Praise This: Last News

EXCLUSIVE: Universal Pictures has rounded out the musician-heavy cast for its film Praise This, starring Grown-ish‘s Chloe Bailey, with Anjelika Washington, Quavo, Druski, Koryn Hawthorne, Tristan Mack Wilds and Jekalyn Carr among those signing on for roles. Other new cast members include newcomers Kiara Iman Heffner and Ilario Grant, Birgundi Baker, Loren Lott, Crystal Renee Hayslett, Cocoa Brown, Vanessa Fraction and Kountry Wayne.

EXCLUSIVE: Tristan Mack Wilds (Swagger) has signed on to star in The Day Before Christmas, a holiday romance being produced and distributed by BET+, with Roger Bobb aboard as director.

Netflix announced on Monday that A Woman’s Prayer, the first-ever comedy special from actor and comedian Kountry Wayne, will premiere on the platform September 19th.

EXCLUSIVE: LeBron James’ origin story is striking a chord with audiences on Peacock.

Angelique Jackson After making more than $1.4 billion at the box office, producer Will Packer has gotten into the streaming game with “Praise This.” The Peacock original marks Packer’s first time producing a movie that wasn’t destined for cinemas. While the new distribution plan might seem like a reaction to the hit or miss theatrical business — or the kind of pivot that would happen after a box office bomb, which Packer has yet to suffer, by the way — that’s not what’s behind the change in strategy. “Malleable” is a word Packer has found himself using quite often in reference to the current state of moviemaking.

Murtada Elfadl In the pleasantly amusing “Praise This,” Chloe Bailey is the self professed nonreligious Sam, a musical artist in the making who finds her niche in Atlanta’s competitive gospel youth choir scene. Director Tina Gordon crafts a musical that’s carried through by a charming cast and highly entertaining ensemble performances. “Praise This” adds a mostly delightful entry to the genre, even if it doesn’t offer a unique take. More successfully it acts as a winning introductory calling card to the acting and musical talents of its rising star, the slightly-older sister of upcoming “The Little Mermaid” actor Halle Bailey and one-half of the sibling R&B duo Chloe x Halle. The story starts with Sam forced to leave Los Angeles by her dad because of some rebellious behavior. He entrusts her care to her aunt and uncle (Kendrick Cross and Janora McDuffie), but the person who takes full charge of Sam’s new life in Atlanta is her cousin Jess (Anjelika Washington). Immediately calling her a sister-cousin and introducing Sam to her life, friends and choir practice, Jess is the type of relative most people try to avoid, driven away by their too boisterous enthusiasm. Ever the smart person, it doesn’t take long for Sam to realize that joining Jess’ praise team in the lead-up to a national championship competition might be her way out of Atlanta and into a successful musical career. And so an odd-couple friendship is born.

Legendary action director John Woo is making quite the Hollywood comeback. He’s currently working with actor Joel Kinnaman (“The Killing,” “The Suicide Squad“) for his new western pic “Silent Night” that is already in production, but another high-profile project will see the Hong Kong filmmaker take a crack at remaking one of his seminal movies from the 1980s.

Peacock has announced three original films from Universal Pictures to premiere on the service in 2023. Shooting Stars, from LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s SpringHill Company, Praise This, from Will Packer, and a reimagining of The Killer from John Woo are part of the previously announced collaboration with Universal to produce films made exclusively for Peacock.

EXCLUSIVE: Chloe Bailey (Grown-ish) has signed on to star in the upcoming film Praise This, which Tina Gordon (Little) is directing for Universal Pictures.