Latest in Forest Whitaker

Persistence is everything. It only took writer-director Andrew Heckler two decades and producer Robbie Brenner 15 years to get the strange but true story of reformed KKK member Mike Burden to the screen. But here, even another two years after taking the audience prize for dramatic feature at the 2018 Sundance Film…

EXCLUSIVE: Ahead of its February 28 specialty release comes a sneak peek at a scene from Burden, the 101 Studios drama starring Forest Whitaker, Garrett Hedlund, Tom Wilkinson, Andrea Riseborough, Tess Harper, Crystal Fox and Usher. Based on a true story, the pic written and directed by Andrew Heckler revolves around…

Forest Whitaker-led Godfather of Harlem will be coming back for another go-round. Epix has renewed the drama series, from ABC Signature, for a 10-episode second season. Production on season 2 will begin in New York later this year. While Epix does not release viewership data, Godfather of Harlem, boosted by strong…

“Can’t get rid of hate,” the preacher says, “unless you replace it with something else.” Here’s the trailer for Burden, writer-director Andrew Heckler’s film that was inspired by true events and premiered in competition at Sundance this year. Garret Hedlund stars as Mike Burden, a taciturn repo man raised as an orphan…

MGM and Bron Creative have finalized the cast for its Aretha Franklin biopic starring Jennifer Hudson, who was previously announced in the lead role. Pic follows the rise of Franklin's career from a child singing in her father's church's choir to her international superstardom. Production begins Nov. 1. Pic will be…

Times have changed in Harlem, but Bumpy Johnson hasn’t. Epix has released a new trailer for the anticipated new series Godfather of Harlem starring Forest Whitaker as infamous crime boss Bumpy Johnson. Inspired by the story of Bumpy Johnson, the 10-episode Godfather of Harlem picks up in the early 1960s with Johnson…

Chris Brancato and Paul Eckstein’s new Epix series Godfather of Harlem tells the story of crime boss Bumpy Johnson (Forest Whitaker), a figure in the early 1960s who returned from a ten-year jail stint to find his neighborhood overrun by the Italian mob. One of the more intriguing true-life historical points played…

Amazon Studios has closed two high-profile first-look TV deals, one with with Connie Britton and another with Forest Whitaker and Nina Yang Bongiovi’s Significant Productions. Both were announced Saturday during Amazon’s presentation at TCA. Under the pacts, both Britton, via her production company Deep Blue, and…

“So much has changed in Harlem since you’ve been gone,” the newly freed convict is told on his ride home from prison. “And I just know you’ll get right back in the swing of things.” His reply: “I’m already back in the swings of things.” Here is the first teaser for Godfather of Harlem, Epix’s upcoming drama series…

EXCLUSIVE: Netflix will adapt Erin Entrada Kelly’s Newbery Award-winning novel Hello, Universe into a family film. Playwright and screenwriter Michael Golamco (Always Be My Maybe) will adapt the book and Forest Whitaker and Nina Yang Bongiovi (Fruitvale Station, Roxanne Roxanne) of Significant Productions will…

EXCLUSIVE: Forest Whitaker has been set by Netflix to star in Jingle Jangle, the David E. Talbert-directed holiday musical about a cobblestone world that comes to life.  Whitaker will play Jeronicus Jangle, a once-great inventor and toy maker who has lost his belief in himself and his inventions, but stumbles upon a…

Newcomer Antoinette Crowe-Legacy has been cast in a major role opposite Forest Whitaker in Godfather of Harlem, Epix's straight-to-series crime drama, starring and executive produced by Whitaker. The series hails from Narcos co-creator Chris Brancato and Paul Eckstein, and ABC Signature Studios. Vincent D'Onofrio and…