Celebrity

Denzel Washington Hands Over To His Son Malcolm And Keeps August Wilson In The Family

Published

4 weeks ago

2024-09-16

AP News Image | washington

TORONTO – August Wilson’s “The Piano Lesson” is truly about bloodline and heritage, so it’s fitting that the new film adaptation, produced by Denzel Washington and directed by his son Malcolm, is a family affair.

“The Piano Lesson,” which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on Tuesday, is the third installment in Washington’s ongoing quest to adapt Wilson’s plays for the screen. It follows “Fences” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and, like those films, includes several standout performances, including Danielle Deadwyler as Berniece and John David Washington, Malcolm’s older brother, as Berniece’s brother, Boy Willie.

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Denzel Washington Hands Over To His Son Malcolm And Keeps August Wilson In The Family

In 1930s Pittsburgh, Boy Willie arrives at his sister’s house with plans to sell a family heirloom, a piano carved by their ancestors who took it from their enslaver. In the ensuing painful family drama, Berniece, Boy Willie, and others (including Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Potts, and Ray Fisher) grapple with the haunting shadow of slavery and the weight of familial lineage.

“There are so many legacies tied into this,” says Malcolm Washington. “I believe it is our responsibility as filmmakers to honour and uphold that. We are here because so many people battled, sacrificed, and acted to provide opportunities for future generations. This film, and the story behind it, is ultimately much larger than my family.”

Malcolm, 33, was seated with his older brother and Deadwyler a few hours before the premiere of “The Piano Lesson,” which Netflix will show on November 8 before streaming on November 22. Denzel Washington stormed into the room just as the interview was about to end.

“It really all started with me,” Denzel joked, as the other three howled in amusement. “Then I had two sons, and the next thing I knew I was out of work!”

Denzel, along with his producing partner Todd Black, stated that it was his son’s idea for him to direct “The Piano Lesson.” Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play had a run on Broadway in 2022, with many of the same actors, including John David.

“Malcolm said he had a take,” Denzel explains. “He stated, ‘Let me put something together.'” So he cut a bit short. I looked at it like, “Whoa, OK.” You want to make the film? “This is fantastic; make the movie.”

However, Malcolm did not immediately go for it. He informed his father, “Let me see if I can watch the movie first.” He began developing a treatment and eventually co-wrote the script with Virgil Williams (“Mudbound”).

“At first, I was like, ‘See the movie’? But I understand now,” replies Denzel. “He’s an actual filmmaker. He took his time and didn’t leap right in.”

While John David, the 40-year-old actor of “BlacKkKlansman” and “Tenet,” has firmly established himself as Hollywood’s leading man, Malcolm, an alumnus of the American Film Institute’s directing program, is only now emerging. “He knew what he wanted,” Black explains. “And he wasn’t afraid to reach out to people who knew more than he knew.”

Denzel kept a low profile during the filming of “The Piano Lesson,” allowing Malcolm to work. Nevertheless, his enthusiasm for Wilson’s plays persisted throughout the production.

“He’s such a fan of August Wilson and it’s such an important part of his legacy to continue telling August’s stories,” Malcolm tells me. “His main thing with all of us was to keep that focus: We’re here to honour one of our greats.”

Denzel Washington Hands Over To His Son Malcolm And Keeps August Wilson In The Family

“The Piano Lesson” is a Washington family production in other respects as well. Pauletta Washington, the mother of Malcolm and John David, plays Mama Ola. The film is dedicated to their mother.

“I started with a clear idea of this is about fathers and sons,” according to Malcolm. “As we were shooting, I really began to see this mother-daughter story, and my mother is such an inspiration to me. I’ve always seen my mother as connected to the Berniece narrative.

Malcolm’s sisters are also active. Olivia Washington plays Mama Ola, a young woman, while Katia Washington serves as an executive producer. Ironically, Denzel, the father, is almost the only member of the family who does not appear in the film. But Malcolm, wanting everyone in the family to be represented in the video, asked his father to record a quick voiceover.

“Am I in it?” Denzel says. “I taped something. I did not get credit. Did I receive credit? “I don’t think so.”

SOURCE | AP

Celebrity

Al Pacino Reveals He Nearly Died Of Covid-19 – And Gives His Thoughts On The Afterlife

Published

5 days ago

2024-10-07

Kiara Grace

Al Pacino revealed that he nearly died from COVID-19 in 2020 and expressed his thoughts on what happens after death.

In interviews with The New York Times and People magazine, the Academy Award-winning actor discussed getting the virus and temporarily losing his pulse.

Al, 84, told the Times in a wide-ranging interview that he started feeling “unusually not good” and soon got a fever and dehydration. “I was sitting there in my house, and I was gone,” he stated. “I didn’t have a pulse.”

Al Pacino Reveals He Nearly Died Of Covid-19 – And Gives His Thoughts On The Afterlife

“You’re here, and you’re not. I thought, “Wow, you don’t even have any memories.” You have nothing. “Strange porridge,” the “Scarface” actor claimed about his near-death encounter.

Within minutes, an ambulance arrived at Al’s house, and he regained consciousness with six paramedics and two physicians in his living room, he claimed.

“They had these outfits on that looked like they were from outer space or something,” he told the local newspaper. “It was very frightening to open your eyes and witness that. Everyone was surrounding me, and they said, ‘He’s back. “He’s here.”

Al told People that when he regained consciousness, he felt confused. “I looked around and I thought, ‘What happened to me?'”

Despite “everybody” believing he was dead, the movie veteran claimed he is not sure if he perished. “I thought I had died. I might not have. I honestly don’t think I have. “I know I made it,” he stated.

Al hailed his “great assistant” by swiftly alerting paramedics after his nurse confirmed that he no longer had a pulse.

“He got the people coming, because the nurse that was taking care of me said, ‘I don’t feel a pulse on this guy,'” remembered Al Pacino.

When asked if the health concern had impacted the way he lived his life, Pacino replied, “Not at all.”

However, this does not imply that the experience had no impact on the performer.

Al Pacino Reveals He Nearly Died Of Covid-19 – And Gives His Thoughts On The Afterlife

Pacino, who is presently prepping for a film rendition of Shakespeare’s “King Lear,” told The New York Times that the event had a philosophical significance.

“I did not see the white light or anything. “There is nothing there,” he explained. “As Hamlet says, ‘To be or not to be,’ and ‘The uncharted place from which no traveler returns.’ He then says two words: ‘no more.’ “It was no more,” Pacino concluded.

“You are gone. I’d never considered it in my life. But, you know, actors: It sounds good to say you died once. What happens when there is no more?

Pacino’s experiences are described in his book, “Sonny Boy,” which will be published on Tuesday.

SOURCE | AP

Celebrity

Supreme Court Declines To Hear Appeal From Singer R. Kelly, Convicted Of Child Sex Crimes

Published

5 days ago

2024-10-07

Kiara Grace

Washington — The Supreme Court declined to hear R. Kelly’s appeal on Monday, despite the fact that he is currently serving 20 years in jail for child rape charges in Chicago.

The Grammy Award-winning R&B artist, born Robert Sylvester Kelly, was convicted in 2022 of three counts of making child sexual abuse photos and three counts of enticing children for sex.

Supreme Court Declines To Hear Appeal From Singer R. Kelly, Convicted Of Child Sex Crimes

His lawyers contended that a lower statute of limitations on child sex crime prosecutions should have applied to actions committed in the 1990s. Current legislation allows charges to be filed when the accuser is still alive.

kelly

As is common, the justices did not explain why they declined to consider the case. There were no public dissents. Lower courts have previously rejected his arguments.

Supreme Court Declines To Hear Appeal From Singer R. Kelly, Convicted Of Child Sex Crimes

According to federal prosecutors, the video shows Robert sexually abusing a girl. The accuser, Jane, testified that she was 14 when the video was taken.

Robert has also appealed a 30-year sentence for federal racketeering and sex trafficking charges in New York.

SOURCE | AP

Celebrity

Keanu Reeves Spins Out At Indianapolis Motor Speedway In Pro Auto Racing Debut

Published

6 days ago

2024-10-06

Kiara Grace

Indianapolis — Hollywood actor Keanu Reeves made his professional car racing debut on Saturday, spinning out at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Keanu Reeves Spins Out At Indianapolis Motor Speedway In Pro Auto Racing Debut

Keanu swerved into the grass without colliding on the exit of Turn 9, slightly more than halfway through the 45-minute race. He re-entered and started driving, indicating that he was uninjured.

Keanu, who qualified 31st out of 35 cars, raced as high as 21st and escaped a first-lap accident in Turn 14. Reeves placed 25th.

Keanu, 60, is racing in Indianapolis in the Toyota GR Cup, a Toyota spec-racing series and a support series for this weekend’s Indy 8 Hour sports car race. He has a second race on Sunday.

Keanu is driving the No. 92 BRZRKR automobile to promote his graphic novel, “The Book of Elsewhere.” He is teammates with Cody Jones from “Dude Perfect.”