“Bmf,” the Starz drama about the rise of the Black Mafia Family, will return for Season 2 on January 6, Starz revealed on Friday. The series, which previously premiered new episodes on Sundays, premium cable’s biggest night, has moved to Fridays, where it will air linearly at 8 p.m. Et/Pt and become available on-demand at midnight. Starz has released a trailer for the upcoming season, which can be viewed below.
Set in Detroit during the late ’80s and early ’90s, “Bmf” tells the true story of Demetrius and Terry Flenory, the founders of the Black Mafia Family, a drug-trafficking/money-laundering organization that was active from 1989 to 2005. Using the hip-hop label Bmf Entertainment as a front for their illegal operations, the two brothers — also known as “Big Meech” and “Southwest T” managed to develop a cocaine distribution network across the entire U.S., and made around 270 million before being imprisoned for 30 years.
Set in Detroit during the late ’80s and early ’90s, “Bmf” tells the true story of Demetrius and Terry Flenory, the founders of the Black Mafia Family, a drug-trafficking/money-laundering organization that was active from 1989 to 2005. Using the hip-hop label Bmf Entertainment as a front for their illegal operations, the two brothers — also known as “Big Meech” and “Southwest T” managed to develop a cocaine distribution network across the entire U.S., and made around 270 million before being imprisoned for 30 years.
- 11/25/2022
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Bassam Tariq (Mogul Mowgli) had been attached to direct Blade for Marvel Studios for more than a year, but he wound up stepping down in September, leaving Marvel to push pause on pre-production while they searched for a replacement. It turns out that the search didn’t take all that long as Yann Demange (White Boy Rick) has signed on to direct Blade.
When Marvel Studios decided to pause pre-production on Blade, they realized the project needed a more in-depth creative overhaul than they suspected. This meant tossing out the script from previous writer Stacy Osei-Kuffour (Watchmen) and starting from scratch. Michael Starrbury (When They See Us) has now been brought on to write a brand-new script for Blade, with sources saying that star Mahershala Ali was “personally involved” in selecting the new writer. Production on Blade is expected to kick off in Atlanta in 2023, with the film set for a September 6, 2024 release.
When Marvel Studios decided to pause pre-production on Blade, they realized the project needed a more in-depth creative overhaul than they suspected. This meant tossing out the script from previous writer Stacy Osei-Kuffour (Watchmen) and starting from scratch. Michael Starrbury (When They See Us) has now been brought on to write a brand-new script for Blade, with sources saying that star Mahershala Ali was “personally involved” in selecting the new writer. Production on Blade is expected to kick off in Atlanta in 2023, with the film set for a September 6, 2024 release.
- 11/21/2022
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
Starz has released the trailer for its limited event series, “The Bmf Documentary: Blowing Money Fast,” chronicling the notorious drug syndicate, the Black Mafia Family. This documentary series will feature exclusive audio excerpts from founding member, Demetrius Flenory, in addition to interviews with members of his family, former Bmf members and celebrity insiders including Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, T.I., 2 Chainz, and White Boy Rick. As previously announced, “The Bmf Documentary: Blowing Money Fast” premieres Sunday, October 23 at midnight on the Starz app, all Starz streaming and on-demand platforms and internationally on the premium streaming platform, Lionsgate+, in Europe and Latin America. On linear, it will debut on Starz at 10:00 Et/Pt in the U.S. and Canada. “The Bmf Documentary: Blowing Money Fast” is a limited event, half-hour episodic documentary series about infamous Black Mafia Family founders, Demetrius “Big Meech” and Terry “Southwest T” Flenory. The series offers...
- 10/12/2022
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
Night Life, the full-length directorial debut of St. Louis resident Seth Ferranti, is slated to have its world premiere as a centerpiece film at the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase on Sunday, July 17, 7:30pm at Washington University’s Brown Hall.
This call-to-action docu-drama focuses on Reverend Kenneth McKoy, known to St. Louis as the Pastor of the Streets, and his NightLIFE Ministry’s mission to fight an epidemic of mental illness and drug addiction while they actively interrupt the gun violence crisis within a city notoriously known for being the murder capital of America.
“I’m looking forward to headlining the Showcase with Night Life because I feel that premiering the film in St. Louis is important to the city as a whole and can have a big cultural impact on the community,” Ferranti said. “While this film highlights people like the Reverend Kenneth McKoy who have made it their...
This call-to-action docu-drama focuses on Reverend Kenneth McKoy, known to St. Louis as the Pastor of the Streets, and his NightLIFE Ministry’s mission to fight an epidemic of mental illness and drug addiction while they actively interrupt the gun violence crisis within a city notoriously known for being the murder capital of America.
“I’m looking forward to headlining the Showcase with Night Life because I feel that premiering the film in St. Louis is important to the city as a whole and can have a big cultural impact on the community,” Ferranti said. “While this film highlights people like the Reverend Kenneth McKoy who have made it their...
- 6/17/2022
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
In 2018, a few years after the period known as the "McConaissance," Matthew McConaughey starred as a single father in "White Boy Rick," a film about Richard Wershe Jr. who in the 1980s became the youngest FBI informant ever at the age of 14. The premise was too compelling for Hollywood to pass up. Wershe was involved in Detroit's drug trade during the War on Drugs, but three years after the FBI no longer needed him as an informant, he was arrested for cocaine possession and became the longest-serving non-violent juvenile offender in Michigan history after doing 32 years in prison, 27 of those years related...
The post The Fascinating True Story Behind White Boy Rick appeared first on /Film.
The post The Fascinating True Story Behind White Boy Rick appeared first on /Film.
- 10/15/2021
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
“Bmf” used “the same technology” that Martin Scorsese used in “The Irishman” in order to turn Marshall Mathers aka Eminem back in time for the seventh episode of the upcoming Starz drama.
Executive producer Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson revealed that tidbit during the series’ Television Critics Assn. press tour panel on Aug. 19. Mathers was previously reported to be joining the show as infamous rapper Richard Wershe Jr. aka White Boy Rick.
The technology comes into play, Jackson said, in order to “get him back to his teenage years” for performances Mathers will be delivering as Rick at age 16. It is an episode Jackson directed — the second time he got behind the camera in that way — and it was something he knew would give the show “a little splash.”
Jackson admitted he “wasn’t sure I could make it happen” at first, but he was game to try and in the end it worked out,...
Executive producer Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson revealed that tidbit during the series’ Television Critics Assn. press tour panel on Aug. 19. Mathers was previously reported to be joining the show as infamous rapper Richard Wershe Jr. aka White Boy Rick.
The technology comes into play, Jackson said, in order to “get him back to his teenage years” for performances Mathers will be delivering as Rick at age 16. It is an episode Jackson directed — the second time he got behind the camera in that way — and it was something he knew would give the show “a little splash.”
Jackson admitted he “wasn’t sure I could make it happen” at first, but he was game to try and in the end it worked out,...
- 8/19/2021
- by Danielle Turchiano
- Variety Film + TV
Joe and Anthony Russo’s Agbo production of Mohsin Hamid’s bestseller Exit West is coming together, Deadline has confirmed. The project, which now has Rogue One: A Star Wars Story‘s Riz Ahmed attached to star and executive produce, and Yann Demange directing, is also seeing Michelle and Barack Obama’s Higher Ground Productions and Netflix coming aboard.
A production start of this spring is being eyed.
Deadline broke the news when the Russos snapped up the rights to Exit West back in August 2017. At the time The Imitation Game director Morten Tyldum was set to direct. The novel was a 2017 Man Booker Prize long list selection, and it’s not a shocker to see Higher Ground attached here as Barack Obama included Exit West on his list of top books for that year.
Agbo’s Mike Larocca is producing with Higher Ground’s Tonia Davis and Priya Swaminathan.
A production start of this spring is being eyed.
Deadline broke the news when the Russos snapped up the rights to Exit West back in August 2017. At the time The Imitation Game director Morten Tyldum was set to direct. The novel was a 2017 Man Booker Prize long list selection, and it’s not a shocker to see Higher Ground attached here as Barack Obama included Exit West on his list of top books for that year.
Agbo’s Mike Larocca is producing with Higher Ground’s Tonia Davis and Priya Swaminathan.
- 3/6/2020
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Matthew McConaughey's latest film, White Boy Rick, is inspired by the heartbreaking story of a man who was dubbed a "cocaine kingpin" when he was still a teenager. The new movie stars McConaughey as Rick's father, Richard Wershe Sr., while newcomer Richie Merritt takes on the role of Richard Wershe Jr. - better known to the public as White Boy Rick. Viewers who head out to the theater should expect a gritty ride through the '80s-era Detroit's drug scene, but the real-life Wershe Jr.'s life is even more tragic than what's depicted onscreen. This is one time that fact is far more heartbreaking than fiction.
- 9/21/2018
- by Sabienna Bowman
- Popsugar.com
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Richie Merritt, Bel Powley, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Brian Tyree Henry, Rory Cochrane, Rj Cyler, Jonathan Majors, Eddie Marsan, Taylour Paige, Bruce Dern, Piper Laurie, Raekwon Haynes, Ishmael Ali, James Howard, Kyanna Simone Simpson | Written by Andy Weiss, Logan Miller, Noah Miller | Directed by Yann Demange
White Boy Rick is the tough rugged and gritty gangster affair in typical conventional style, albeit endorsed with a series of fabulous performances with sufficient twists and turns that save this venture from becoming an average biopic of sorts. The film tells the real-life story of teenager Richard Wershe Jr., who became an undercover informant for the FBI during the 1980s and was ultimately arrested for drug-trafficking and sentenced to life in prison.
Yann Demange’s film has a frighteningly chaotic and nightmarish story. It is bizarre and shocking as it unfolds in quite unbelievable circumstances that are incredibly engaging with the...
White Boy Rick is the tough rugged and gritty gangster affair in typical conventional style, albeit endorsed with a series of fabulous performances with sufficient twists and turns that save this venture from becoming an average biopic of sorts. The film tells the real-life story of teenager Richard Wershe Jr., who became an undercover informant for the FBI during the 1980s and was ultimately arrested for drug-trafficking and sentenced to life in prison.
Yann Demange’s film has a frighteningly chaotic and nightmarish story. It is bizarre and shocking as it unfolds in quite unbelievable circumstances that are incredibly engaging with the...
- 9/19/2018
- by Jak-Luke Sharp
- Nerdly
“The Predator” has found its next feast: its box office competitors.
The Fox release is invading North American multiplexes with an estimated $25 million opening weekend at 4,307 sites, early estimates showed Friday.
The alien franchise film is coming in at the lower end of expectations, which had ranged from $25 million to $32 million. “The Predator” should be able to top the second weekend of Warner Bros.’ supernatural horror hit “The Nun,” which is projected to finish at about $20 million for a 63% decline.
Lionsgate’s opening of mystery-comedy “A Simple Favor” is heading for a sold third place with $18 million at 3,102 sites, coming in well above forecasts in the $12 million to $15 million range. Sony-Studio 8 crime drama “White Boy Rick” is also projected to top recent forecasts at about $10 million from 2,500 screens, battling for fourth place with the fifth frame of rom-com hit “Crazy Rich Asians” and the second weekend of Jennifer Garner’s thriller “Peppermint.
The Fox release is invading North American multiplexes with an estimated $25 million opening weekend at 4,307 sites, early estimates showed Friday.
The alien franchise film is coming in at the lower end of expectations, which had ranged from $25 million to $32 million. “The Predator” should be able to top the second weekend of Warner Bros.’ supernatural horror hit “The Nun,” which is projected to finish at about $20 million for a 63% decline.
Lionsgate’s opening of mystery-comedy “A Simple Favor” is heading for a sold third place with $18 million at 3,102 sites, coming in well above forecasts in the $12 million to $15 million range. Sony-Studio 8 crime drama “White Boy Rick” is also projected to top recent forecasts at about $10 million from 2,500 screens, battling for fourth place with the fifth frame of rom-com hit “Crazy Rich Asians” and the second weekend of Jennifer Garner’s thriller “Peppermint.
- 9/14/2018
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Fox’s “The Predator” invaded the Thursday night box office with $2.5 million.
“A Simple Favor,” starring Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively, reeled in $900,000 from Thursday night previews in North America. “White Boy Rick,” meanwhile, grossed $575,000 in previews.
“The Predator” has been pegged to top the domestic box office with $25 million to $32 million in its opening weekend at 4,037 sites. Its preview number fell short of “Alien: Covenant,” which made $4.2 million on Thursday night on its way to a $36 million launch last year.
The sophomore frame of “The Nun,” which has grossed $64 million in its first six days, may challenge the new installment of the “Predator” franchise for first place. Lionsgate’s mystery thriller “A Simple Favor” will likely open between $12 million and $15 million at 3,102 venues. Sony and Studio 8’s crime drama “White Boy Rick” is projected to make between $6 million and $10 million from 2,500 screens, battling for fourth place with the...
“A Simple Favor,” starring Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively, reeled in $900,000 from Thursday night previews in North America. “White Boy Rick,” meanwhile, grossed $575,000 in previews.
“The Predator” has been pegged to top the domestic box office with $25 million to $32 million in its opening weekend at 4,037 sites. Its preview number fell short of “Alien: Covenant,” which made $4.2 million on Thursday night on its way to a $36 million launch last year.
The sophomore frame of “The Nun,” which has grossed $64 million in its first six days, may challenge the new installment of the “Predator” franchise for first place. Lionsgate’s mystery thriller “A Simple Favor” will likely open between $12 million and $15 million at 3,102 venues. Sony and Studio 8’s crime drama “White Boy Rick” is projected to make between $6 million and $10 million from 2,500 screens, battling for fourth place with the...
- 9/14/2018
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Richie Merritt (l) as Richard Wershe Jr., aka White Boy Rick, and Matthew McConaughey as his father Richard Wershe Sr., star in Columbia Pictures’ and Studio 8’s White Boy Rick. Photo by Scott Garfield. © 2018 Ctmg, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Property of Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. (c)
White Boy Rick tells the true story of Richard Wershe Jr., a teen in 1980s Detroit also known as White Boy Rick,recruited by the FBI as the youngest informant ever at 15-years-old. The trailer makes this film look like some wild adventure in the vein of Blow but White Boy Rick is a sad and frightening tale, as well as a portrait of economic decline of a working class inner city neighborhood, now gripped by drugs and violence. It is also a story about a boy buffeted by the bad choices of adults, and the terrible environment in which he lives.
When...
White Boy Rick tells the true story of Richard Wershe Jr., a teen in 1980s Detroit also known as White Boy Rick,recruited by the FBI as the youngest informant ever at 15-years-old. The trailer makes this film look like some wild adventure in the vein of Blow but White Boy Rick is a sad and frightening tale, as well as a portrait of economic decline of a working class inner city neighborhood, now gripped by drugs and violence. It is also a story about a boy buffeted by the bad choices of adults, and the terrible environment in which he lives.
When...
- 9/14/2018
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
True crime stories usually like to focus on the rise and fall of someone we know in our hearts is due justice. We may like him or her, but there’s never a doubt that prison is deserved. With the new film White Boy Rick, opening in theaters this weekend, things are different. Watching a teenager be set up and then go down is not what you normally get. And yet, that’s the story being depicted here. It isn’t always particularly easy to watch, but the heft of the tale is never lost on you. Especially in the final scenes, the cost stays with you. The movie is a biographical drama/crime story, though one more focused on characters. This is the official synopsis on IMDb for the film: “The story of teenager Richard Wershe Jr., who became an undercover informant for the FBI during the 1980s and...
- 9/13/2018
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
It's a story of a teenager with a complex relationship with the FBI: an informant and expert but also a criminal himself. No, this isn't the Leonardo DiCaprio caper Catch Me If You Can - it's the upcoming crime drama White Boy Rick. Based on a true story, the film follows Richard Wershe Jr., a teenager in 1980s Detroit who became the FBI's youngest informant ever at the age of 14. But when the FBI no longer needed him to help with drug cases, he turned into the very thing he worked against: a high-level drug dealer.
According to the team behind the movie, they auditioned tons of potential leading men, from experienced actors to total newcomers, and settled on one of the latter: Richie Merritt.
"We auditioned both real kids, with no experience, and also young actors. It was very important to us that we found someone with the...
According to the team behind the movie, they auditioned tons of potential leading men, from experienced actors to total newcomers, and settled on one of the latter: Richie Merritt.
"We auditioned both real kids, with no experience, and also young actors. It was very important to us that we found someone with the...
- 9/13/2018
- by Amanda Prahl
- Popsugar.com
A familiar group of monsters are returning to invade multiplexes this weekend.
Fox’s “The Predator,” the fourth installment in the sci-fi series, looks to top a trio of fellow new offerings — “A Simple Favor,” “White Boy Rick,” and “Unbroken: Path to Redemption” — at the domestic box office. The No. 1 spot, however, could be a close call depending on the staying power of Warner Bros.’ “The Nun,” which led North America last weekend with its sizable debut. Another factor that could impact the weekend box office is Hurricane Florence, the category four storm that is targeting the east coast, specifically the Carolinas, Virginia, and Maryland. It’s too soon to tell the potential damage, though storm surges and heavy winds could close theaters.
Estimates show Shane Black’s “The Predator” could earn between $25 million and $32 million when it launches in more than 3,900 venues. A debut over $25 million would rank as...
Fox’s “The Predator,” the fourth installment in the sci-fi series, looks to top a trio of fellow new offerings — “A Simple Favor,” “White Boy Rick,” and “Unbroken: Path to Redemption” — at the domestic box office. The No. 1 spot, however, could be a close call depending on the staying power of Warner Bros.’ “The Nun,” which led North America last weekend with its sizable debut. Another factor that could impact the weekend box office is Hurricane Florence, the category four storm that is targeting the east coast, specifically the Carolinas, Virginia, and Maryland. It’s too soon to tell the potential damage, though storm surges and heavy winds could close theaters.
Estimates show Shane Black’s “The Predator” could earn between $25 million and $32 million when it launches in more than 3,900 venues. A debut over $25 million would rank as...
- 9/11/2018
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
There are times when you watch a newcomer in a role and know, just know, that they’ll go on to tackle great, eclectic challenges; with “Call Me By Your Name” still in moviegoers’ rearview mirrors, Timothee Chalamet, for example, is already proving himself an enormous, versatile talent. But other times, such as with Richie Merritt, the star of “White Boy Rick,” you’re no less transfixed, but you wonder: Is this young actor simply perfect in this one role? Or can he countenance others with that beautifully, ordinarily dull expression? While there isn’t a single moment in his performance that doesn’t feel utterly believable, it also seems singularly engineered for this character and this one alone.
“White Boy Rick,” director Yann Demange’s account of the young, wasted life of real-life teen drug dealer and FBI informant Richard Wershe Jr., is punctuated by surprising verisimilitude that uplifts...
“White Boy Rick,” director Yann Demange’s account of the young, wasted life of real-life teen drug dealer and FBI informant Richard Wershe Jr., is punctuated by surprising verisimilitude that uplifts...
- 9/11/2018
- by Todd Gilchrist
- The Wrap
Plot: The story of Richard Wershe Jr. (Richie Merritt) aka White Boy Rick, a street hustler and informant who became a drug kingpin while barely in his teens. Review: White Boy Rick makes for an interesting companion piece to another of this year’s Tiff entries, Beautiful Boy. If that film depicted the agony of addiction, this one depicts the experience of those caught-up in dealing and... Read More...
- 9/10/2018
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
White Boy Rick tells the story of Richard Wershe Jr., a Detroit teenager who lived a secret life as an FBI informant. Eventually, he crossed the line and became a drug kingpin, earning him a lifetime prison sentence at the age of 18. Matthew McConaughey stars as the boy’s father, and he explains that he [...]
The post Matthew McConaughey Wanted In On ‘White Boy Rick’ Before He Knew It Was True appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.
The post Matthew McConaughey Wanted In On ‘White Boy Rick’ Before He Knew It Was True appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.
- 9/10/2018
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
As the Toronto Intl. Film Festival welcomes indie fare aimed at adults and awards voters, but the producers of those films aren’t just competing with each other. Many stars and quality mid-level-budget features are being siphoned off by Netflix in the production stage, not to mention by the siren song of the limited series deal. So how are theatrical films attracting financing? “The financial market is pretty strong right now, and that tends to make it an easier time, particularly for the individual investors who love film,” says Maven Pictures partner Celine Rattray, echoing the comments of several producers with top Toronto titles (Maven’s got “Skin” at the fest). Others note an influx of financiers like 30West, well-backed mini-majors like Annapurna and numerous adult dramas and docs that have passed the $10 million mark at this year’s box office, even as companies such as Global Road Entertainment hit troubled waters.
- 9/5/2018
- by Gregg Goldstein
- Variety Film + TV
Telluride – What happened to Richard Wershe Jr. isn’t great. As a 14-year-old he somehow found himself working as an informant for the FBI. Within three years he was making significant money as a low-level drug dealer in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan. And after that? Well, feel free to Google it to find out or you can catch a version of Rick’s life in Yann Demange’s “White Boy Rick” which debuted at the 2018 Telluride Film Festival this past weekend.
Continue reading ‘White Boy Rick’ Can’t Quite Connect The Dots [Telluride Review] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘White Boy Rick’ Can’t Quite Connect The Dots [Telluride Review] at The Playlist.
- 9/4/2018
- by Gregory Ellwood
- The Playlist
Everybody in “White Boy Rick” seems to be running some kind of scam. The title character (newcomer Richie Merritt), né Richard Wershe Jr., and his huckster dad have some kind of borderline-illegal gun business going. His sister’s a teenage drug addict dating a shady dude who offers her a ticket out of their sad Detroit home. Then there are the cops, who are recruiting suckers to go undercover, making the rules up as they go along. Every other speaking character — including Rick’s own grandparents (an opportunity for the inspired casting of Bruce Dern as McConaughey’s dad) — is a drug dealer or in some way associated with the crack epidemic.
Even director Yann Demange appears to be hustling here. On the strength of his blistering Ira thriller “’71,” he’s desperate to make the transition to Hollywood, who was equally excited to work with him, although it took no...
Even director Yann Demange appears to be hustling here. On the strength of his blistering Ira thriller “’71,” he’s desperate to make the transition to Hollywood, who was equally excited to work with him, although it took no...
- 9/1/2018
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
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