After losing distribution only two weeks before its Sundance premiere, the Russell Simmons accuser documentary On the Record has found a new home.

In its first-ever festival acquisition, HBO Max has picked up the film from Oscar-nominated directors Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering.

On the Record tells the stories of Simmons’ accusers, including former Def Jam executive Drew Dixon, as they decide to go public with their claims of sexual harassment and assault at the hands of the Def Jam music mogul. The stories of Sil Lai Abrams, Sheri Hines, Jenny Lumet and Alexia Norton Jones also appear in the doc.

Dick and Ziering produced On the Record via their Jane Doe Films with Dan Cogan for Impact Partners, while Regina K. Scully for Artemis Rising, Ian Darling for Shark Island and Abigail Disney for Level Forward served as executive producers.

The news of the pickup comes a couple weeks after executive producer Oprah Winfrey and distributor AppleTV+ suddenly withdrew their involvement with On the Record, with Winfrey citing creative differences with the filmmakers as the reason for her cutting ties with the project.

At the movie’s Sundance premiere, the audience gave the doc multiple standing ovations. With its festival reviews, On the Record currently sits at a 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, while The Hollywood Reporter‘s Beandrea July called the film “a stunning feat of complexity that’s both contained and expansive.”

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SOURCE: The Hollywood Reporter – Mia Galuppo

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Disney is bringing Hamilton to the big screen.

Following what is believed to have been a long period of competitive negotiations, the studio has won worldwide distribution rights to the film of the original staged performance of the Tony-winning musical. The pic is set to be released in North America on Oct. 15, 2021.

According to sources familiar with the deal, the studio paid a massive $75 million for the global rights to the finished film, which was live-captured in 2016 when the company that helped build the show remained intact.

Lin-Manuel Miranda will lead the original Broadway cast as Alexander Hamilton, starring alongside Leslie Odom Jr. as Aaron Burr; Phillipa Soo as Eliza Hamilton; Renee Elise Goldsberry as Angelica Schuyler; Daveed Diggs as Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson; Christopher Jackson as George Washington; Jonathan Groff as King George; Okieriete Onaodowan as Hercules Mulligan and James Madison; Anthony Ramos as John Laurens and Philip Hamilton; and Jasmine Cephas Jones as Peggy Schuyler and Maria Reynolds.

The movie is described as “combining the best elements of live theater and film, the result is a cinematic stage performance that is a wholly new way to experience Hamilton.”

Producers for Hamilton, the film of the original Broadway production, include Miranda, Jeffrey Seller and Thomas Kail, who also directs.

“Lin-Manuel Miranda created an unforgettable theater experience and a true cultural phenomenon, and it was for good reason that Hamilton was hailed as an astonishing work of art. All who saw it with the original cast will never forget that singular experience,” Disney chairman Robert Iger said Monday in a statement. “And we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to share this same Broadway experience with millions of people around the world.”

“I fell in love with musical storytelling growing up with the legendary Howard Ashman-Alan Menken Disney collaborations — The Little Mermaid, Beauty and The Beast, Aladdin,” said Miranda, who starred in the studio’s 2018 title Mary Poppins Returns. “I’m so proud of what Tommy Kail has been able to capture in this filmed version of Hamilton — a live theatrical experience that feels just as immediate in your local movie theater. We’re excited to partner with Disney to bring the original Broadway company of Hamilton to the largest audience possible.”

Added Kail: “We are thrilled for fans of the show, and new audiences across the world, to experience what it was like onstage — and in the audience — when we shot this at The Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway in June of 2016. We wanted to give everyone the same seat, which is what this film can provide.”

Hamilton garnered a Grammy, an Olivier Award and a Pulitzer Prize, along with Tony Awards for Odom, Goldsberry and Diggs, which contributed to a massive sweep of 11 wins out of a record-breaking 16 nominations. The show also won for best musical, with Miranda doubling up on best book and original score; Thomas Kail collecting the honor for direction of a musical; and Andy Blankenbuehler winning for choreography.

Following its rapturously reviewed, sold-out premiere run at off-Broadway’s Public Theater in early 2015, Hamilton began previews at the Rodgers in July 2015 and was a box office sensation even before its official opening on Aug. 6. Now in the fifth year of its Broadway run, ticket demand remains as high as ever, with grosses averaging between $2 million-$3 million a week and average seat price still around $250.

Total Broadway grosses to date for Hamilton stand at $636.5 million, with every performance playing to capacity houses. That figure does not include massive revenues from North American tours and the hit London production.

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SOURCE: The Hollywood Reporter – David Rooney, Mia Galuppo

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Before the Super Bowl LIV kickoff on Sunday, Yolanda Adams and the Children’s Chorus of Miami took the stage to sing the annual rendition of America the Beautiful at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

Adams stood atop a giant white football, in a black and white floral pantsuit, with the Children’s Chorus behind her on the field in all white, harmonizing with the gospel legend. Cameras caught the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs players watching the traditional performance.

.@YolandaAdams sings America The Beautiful before #SBLIV! 🎤 pic.twitter.com/Qyjg0QXW0D

— NFL (@NFL) February 2, 2020

Adams keeps busy as a gospel singer, record producer, actress and radio host of her own nationally syndicated morning gospel show, while the Children’s Chorus of Miami strives to provide young singers from all cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds with music education.

For the first time in Super Bowl history, Adams and the Chorus’ performance was made available for download shortly after it aired on TV in the NFL’s new visual album, Super Bowl LIV Live. Demi Lovato’s rendition of the national anthem and Jennifer Lopez and Shakira’s halftime show performances at the game will also be available on the album.

Adams and the Children’s Chorus join the ranks of Chloe x Halle, Leslie Odom Jr., Renée Elise Goldsberry, Phillipa Soo, Jasmine Cephas Jones and Alicia Keys, who have all sung “America the Beautiful” before at previous Super Bowls.

SOURCE: The Hollywood Reporter – Christy Piña

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Oprah Winfrey got teary-eyed Friday, saying her best friend Gayle King is “not well” and getting death threats after a CBS promo clip focused solely on questions she asked WNBA star Lisa Leslie about Kobe Bryant’s rape case.

“She is not doing well. May I say? She is not,” Winfrey told NBC’s “Today with Hoda & Jenna” Friday morning, her voice cracking with emotion.

“She is Not. Doing. Well. Because she has now death threats and has to now travel with security. And she’s feeling very much attacked. You know, Bill Cosby is texting, is tweeting from jail.”

.@Oprah emotionally responds to backlash her friend Gayle King received over King’s recent interview about Kobe Bryant with WNBA legend Lisa Leslie: “She is not doing well because she has now death threats.” pic.twitter.com/M8HrCp8vTr

— TODAY with Hoda & Jenna (@HodaAndJenna) February 7, 2020

Winfrey said her friend feels it was wrong of CBS News to promote the clip in a way that isolated it from an otherwise positive and lengthy chat with WNBA star Lisa Leslie about Bryant’s legacy.

King also believes she was put in a “really terrible position” because the promo clip was circulated after the interview aired, Winfrey said.

“In the context of the interview, everyone seemed fine, including Lisa Leslie. And it was only because somebody at the network put up that clip,” Winfrey said.

King expressed her own fury over the “salacious” clip in a self-recorded video shared on Instagram Thursday morning, 11 days after Bryant died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif., along with his 13-year-old daughter and seven others.

“I am mortified. I am embarrassed and I am very angry,” she said. “Unbeknownst to me, my network put up a clip from a very wide-ranging interview, um, totally taken out of context. And when you see it that way, it’s very jarring. It’s jarring to me.”

She said the interview with Leslie mostly focused on Bryant’s career, his passion, his sense of humor and his mentoring of other people.

“Yes, we talked about that court case, because that court case has also come up. And I wanted to get Lisa’s take on it as a friend who knew him well. What she thought, where that should stand,” she said.

“It was very powerful when she looked me in the eye as a member of the media to say it’s time for the media to leave it alone and to back off,” King said.

CBS News said it was taking action Thursday to address King’s concerns.

“Gayle conducted a thoughtful, wide-ranging interview with Lisa Leslie about the legacy of Kobe Bryant. An excerpt was posted that did not reflect the nature and tone of the full interview. We are addressing the internal process that led to this and changes have already been made,” the statement said.

SOURCE: New York Daily News – Nancy Dillon

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RCA Inspiration has partnered with acclaimed three-time GRAMMY^® nominated artist, songwriter, and producer Mali Music and will be releasing new music in 2020 starting with the single “Let Go.” In partnership with RCA Inspiration and Mali’s imprint, K Approved Enterprises, “Let Go” is available today on all digital music providers. Mali Music also released a new lyric visual for “Let Go” via his YouTube channel.

Written by Mali Music and produced by David “D1” Grant, Jr., “Let Go” showcases the distinctive blend of contemporary soulful R&B, hip-hop and inspirational conscious lyricism that have garnered Mali critical and widespread acclaim as one of the music industry’s most compelling creators, with Mali speaking on common temptations we face in life and being strong in spirit facing God.

Reaching fans across R&B, hip-hop, gospel, and urban contemporary genres, Mali Music has garnered recognition from the GRAMMYs^® with nominations in the categories of Traditional R&B Performance for his song “Still,” Urban Contemporary Album for his hit album Mali Is…, and Gospel Performance/Song for “I Believe”. Delivering powerful performances on numerous stages from the BET Awards to American Idol, Mali Music’s musical versatility has also garnered a Dove Award win for the song “Tell the World” (with Lecrae) and an NAACP Image Award nomination for the song “Gonna Be Alright”. Ron Hill, RCAI’s VP of Artist Development says, “Mali is one of the most talented and creative artists of this era. I’m excited to partner with him and the K Approved Enterprises’ team to usher in the next phase of his career.”

About the venture with RCAI and his new music, Mali says, “The song ‘Let Go,’ along with the opportunity to have partners who believe in me and understand my vision, is beyond a dream come true. This feels like my purpose is being fulfilled. Not only am I excited about what’s coming down the pipeline for me, I’m also proud of how it’s being prepared, and confident in the ability of each individual connected to my success.”

Mali Music: “Let Go”
https://MaliMusic.lnk.to/LetGoAE

Check out Mali Music’s lyric visual for “Let Go”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzlGcIp1qsc 

To connect with Mali Music, please visit:

Facebook:       https://www.facebook.com/malimusicnote

Instagram:       @malimusic

Twitter:            @malimusic

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Media Contacts:       

RCA Inspiration
W&W Public Relations
Jacinda Chen/ [email protected]
Aliya Crawford / [email protected]

Mali Music
Crystal Willis
[email protected]

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Supermodel Hailey Baldwin, known now as Hailey Bieber is gracing the cover of Elle’s 2020 March issue and in the issue she openly discussed her Christian faith and its influence in her marriage to pop star Justin Bieber. 

Hailey and Justin first met as children after Hailey’s father, Stephen Baldwin, introduced the two. They tried dating when the model was 19, but their lives were “going in very different directions,” she told Elle. The stars would later reconnect while attending a church conference.

“We ended up being at this church conference together in Miami, and it was the first time we’d seen each other in a while. I remember we were hanging out and I was like, ‘Listen, I’m really, really happy for us to be friends again. I want us to always be cool and be friends.’ He was like, ‘Yeah, here’s the thing: We’re not going to be friends.’ And I was like, ‘Oh. Is that so?’ ” she explained.

Justin and Hailey had changed since the last time they dated and she credited their mutual belief in God as to what solidified their reunion and eventual fate as husband and wife.

“Being able to share that with each other—to have that bond of faith and spirituality—is so [critical] for us. It’s the most important part of our relationship, following Jesus together, being a part of the church community together. It’s everything,” Hailey said.

In the interview, the 23-year-old said she grew up attending a nondenominational church near Nyack but wasn’t really interested in her parents’ faith until she moved to New York.

“As I got older, it got harder to follow church and the Bible because it felt very adult. I don’t want to sound wrong, but it was boring. I didn’t care about it anymore, until I found a church I felt was geared toward young people,” she explained.  “And for me, that was the Hillsong Church in New York City.”

SOURCE: Christian Post, Jeannie Law

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