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Precious / Fantastic Mr. Fox

The men behind Precious and Shooter are going back in time, according to Variety: Having had wild success with Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, Lee Daniels is itching to go historical for his next feature. He's in "advanced negotiations" to helm Selma, a big-buzz Civil Rights-era drama penned by Paul Webb (Lincoln). The film, which would team him with Slumdog Millionaire producer Christian Colson, focuses on the marches between Selma and Montgomery in 1965, which were the peak of the Civil Rights movement. This means that while prospects of a Martin Luther King Jr. film might be hazy, he will get some time here, one would assume -- he was one of the leaders drawn to the area where marches quickly turned to "Bloody Sunday" with force from local and state police. And in a wholly different historic affair, it seems Antoine Fuqua and Spike Lee are getting ready for a pimp-n-ho crime spree. Fuqua will direct John Ridley's adaptation of the graphic novel Miss: Better Living Through Crime, with Lee executive producing. Set in 1900s New York, the project focuses on Sola and Slim, "a poor white girl who has learned to survive by hook or by crook since being expelled from the orphanage," and the "black pimp with an uncertain past, trying to keep one foot out of the grave." But, it's not as you might think -- the pair team up to become killers for hire. Along with Jennifer Hudson as Winnie Mandella, it's refreshing to see a whole slew of projects in the works free of African-American crossdressers-for-laughs. Filed under: Drama, Deals, Scripts, Comic/Superhero/Geek Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: News, New Music, Exclusive, Movies Acting is in Lenny Kravitz's blood. His mother, Roxie Roker, starred on the 'Jeffersons,' his daughter Zoe Kravitz is an actress who appeared in 'No Reservations' among other films and he was once married to actress Lisa Bonet of 'The Cosby Show' fame. Now, in the two decades since he began his music career and became a rock star, Kravitz is finally on the silver screen. The rocker can currently be seen briefly in the hit indie film 'Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire.' But the next time he and 'Precious' director Lee Daniels work together, Kravitz will be the star. "I saw him this morning, we had breakfast together, and we're not sure exactly what we're doing. There are two or three options. But yes, I'm going to be doing a film and this time I'm going to be in the lead position," Kravitz tells Spinner. "It's going to be a lot of responsibility and a lot of time -- it's very exciting."

Is this movie the Slumdog Millionaire of 2009? Host Grace Randolph asks audiences if this indie drama is tough love, or too tough to watch.

In the this episode of The Rotten Tomatoes Show, hosts Brett Erlich and Ellen Fox lead ensemble reviews of "The Men Who Stare at Goats," "A Christmas Carol," & "Precious."

Oprah is pushing both Precious and the book it's based on, Push by Sapphire, on her show, and I'm seriously curious to know what her audience will think about it. How many people will be able to watch a film told from the point of view of an illiterate high schooler who is raped by her father, physically (and, in the book, sexually) abused by her mother, hates herself for not being white, has given birth to one child with Down's Syndrome who's nicknamed Mongo (short for Mongoloid), and is pregnant for a second time with her father's child? Let's assume that Oprah's reach is strong enough and far enough to get her demographic to plunk down their eight to 12 dollars to see Precious - the Oprah Effect in full effect. (You can find out where and when Precious is playing near you on the official movie website.) I'm not talking about critics and journalists or the people in big cities who like to participate in a friendly Oscar pool or want to be up on what was in the New York Times. They're already seeing the movie in droves; it made $1.8M in limited release its opening weekend. The latest numbers I could find on her demographic are from 2007, back when people were wondering if Oprah could help get a president elected. (Answer: Yes, she can.) According to Nielsen via MSNBC, "Oprah's audience is predominantly female, white, and over the age of 55. Nationally 7.4 million people watch Oprah daily -- about 2.6% of American households. Four percent of American women (about 5.7 million) watch her daily, compared with 1.2% of men (1.7 million people). Overall, 2% of all 18- to 49-year-olds watch Oprah."Filed under: Drama, Independent, New Releases, Lionsgate Films, Box Office, Distribution, Movie MarketingContinue reading Discuss: What Will Everyone Else Think About 'Precious'? Permalink | Email this | Comments

Set in Harlem in 1987, it is the story of Claireece Precious Jones (Gabourey Sidibe), a sixteen-year-old African-American girl born into a life no one would want. She’s pregnant for the second time by her absent father; at home, she must wait hand and foot on her mother (Mo’Nique), a poisonously angry woman who abuses her emotionally and physically. School is a place of chaos, and Precious has reached the ninth grade with good marks and an awful secret: she can neither read nor write. Precious may sometimes be down, but she is never out. Beneath her impassive expression is a watchful, curious young woman with an inchoate but unshakeable sense that other possibilities exist for her. Threatened with expulsion, Precious is offered the chance to transfer to an alternative school, Each One/Teach One. Precious doesn’t know the meaning of alternative, but her instincts tell her this is the chance she has been waiting for. In the literacy workshop taught by the patient yet firm Ms. Rain (Paula Patton), Precious begins a journey that will lead her from darkness, pain and powerlessness to light, love and self-determination. Ranked 3.49 / 5 | 41 views | 0 comments Click here to watch the video (02:30) Submitted By: videodetective Tags: PRECIOUS Mariah Carey Lenny Kravitz Mo'Nique Paula Patton Sherri Shepherd Gabourey Sidibe Lee Daniels Drama LionsGate Entertainment Movie Trailer Movie Trailer Categories: Entertainment

Imperial Cour Of RI Coronation 2009 - April 18, 2008. The Presentation Of Scott Conery & Lee Daniels

Mariah Carey's Sundance Premiere gives the star a Push into serious acting.

Director Lee Daniels on Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire