Wednesday, April 2

• News on John Singleton's Tulia

  As we reported in August, John Singleton has taken over directorial duties from Carl Franklin on Tulia, a drama starring Billy Bob Thornton and Halle Berry about a real-life 1999 drug sting on a small Texas town in which a large chunk of the town's African-American population wound up wrongfully incarcerated. 

  We spoke to Kelly Whalen, the co-director of a documentary called Tulia, Texas that is based on the same set of events, at the AFI Film Fest in Dallas and she gave us some inside scoop on the story. "In 1998 there was an undercover agent that moved into town and made cases against 46 people who lived in this community for drug dealing, and 39 of them were black," explains Whalen. "Years later after many people received the maximum punishment in prison, this evidence started to surface, troubling evidence about [the agent]."

  "A few months into our starting the project took off. The court of appeals granted this big evidentiary hearing to air the dirty laundry around the Narc, so it was incredible," Whalen continues. "The legal case basically shows that you can't trust his word, that he's a liar. We actually saw everyone released from prison that was still in prison.They got full pardons. The cases don't hold up."

  Although it's unclear how much theatrical license Singleton will be taking with the Tulia story, Whalen did say that his screenwriter, Karen Croner, has asked for a copy of her documentary. Whether she's just watching it for research or bits of the documentary will make their way into Tulia remains to be seen.

  
  
  Next Showing: Look for Tulia and Tulia, Texas later this year.

  Posted 04/02/2008 by Heather

  John Singleton | Tulia | Tulia, Texas

Sunday, March 23

• A-Team, Quantum of Solace get release dates

  Sony has officially put Quantum of Solace, the next installment of the James Bond series, on the docket to open on Nov. 7, 2008--one week after it opens in the UK. Solace picks up where last year's Casino Royale left off, with Daniel Craig reprising his role as the blond Bond.

  And in other news, Fox has set John Singleton's bigscreen adaptation of the '80s TV megahit The A-Team to open on June 12, 2009, although the movie hasn't even been cast yet. We can only imagine Mr. T will pity the fool who doesn't see it on opening weekend.

  Source: Variety.

  
  

  Posted 03/23/2008 by Heather

  Daniel Craig | John Singleton | Quantum of Solace | The A-Team

Monday, February 11

• Harrelson mulls joining Singleton's A-Team

  Last month Collider.com reported that A-Team director John Singleton, currently hard at work assembling the cast for his big screen update of the classic '80s TV series, had targeted Woody Harrelson as his ideal choice to play the team's eccentric pilot H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock. We caught up with Harrelson over the weekend at the Semi-Pro press day to find out if he's up for it:

  "I like John Singleton and the script's pretty good -- it's actually funny," said Harrelson. "It doesn't take itself too seriously. It's got quite a bit of good humor and quite a bit of excitement -- one of those fast-paced, edge-of-your seat kinds of rides."

  "I haven't talked to John lately, but it might be good to work with him on that," he added.

  Despite his fondness for The A-Team's script -- and for its director -- Harrelson has yet to commit. "I'm just really kinda going slow about making decisions and doing the next thing," said Harrelson. "I think I had a little period in my life where I'd say yes too easily to something or I'd get involved in something where I was like, 'Oh jeez, what am I doing?'"

  We understand his reticence. Nobody wants another Starsky & Hutch.

  
  
  Next Showing: Semi-Pro opens February 29th.

  Posted 02/11/2008 by Thomas

  Woody Harrelson | John Singleton | Semi-Pro

Friday, August 10

• Chiwetel Ejiofor = Comic Book Hero?

  Director John Singleton hasn't even started production on his latest project, Tulia, and fanboys everywhere are already asking, "What's next?" Little wonder -- Singleton is attached to direct adaptations of two popular Marvel Comics titles: Luke Cage and The Black Panther. Though he won't say which one he'll do first, Singleton is more than happy to discuss other details, including which actors he'd like to see suit up in the lead roles.

  While Tyrese Gibson remains the clear favorite to play Luke Cage (thanks largely to his profile-elevating turn in the blockbuster Transformers), the ideal choice for The Black Panther remains unclear. Up until now, much of the speculation regarding who might play the Panther has centered on multiple Oscar nominee Djimon Hounsou -- an obvious choice, given that the character is African and that the Benin-bred Hounsou is the most prominent African actor working in Hollywood today.

  In a recent exclusive interview with ReelzChannel.com, Singleton added another name to the list. "Chiwetel Ejiofor could do it," Singleton volunteered, referring to the acclaimed star of Talk to Me and Children of Men. Born in Great Britain to Nigerian parents, Ejiofor has the pedigree as well as the acting chops to handle the Panther role. And anyone who's seen Serenity (all seven of you) knows he can handle action. Just ask the browncoats.

  
  

  Posted 08/10/2007 by Thomas

  Chiwetel Ejiofor | John Singleton | Thomas Leupp | The Black Panther | Luke Cage

Wednesday, August 1

• Singleton to direct Tulia, then Cage or Panther

  Fanboys eager to see Marvel Comics heroes Luke Cage and The Black Panther on the big screen could end up waiting quite a while before either one arrives in theaters.

  John Singleton, who is attached to direct both Luke Cage and The Black Panther, will first take on Tulia, based on the true story of 46 African-American residents of a small Texas town who were wrongly imprisoned in 1999 on dubious charges of drug possession. Halle Berry is set to star.

  Singleton starts principal photography on the film, which is already being dubbed the Erin Brockovich for African-Americans, in about two months, with a release date planned for sometime next summer.

  After that, it's either Cage or Panther -- Singleton hasn't decided yet which one he'll do first. "It depends on which script is available and which one is the best situation for me," he said yesterday in an exclusive interview with ReelzChannel.com. 

  
  

  Posted 08/01/2007 by Thomas

  Halle Berry | John Singleton | The Black Panther | Luke Cage