Virgil Williams News

Malik J. Ali, Gail Bean, Jerrika Hinton, Stephan James, Jay Peterson, and Matrell Smith have joined the cast of The Piano Lesson film. They join Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Ray Fisher, and Michael Potts, who will be reprising their Broadway performances. Danielle Deadwyler Corey Hawkins, and Erykah Badu are also in the movie.

Erykah Badu has joined Netflix's upcoming film adaptation of The Piano Lesson. Badu will make a cameo for musical performances in the new feature. She will join Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Ray Fisher, and Michael Potts, who will be reprising their Broadway performances in the film.

Samuel L. Jackson and John David Washington will reprise their Broadway performances in the upcoming film adaptation of The Piano Lesson, which is currently set for a Netflix premiere. Malcolm Washington will direct the upcoming feature, which will also include Danielle Deadwyler, Michael Potts, Corey Hawkins, and Ray Fisher.

Today, the full list of nominees for the “53rd NAACP Image Awards” were announced. Nominees included Ariana DeBose, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Encanto, Cynthia Erivo, Audra McDonald, Respect, Taraji P. Henson, Tituss Burgess, Jennifer Hudson, Billy Porter, Denzel Washington, and more. Check out the full list of nominees now!

Austin Film Festival & Writers Conference (AFF) has announced its continued commitment to diversity in filmmaking through its grant from The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Celebrating its 25th anniversary, AFF is known for championing writers' contributions to film, television, and new media. The Academy's FilmCraft grant was established to identify and empower future filmmakers from nontraditional backgrounds, cultivate new and diverse talent, promote motion pictures as an art form, and provide a platform for underrepresented artists.

Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Film Independent Spirit Awards and LA Film Festival, is pleased to announce the seven screenwriters selected for its 20th annual Screenwriting Lab. This intensive four-week workshop is designed to facilitate each writer's unique voice through the development of a single feature screenplay. Eighty-five percent of this year's participants are from communities underrepresented in film and over half the participants are women.

It's Hollywood's biggest night! Who will go home with Oscar gold tonight? It's anyone's guess!

It's almost Oscars time! Before you fill out your ballot, catch up on how this year's nominees have been doing throughout the 2018 awards season!

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival announced today its lineups for the annual Writers and Producers Panel series. Peter Spears (Call Me By Your Name), Lisa Bruce (Darkest Hour), Emma Thomas (Dunkirk), Sean McKittrick (Get Out), Evelyn O'Neill (Lady Bird), Daniel Lupi (Phantom Thread), J. Miles Dale (The Shape of Water), and Graham Broadbent (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) are this year's participants on the “Movers and Shakers” Producers Panel. Adrian Molina (Coco), Edgar Wright (Baby Driver), Virgil Williams (Mudbound), Michael H. Weber (The Disaster Artist), Emily V. Gordon (The Big Sick), Liz Hannah (The Post), and Mike Vanessa Taylor (The Shape of Water) will speak on the “It Starts With the Script” Writers Panel. The panels will take place on Saturday, February 3rd at the Lobero Theatre.

The nominations for the 90th Annual ACADEMY AWARDS were announced this morning on a global live stream. Find out which of your favorite theater stars received a nomination!

The nominations for the 90th Annual ACADEMY AWARDS were announced this morning.The 90th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 4, 2018, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. EDT/4 p.m. PDT.

The Writers Guild of America, East and the Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) have announced nominations for outstanding achievement in screenwriting during 2017. Winners will be honored at the 2018 Writers Guild Awards on Sunday, February 11, at concurrent ceremonies in New York City and Los Angeles.

Nominations for THE CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS were announced today. Fox Searchlight's THE SHAPE OF WATER leads the pack with a whopping 14 nominations. Best Picture and Director contenders included DUNKIRK, CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, LADY BIRD and THE POST, each with eight nominations.

Austin Film Festival (AFF), the premier film festival recognizing writers' and filmmakers' contributions to film, television, and new media, announced today two late additions to its film slate.

Mary J Blige and more attended the premiere of the new film MUD BOUND at this year's Toronto Film Festival. Check out photos below!

Fox Audience Strategy today announced that writer Cindy Fang has been selected as this year's Fox Writers Intensive (FWI) Fellow.

Fox Audience Strategy today announced that Thomas Wong has been selected as the first Fox Writers Intensive (FWI) Fellow. Chosen from the inaugural class of 10 FWI finalists, Wong has inked an agreement with Fox Broadcasting Company for the purchase and development of his original submission, 'Queen.'