John Ridley News

Leslie Odom Jr. is set to star in The Many Saints Of Newark, the prequel film to the hit HBO series The Sopranos, according to Deadline.

ABC has given a put-pilot commitment to a comedy starring Tony Award winner Leslie Odom Jr. and executive produced by Kerry Washington, according to Variety. 

Today, the five nominees for this year's prestigious EE Rising Star Award were announced at BAFTA's headquarters, 195 Piccadilly in London.

Get ready for some new music from Emmy, Grammy and Tony Award winner Cynthia Erivo. According to Billboard, Cynthia Erivo has signed to Verve Records and plans to start on a new album in 2019. 

Cynthia Erivo will play The Hawaii Theatre Center next year! The Broadway superstar will present her solo show 'Ballads of Broadway' on March 16, 2019.

Leslie Odom Jr. will star in an ABC comedy with Kerry Washington executive producing, according to Variety. ABC has given the comedy a put pilot commitment and it is inspired by the experiences of real-life pastors Touré Roberts and Sarah Jakes-Roberts.

Multi-award winning writer-director John Ridley (American Crime) has signed on to direct the first episode of the EPIX(R) original series, Godfather of Harlem, created by Chris Brancato and Paul Eckstein, starring and executive produced by Oscar(R) winner Forest Whitaker.

Multi-award winning writer-director John Ridley (American Crime) has signed on to direct the first episode of the EPIX® original series, Godfather of Harlem, created by Chris Brancato and Paul Eckstein, starring and executive produced by Oscar® winner Forest Whitaker.

THE LAST DEFENSE Opens to ABC's Top Summer Audience in the Slot Since August '16

Executive producers Viola Davis and Julius Tennon have teamed up with XCON Productions and Lincoln Square Productions for the powerful, new documentary series, 'The Last Defense,' premiering TUESDAY, JUNE 12 (10:00 - 11:00 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network. The seven-episode docu-series explores and exposes flaws in the American justice system through emotional, in-depth examinations of the death row cases of Darlie Routier and Julius Jones. The series will seek to trace the path that led both Routier and Jones to their places on death row, while taking a deep look into their personal stories.

BRON Studios has come on as a producer of Oscar® winner John Ridley's NEEDLE IN A TIMESTACK.  Zanne Devine, David Thwaites and BRON'S Aaron L. Gilbert are producing and today announced that Tony and Grammy Award winner Leslie Odom Jr., BAFTA nominee Freida Pinto, Tony, Emmy and Grammy Award winner Cynthia Erivo, and SAG award winner Orlando Bloom will star.  Ridley will direct and is adapting from a short story by Robert Silverberg where a couple work to hold their marriage together in a world where time travel is possible, and the past and present are ever fluctuating.

Golden Globe and SAG winner Idris Elba will star, direct and produce the currently untitled film, a modern retelling of Victor Hugo's “Hunchback of Notre Dame” for Netflix. The feature film will be a sonic and musical experience for which Elba will also produce the music.

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley kicks off its 2018/19 season with Hold These Truths by Jeanne Sakata, an inspiring true story following Gordon Hirabayashi, a Japanese-American student who fought internment to a relocation camp during World War II. This Northern California premiere celebrates the human spirit as it chronicles Hirabayashi's journey from college in Seattle all the way to the Supreme Court, and eventually to a Congressional Medal of Honor.

The 39th annual Banff World Media Festival (BANFF) is proud to announce Emmy and Tony Award winner Kristin Chenoweth* (Wicked, Hairspray Live!) will host this year's Rockie Awards Gala Ceremony featuring a star-studded line-up of award recipients. The night of celebration will take place on Tuesday June 12th at 7:00 p.m. at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Alberta, Canada.

Executive producers Viola Davis and Julius Tennon have teamed up with XCON Productions and Lincoln Square Productions for the powerful, new documentary series, 'The Last Defense,' premiering TUESDAY, JUNE 12 (10:00 - 11:00 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network. The seven-episode docu-series explores and exposes flaws in the American justice system through emotional, in-depth examinations of the death row cases of Darlie Routier and Julius Jones. The series will seek to trace the path that led both Routier and Jones to their places on death row, while taking a deep look into their personal stories.

Executive producers Viola Davis and Julius Tennon have teamed up with XCON Productions and Lincoln Square Productions for the powerful, new documentary series, “The Last Defense,” premiering TUESDAY, JUNE 12 (10:00 – 11:00 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network. The seven-episode docu-series explores and exposes flaws in the American justice system through emotional, in-depth examinations of the death row cases of Darlie Routier and Julius Jones. The series will seek to trace the path that led both Routier and Jones to their places on death row, while taking a deep look into their personal stories.

ABC will screen the first episode of documentary series “The Last Defense,” from executive producers Viola Davis and Julius Tennon, XCON Productions and Lincoln Square Productions, at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival on FRIDAY, APRIL 27. The seven-episode docu-series explores and exposes flaws in the American justice system through emotional, in-depth examinations of multiple death row cases. This first hour of a three-hour- arc takes a look at the case of Julius Jones, a star college athlete convicted of shooting a father of two at point-blank range as his attorneys race against the clock to get him a new trial before his execution date is set.

Starting next month, Book-It Repertory Theatre is hosting Literature to Life/Young Audiences of New York to present a stage adaptation of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. This 2008 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel written by Junot Diaz was adapted and directed for the stage byElise Thoron and will be performed by Elvis Nolasco ("American Crime", "She's Gotta Have It"). This collaboration across the coasts is the first time Book-It has hosted another company in its 28-year history.

The 'I Have A Dream' Foundation Los Angeles (IHADLA) held their 5th Annual Dreamer Dinner on Sunday, March 18, 2018 in the Ahmanson Ballroom of The Skirball Cultural Center.