Film: with Belafonte Project, The Biopic Train Keeps Rolling

Actor Jesse Williams — known for his work on ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” — will produce and star in a film about the Civil Rights era actor, singer and activist Harry Belafonte,Rick Riley reports for The Atlanta Black Star.

Williams made the announcement about the project yesterday via Twitter and onDenzealot, the podcast hosted by comedians W. Kamau Bell and Kevin Avery:

“I care more about activism and social justice and law than I do about acting. I have an awesome job that I love, but there’s this magnetic force that is constantly pulling me toward activism. I just have to do it,” Williams said in the most recent podcast.

The actor has become an outspoken activist on various social injustices around the country. His tweets have circulated on to various media outlets, and he was also part of the #JusticeForFlint fundraiser for victims of the Flint, Michigan water crisis, reportsAtlanta Blackstar.

Williams has become a popular celebrity activist, ranking highly among others such as directors Ava DuVernay and Ryan Coogler, singer John Legend and actress Amandla Stenberg.

Belafonte has had a multi-decade career that included singing, dancing and acting but was highlighted by his marches alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Even today, the legend has spoken truth to power and taken part in protests around the country.

Uptown Magazine reports that Williams will also be working on two documentaries. One of them will focus on the school-to-prison pipeline. The second will explore the Black Lives Matter movement’s origins and cultural impact. Both will air on BET.

A Beatle, a "Crazy Horse" and other film creatures

http://movies.yahoo.com/news/martin-scorsese-george-harrison-doc-frederick-wiseman-crazy-074001764.html;_ylt=AmL55Fbge3OydUKG5wloFgX1X4sC;_ylu=X3oDMTM3aWZrcnF0BHBrZwNiMGZmOTQ2ZS0yMGE4LTMwMzgtYTE2Mi0xOWU1MmNiYWEzZDEEcG9zAzEwBHNlYwNsbl9USFJfZ2FsBHZlcgNjNzM3YWY3MC1jMzQ1LTExZTAtOTNkZS02ZDIzNTdjYmM5M2U-;_ylv=3

The San Sebastian Film festival offers a fair feat for real movie buffs, ad the above link will attest. The mention of a Scorcese- helmed biopic on former Beatle, the late George Harrison, brought to mind the Bob Marley biopic that Marty was set to direct, beforevthe project passed to Johnathan Demme (Philadelphia) and then the Weinstein Co. apparently reached a deal with Rita Marley ( Bob's widow) for the rights to her memoirs.

Will a Marley movie be made -and released - in my lifetime? Remains to be seen.

Do You think You could be Tupac?

The Antoine Fuqua-directed biopic Tupacabout late West-coast rapper Tupac Shakur is set to begin shooting this summer, but at the moment, the film is lacking an actor to fill the lead role. Those in charge of the film hope to remedy this conundrum with the recently-launched website InSearchOfTupac.skeetv.com.

The website began accepting video auditions for the film’s lead role on March 18 and will continue to do so until April 30. Auditioning hopefuls are instructed read a provided courtroom monologue and perform their favorite song by the late rapper, who was murdered in 1996.

“We’re looking for someone with the right mix of raw charm and charisma for the role,” said the film’s producer David Robinson. “At this point, we’re more concerned about finding someone with the ability to give their entire heart into the performance than just looks and personality.”

John T to play John Gotti

The following from The New York Post. It was also reported on CNN's "Showbiz Tonight":

It was an offer John Travolta couldn't refuse -- a chance to play Mafia boss John Gotti in a biopic co-produced by the Dapper Don's son.

Travolta toasted the reel deal this week at trendy LA trattoria Amici -- a calamari confab with John "Junior" Gotti Jr. and his ex-con film-producer partner, Marc Fiore.

"Travolta is the guy," Fiore told The Post yesterday. "When you watch a Travolta movie, you're never watching John Travolta. John Gotti Sr. is an iconic figure. You have to be an actor that can become John Gotti Senior."

The Wednesday sit-down between the star and the late gangster's son was the kiss to seal the deal.

REV/NOHO/5

LOOK WHO’S TALKING! John “Junior” Gotti (center) and John Travolta talk movie-making with film producer Marc Fiore (second from right) and director Nick Cassavetes (far right) over dinner at an LA restaurant.

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"John came in to put his stamp of approval," said Fiore, who once pleaded guilty in a multimillion-dollar pump-and-dump stock scam reminiscent of a "Sopranos" episode.

Gotti picked Travolta -- and little-known Fiore Films -- over Hollywood heavyweight Sylvester Stallone after the "Rocky" star balked at ceding creative control to Junior.

And in what could be a criminal case of miscasting, actor James Franco, of "127 Hours," is being considered to play Junior.

Although Travolta and Junior have talked about the movie -- to be called "Gotti" -- their sit-down was their first face-to-face meeting, Fiore said.

Each arrived separately at the Brentwood restaurant -- no bodyguards in sight -- and joined a Tinseltown crew, including director Nick Cassavetes, veteran character actor Leo Rossi, who is writing the script, and ex-Howard Stern sidekick "Stuttering" John Melendez, a partner in Fiore's film company.

"Get Shorty" star Travolta looked Chili Palmer cool in a tailored dark suit and blue silk open-collar shirt, while Junior donned a wiseguy-loud checked sports that his Dapper Don dad wouldn't have been caught dead in,

The restaurant, a Travolta favorite popular with Hollywood A-listers, shut its kitchen to regular customers as the gang scarfed down an "old-fashioned Italian dinner of seafood, chicken parm, steak, pasta and red wine."

An insider told The Post Travolta had made the reservation and hosted the dinner.

"They came, had a nice meal and a good conversation, lots of laughs, and they left happy," the insider said.

Fiore said he paid the dinner tab but invoked the Mafia code of omerta when asked how much it was.

But he was happy to boast about the film.

"This is not a movie; this is part of American history. We have the exclusive story for first time ever told by John Gotti Junior and his family," Fiore said.

Junior, the one-time heir apparent to his dad's criminal empire -- and a man the feds have tried and failed four times to convict for racketeering and murder -- has maintained he is long retired from the mob.

But Fiore -- executive producer for "Gotti" -- glories in his own criminal past, and is producing another film, "MOB $TREET," inspired by his story.