John Ridley News

In honor of Aretha Franklin's birthday, today National Geographic has released a new photo from the upcoming global miniseries about her life, GENIUS: ARETHA. The image features Cynthia Erivo portraying the iconic Queen of Soul.

The New Group will launch its 2020-2021 Season with Black No More, featuring Book by John Ridley (Oscar winner 12 Years a Slave), Music and Lyrics by Tarik Trotter (Black Thought of The Roots), Choreography by Bill T. Jones (Spring Awakening, Fela!) and Music Supervision, Orchestrations and Vocal Arrangements by Daryl Waters (Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk).

Tamara Tunie has been set to star in Ghost Bike, a dramatic indie short film, directed and written by Mark Blane (upcoming recurring role in the J.J. Abrams/Sara Bareilles helmed AppleTV+ drama Little Voice). Ghost Bike is Blane's follow-up to his debut feature film Cubby which had an international festival run and North American release in theaters and on VOD platforms in 2019. Cubby, which Blane starred in, wrote, and co-directed, was recently nominated in the 'Buried Treasure' category of the 26th Annual Chlotrudis Awards for Independent Film. Shooting for Ghost Bike gets underway this month in New York City.

Get your first look at Cynthia stepping into the shoes of one of the world's most legendary artists in the first trailer for Genius: Aretha!

Casting executive John Villacorta has been named senior vice president of Talent and Casting, ABC Entertainment, announced Ayo Davis, executive vice president, Talent and Casting, ABC Entertainment and Disney+, to whom he will report. In this role, Villacorta will manage the casting process for ABC and provide casting strategy and services to the Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment, working closely with the Disney+ team across all scripted and unscripted content.

Oscar® winner John Ridley (12 Years A Slave, GUERRILLA) is joining the upcoming SHOWTIME untitled musical drama series as executive producer, writer and director. 15-time Grammy® winner Alicia Keys serves as executive producer along with the Oscar, Tony® and Grammy winning team of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (La La Land, Dear Evan Hansen, The Greatest Showman), who will also contribute music. The project centers on an emotionally complex family story that spans generations and threatens the fabric of the community in present day Milwaukee. The announcement was made today by Gary Levine, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks Inc.

See the first image of Tony Award-winner, Cynthia Erivo, as soul legend, Aretha Franklin on the next installment of the National Geographic series, Genius!

Today, ABFF Ventures announced Cynthia Erivo will receive the a?oeRising Star Awarda?? at the 2020 ABFF Honors. The fourth annual ceremony, hosted by actor and comedian Deon Cole, will take place on Sunday, February 23, 2020 at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles. 

The Hollywood Film Awards is proud to announce that multi-hyphenate, award-winning stars Shia LaBeouf, Taron Egerton, Cynthia Erivo and Olivia Wilde will be honored for their standout contributions to film this year at the 23rd Annual a?oeHollywood Film Awards.a?? LaBeouf (a?oeHoney Boya??) will receive the a?oeHollywood Breakthrough Screenwriter Award,a?? for his revelatory telling of his own turbulent childhood. For his uncanny portrayal of the legendary Elton John, Egerton (a?oeRocketmana??) will receive the a?oeHollywood Breakout Actor Award.a?? Erivo (a?oeHarrieta??), who stepped into the shoes of the heroic Harriet Tubman with unwavering strength and dedication, will receive the a?oeHollywood Breakout Actress Award.a?? And Wilde (a?oeBooksmarta??) will receive the a?oeHollywood Breakthrough Director Awarda?? for her critically-acclaimed directorial debut of a film that is certain to become a classic for the ages.  Actor and comedian Rob Riggle will host the ceremony, which will take place on Sunday, November 3, 2019 at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, CA.

National Geographic, with Imagine Television Studios and Fox 21 Television Studios, announced today that Tony®-, Emmy®- and Grammy® Award-winning Cynthia Erivo (“Harriet,” Broadway's “The Color Purple”) will star as Aretha Franklin in the next installment of the Emmy-winning global anthology series Genius: Aretha. This upcoming season will be the first-ever, definitive and only authorized scripted limited series on the life of the universally acclaimed Queen of Soul. Filming will start this November for a spring 2020 premiere on National Geographic channels in 172 countries and 43 languages.

On Monday, December 16, Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award Winner Cynthia Erivo and Broadway star, Billboard #1 recording artist Shoshana Bean come together for a one-night-only Holiday Spectacular at Harlem's World Famous Apollo Theater. After a sold out 2018 engagement, two of the most gifted singers on earth return to lift their voices for one incredible Night Divine.

Geffen Playhouse today announced its selection of six local writers to participate in the second cycle of The Writers' Room, a forum for engagement and collaboration between Los Angeles playwrights. The participants for 2019/2020 are Boni B. Alvarez, Chloé Hung, Inda Craig-Galván, Juan José Alfonso, Ramiz Monsef and Ruby Rae Spiegel.

Zanne Devine, executive producer of the upcoming Disney+ movie 'Secret Society of Second Born Royals,' which recently wrapped principal photography, and the Disney Channel Original Movie 'Kim Possible,' has entered into an overall deal with Disney Channels Worldwide, the network announced today. Through this deal, Devine will develop and produce movies for Disney Channel and the upcoming Disney+ streaming service.

East West Players (EWP) announces that its signature EWP Night Market fall event on Saturday, September 14, 2019 will honor actor and playwright Jeanne Sakata and actor Aaron Takahashi. EWP Night Market will feature tasting stations hosted by local restaurants, followed by an evening of performances. Proceeds of EWP Night Market support EWP's artistic and educational programs.

NO STUDIOS, a hub for the creative arts in downtown Milwaukee that launched in October 2018, has announced its inaugural NO Studios Dance Fest, taking place July 19-20 at NO Studios and the Sherman Phoenix community event space. Dancers from the acclaimed NYC-based Ailey II - the second company of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater - will perform two pieces during the event, with additional performances from an eclectic mix of Milwaukee's top dance troupes.

NO STUDIOS, a hub for the creative arts in downtown Milwaukee that launched in October 2018, has announced its inaugural NO Studios Dance Fest, taking place July 19-20 at NO Studios and the Sherman Phoenix community event space.

Two young women, while still in their teens, fell in love with Charles Manson and became part of his group of devoted followers. Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme and Dianne Lake describe in revelatory detail the journeys that led each of them to join the so-called “Manson Family.”

Cynthia Erivo appeared on last night's American Idol to perform with one of the show's contestants.

New docu-series “1969” weaves together rarely told stories of the moon landing, Manson murders, Chappaquiddick scandal and Woodstock with that of Nixon's first year in office, John Lennon's Bed-Ins for Peace, FBI shootouts with black activists and the Stonewall Uprising. The six-part series features gripping first-hand accounts of how these events came together at the same dizzying, chaotic time. “1969” premieres Tuesday, April 23 (10:00–11:00 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network. The six-part docu-series' original score by multiplatinum producer and GRAMMY®-nominated artist, producer and songwriter Salaam Remi pays tribute to the revolutionary sounds of a year that reshaped rock.