Nelson Mandela's life in next month's release of Invictus, but I might be even more curious to learn about Winnie. After taking a hiatus to work on her music, I'm interested to see if Jennifer can carry such a big role - sounds to me like she may already have another Oscar on the brain.

Are you psyched to see Jennifer return to the big screen, or do you prefer her as a singer?

Buzz News Roundup, 3/25

BuzzSugar — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:30:49 -0700

Freida Pinto has joined the cast of Miral, written by The Diving Bell and the Butterfly's Julian Schnabel. - Variety
George Lopez will have a late-night talk show on TBS starting in the Fall. - AP
Speaking of late-night, Chelsea Handler has signed a deal to stay at E! through 2012. - The Hollywood Reporter
Kelly Clarkson is still topping the Billboard chart this week, and the Twilight soundtrack is back up to No. 3. - Billboard
Jon Hamm has joined the cast of Howl, the Allen Ginsberg biopic starring James Franco. - Variety
A crossover episode between Bones and Family Guy - yes, really - will air May 7. - TV Guide
Conflicts with Big Love have forced Amanda Seyfried to drop out of Zack Snyder's Sucker Punch. - Entertainment Weekly
Jennifer Hudson will perform after tonight's American Idol taping, with the performance to be broadcast at a later date.

- TV.com

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Buzz News Roundup, 1/14

BuzzSugar — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:34:20 -0800

The Times Square Virgin Megastore, which is the highest volume music store in the U.S., will shut down come April. - Billboard
A Steve McQueen biopic is in the works and will be based on Marshall Terrill's biography Steve McQueen: Portrait of an American Rebel. - Variety
Jennifer Hudson will sing the national anthem at the Super Bowl. - AP
Fringe and True Blood are the first two shows to be honored with spots at this year's Paley Television Festival. - TV Week
The first performers for the Grammys have been announced, including Lil Wayne, the Jonas Brothers, Coldplay, Kenny Chesney and Katy Perry. - Billboard
TNT has officially ordered Ray Romano's new series, Men of a Certain Age. - The Hollywood Reporter
The young adult novel Spanking Shakespeare will be adapted for the big screen. - ComingSoon
Legendary British TV star Patrick McGoohan has died at age 80. - LA Times

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The Secret Life of Bees: Just Sweet Enough

BuzzSugar — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 05:30:43 -0700

When I left my screening of The Secret Life of Bees I felt comforted and content, and it took me a while to understand why: This movie calls back to older, Southern-set, empowering movies like Steel Magnolias and Fried Green Tomatoes. Those films celebrate womanhood and the importance (and potency) of female friendship, all against the unique backdrop of the American South. The stories are beautiful and sentimental, with tragedy and heartache going hand-in-hand with love and humor. This is what The Secret life of Bees is like, while also including the tension of race relations in South Carolina in 1964 and a coming-of-age story. I've sometimes wondered mournfully if movies like these were no longer relevant or could not be made well in this day and age, so it is with relief that I report to you: They can, and have.

Dakota Fanning plays Lily, a 14-year-old girl in South Carolina whose mother died when she was young, leaving her in the care of an abusive father (Paul Bettany) and a kind housekeeper named Rosaleen (Jennifer Hudson). Lily decides to run away from her father and her small town, and she takes Rosaleen with her. Included in her mother's belongings, Lily has a piece of wood with an image of a black Mary holding a black infant Jesus and the name of a town written on the back. So, Lilly and Rosaleen head off for this town and discover that the image of Mary matches the labels on some locally-made honey. Further investigation brings them to a bright pink house where the honey is made. It's more than just a brightly-colored house, though, so read more.

The pink house is home to the Boatwright sisters: May (the magnificently endearing Sophie Okonedo), June (Alicia Keys) and August (Queen Latifah). The sisters take in Lily and Rosaleen, though the suspicious June doesn't think it's a good idea. In the peaceful Boatwright home, Lily learns the secrets to making honey - and secrets to her past. Lily also discovers the story behind the Boatwright sisters' attachment to the black Mary, and watches as the women pray to Mary and worship her. Of course, no place is a utopia (even a bright pink house), and trouble seems to follow Lilly wherever she goes. But in the end it's a sweet and soulful little movie with a strong message of hope.

From time to time the movie veers into some Hallmark-y schmaltz, but the issues of the times - discrimination, violence at the dawn of great change - temper any silliness. The setup (three black women with a successful business taking in a little white girl and her caretaker) is also bizarre enough within this time period to somehow negate the possible cheesiness.

Having read the book I had my own vision of this world and the movie is not far off from what I imagined. I was worried that the idea of a religion that worships Mary would come across as silly in the film, as opposed to powerful and comforting. To my relief, it all works fine onscreen. The beauty of this tradition and these women's beliefs is easily conveyed, and it rings as true as any sisterhood (thankfully without any screaming of "ya-ya!"). This truthfulness and comfort stayed with me long after the credits rolled.

Photos courtesy of Fox Searchlight

Movie Preview: The Secret Life of Bees

BuzzSugar — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 15:44:49 -0700

It's not every day that the film adaptation of a well-loved book appears to capture the same atmosphere and sentiments that the book does, but in my opinion, the trailer for The Secret Life of Bees looks like it might do just that. I loved the novel by Sue Monk Kidd; it was one of those books that left me feeling sad at the end because I had to part with characters I'd come to care about deeply.

The story follows 14-year-old Lily (Dakota Fanning) whose mother died, leaving Lily with an abusive father. Together with her caregiver Rosaleen (Jennifer Hudson), Lily runs away from her father, and the two wind up at a pink house and under the protection of four smart, strong, beekeeping sisters.

The trailer does seem to veer into sappiness a few times, but is just grounded enough to avoid looking like a Lifetime TV movie. Queen Latifah has a solid, maternal way about her in this role, which is refreshing, and it's really great to see Dakota Fanning playing an older character. Alicia Keys has a good presence onscreen, and I may be most excited to see Sophie Okonedo (who was nominated for an Oscar for her role in Hotel Rwanda), whom I find absolutely mesmerizing every time I see her in another movie.

The Secret Life of Bees opens October 17. To see what I'm talking about, read more.

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Movie Preview: Winged Creatures

BuzzSugar — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 06:30:53 -0700

I watched the trailer for Winged Creatures before I knew the full cast list. I already knew that it included Forrest Whitaker and Jennifer Hudson and was surprised to find a whole slew of other amazing actors involved, including Jackie Earle Haley, Guy Pearce, Kate Beckinsale, and Big Love's Jeanne Tripplehorn. In addition, there's Dakota Fanning as a real, live teenager - not a precocious little kid.

The plot reminds me a little bit of that ill-fated TV show The Nine (which probably should have just been a movie in the first place): "A group of strangers form a unique relationship with each other after surviving a random shooting at a Los Angeles diner."

The whole look and feel of the film is eerie, moving, and quite sad, not unlike the tone of Mystic River (but slightly less dark). There doesn't appear to be a release date yet for Winged Creatures, but I hope it comes out soon. To check out the trailer, read more.

Album Review: The Sex and the City Movie Soundtrack

BuzzSugar — Fri, 23 May 2008 16:30:00 -0700

I was lucky enough to take an advance spin of the new soundtrack for the Sex and the City movie and I immediately thought of good times with girlfriends. In aggregate, it's not entirely a get-up-and-shake-your-booty kind of mix, but just a cool bunch of songs about love and friendship. I think it would be quite perfect for the background music at a hip wedding shower actually.

The soundtrack is packed with a bunch of recognizable names, like Jennifer Hudson, whose tune "All Dressed in Love" is a cute, uptempo disco anthem that reminds me of the exuberance found in "It's Raining Men." Morningwood's (ha! That name!) "New York Girls" is not my favorite, and if I were in charge of finding a good retro-rock vibe for the album (or the movie) I would have gone with Franz Ferdinand or even the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. That and the smooth techno beats in "I Like the Way" by Kaskade are the kinds of tracks mixed between better songs that give the whole thing the "background music" vibe I'm talking about.

To check out who else is included and the rest of my thoughts, read more.

I love The Weepies' sweet little "All This Beauty," as well as the lovely and intimate cover of "How Deep Is Your Love" by The Bird & The Bee. And I'm always glad when Jem shows up on soundtracks, as she tends to do (The O.C., Six Feet Under) and her song "It's Amazing" fits right in with the rest. As does India Arie's cover of "Heart of the Matter" (featured in the trailer) which is a pleasant take on Don Henley's hit.

One song that sticks out like a sore thumb is Fergie's "Labels Or Love," which thankfully comes first so you can skip over it and not worry about it randomly rearing its ridiculous head in the middle of an otherwise great album. It's just a little too Fergalicious for my taste and makes me feel like I've accidentally wandered into an Abercrombie & Fitch store at the mall. Finally, there are some oldies but goodies in there that I thought were interesting, like the Run-D.M.C. and Areosmith duet "Walk This Way" and a nice Joss Stone-Al Green duet of the classic "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart" (uh-oh! Foreshadowing?).

The album will be released on May 27.

Buzz News Roundup, 4/11

BuzzSugar — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 13:30:45 -0700

Despite rumors that Universal Pictures did not want Rose McGowan to play Barbarella in an upcoming remake, she insists she's got the role and has the contracts to prove it, ComingSoon reports.
Adrien Brody is set to star in a thriller called Giallo about a search for a woman abducted by a serial killer named Yellow, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Heroes creator Tim Kring has signed on to co-write a book trilogy, USA Today reports.
Mariah Carey's having a good week as her single "Touch My Body" has scored a second week at No. 1, Billboard reports.

Neil Patrick Harris doesn't think How I Met Your Mother needs any more guest stars, the Associated Press reports.
EW has new details about the Sex and the City movie soundtrack that will include Fergie and Jennifer Hudson.
In pilot casting news, Zap2it reports that Donal Logue has joined the cast of 1% on HBO, while TV Guide reports that Marcia Gay Harden has been cast in The Tower, a CBS journalism drama.

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Buzz News Roundup, 1/18

BuzzSugar — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 14:30:09 -0800

A 30-minute live acoustic set by John Legend - aboard a Delta flight - will be the prize of a Grammys sweepstakes, Billboard reports.
Sci Fi Wire is reporting that Jericho has shot two endings this time, just in case it's canceled again.
ComingSoon has news that Jennifer Hudson will join the cast of the drama Tyler Perry's the Family That Preys.
NBC is auctioning off items from its shows to benefit the United Way, including one of Pam Beesley's cardigans from The Office; details are at The Futon Critic.
Mark Wahlberg will star in an untitled drama about international drug dealer Jon Roberts, whose life was chronicled in the documentary Cocaine Cowboys, writes Variety.
Jerry Seinfeld has sent Seinfeld DVDs to New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning after a TV station in Green Bay pulled the show - Manning's favorite - off the air because his team is playing the rival Packers, the New York Post reports.
Nashville Star will air on NBC this summer, along with a second season of American Gladiators, Broadcasting & Cable reports.
Instead of another 100 movies list, AFI will present 10 top 10 lists for different movie genres this summer, writes Zap2it.

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Cast of Secret Life of Bees Set, Dakota Fanning Strikes Again

BuzzSugar — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 11:32:28 -0800

In yet more book-to-movie news, the bestselling novel by Sue Monk Kidd The Secret Life of Bees will be adapted for film and they already have a cast mostly in place. The young girl at the center of the story will be played by - who else? - Dakota Fanning. With the addition of this project, Fanning has six movies in various stages of production. When does she have the time to come-of-age in real life?

Jennifer Hudson, Queen Latifah and Sophie Okonedo have also signed on for the project and Alicia Keys is apparently in talks to join as well. According to Variety:

Set in South Carolina in 1964, story centers on Lily Owens (Fanning), who escapes her lonely life and troubled relationship with her father by running away with her caregiver and only friend (Hudson) to a South Carolina town that holds the secret to her mother's past. Latifah, Okonedo and Keys would play the three sisters.

I liked the book very much so I hope they don't make it into a silly Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood kind of thing. What do you think? Are you interested in a big-screen version of The Secret Life of Bees?

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