Page 18 - Florida Sentinel 12-24-19

Entertainment
Comedian Mark Curry Slams Steve Harvey For Stealing His Jokes
MARK CURRY AND STEVE HARFVEY
Jennifer Hudson Hopes To Make Aretha Franklin 'Proud' With ‘Respect’ Biopic
Jennifer Hudson says she hopes to make Aretha Franklin “proud” with her portrayal of the late music icon in an upcoming biopic.
“I just hope I make her proud [and] do her justice,” Hudson said about playing Franklin in the biopic “Re- spect,” set to drop next year.
“I am just taking it one step at a time, one day at a time,” she said in an inter- view with Sunday Today (via PEOPLE). “All I want to do is pay tribute to her and meet her requests, you know? Like, ‘Aretha said do this?’ — ‘Yes, ma’am.’”
She added, “Those are
JENNIFER HUDSON AND ARETHA FRANKLIN
hugeshoestofill.”
Prior to her death in Au-
gust 2018 at age 76 due to pancreatic cancer, Franklin
made clear that there was only one person worthy to play her in a biopic: Jen- nifer Hudson.
Comedian Mark Curry of “Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper” fame has put Steve Harvey on blast, accusing the “Family Feud” host of stealing his jokes.
As reported by Atlanta Blackstar, during his recent appearance on Fox Soul’s “The Mike & Donny Show,” Curry was asked by host Mike Hill: “What’s up with you and Steve, man?” Curry re- sponded by saying, “Steve stole my material on his show, so I had a beef on that.”
The show he was referring to was Harvey’s former talk show “Steve,” which was can- celled to make room for Kelly
Clarkson’s show.
“When he was on his bullsh–
talk show that he had, he did all of my Halloween material one Halloween,” Curry added.
“Somebody called me and said, ‘Homeboy doing your material.’ He did my whole Halloween run, and I know he didn’t think of it. This was true stuff that really happened to me,” he continued.
“And my thing was, you did- n’t have to do that homeboy. Mother–, you made enough money, b– a–,” he added.
Curry believes stealing jokes is “the most lewd thing a comic can do.”
‘Harriet’ Moves Past $40 Million At Domestic Box Office
Filmmaker Kasi Lem- mons’ Harriet crossed $40 million in ticket sales at the domestic box office on Friday, a major feat for a specialty bi- ographical drama.
Opening in theaters on Nov. 1, the period pic stars Cynthia Erivo as Harriet Tubman, the famed abolitionist and for- mer slave who led hundreds of other slaves to freedom via the Underground Railroad.
“There’s never been a movie about Harriet Tubman be- fore. People were longing to see her story and feel in- spired,” says Lisa Bunnell, distribution chief of Focus.
Harriet — earning stellar re- views and a coveted A+ Cine- maScore from audiences — has almost matched the $43 million earned domestically by Fox Searchlight and Steve McQueen’s Oscar-winning 12 Years a Slave following its release in 2013, not adjusted for inflation. (McQueen’s
‘HARRIET’
film was rated R, while Har- riet carries a friendlier PG-13 rating, making it more accessi- ble to school groups.)
Erivo — who Focus is pushing for best actress in the Oscar race — also starred in McQueen’s ensemble pic Widows, which topped at $42.4 million domestically in
fall 2018.
African Americans made
up 49 percent of Harriet‘s opening weekend audience, followed by Caucasians (36 percent), Hispanics (8 per- cent) and Asian/other (7 per- cent), according to PostTrak. Nearly 60 percent of the audi- ence was 35 and older, includ- ing almost 40 percent over 45. Bunnell says the film has since skewed younger.
“Harriet has become a must-see movie due to the rel- evance and importance of the fabled freedom fighter whose story has particular resonance in these very divisive times and, of course, during awards season introspective and thought-provoking movies are the types of films are moviego- ers are seeking,” says box of- fice analyst Paul Dergarabedian of Com- score.
Harriet has yet to roll out in earnest overseas.
Tekashi 6ix9ine’s Father Plans To ‘Put Him Straight’
It appears Tekashi 6ix9ine‘s biological father is going to assume a larger role in his post-prison life.
After appearing at his son’s sentencing on Wednesday (December 18), Daniel Hernandez Sr. claimed he wants to repair his relation- ship with the embattled rap- per.
“[6ix9ine should] try to start over again, [have a] new life,” Hernandez said in a video captured by blogger A.R. “He got money. He got
TEKASHI 6IX9INE
million[s]. Why he had to do stuff that is not worth it? I will sit down with him and put him straight.”
Following a lengthy rack- eteering case, 6ix9ine was ultimately sentenced to 24 months in prison — 13 of which he has already served — with five years of super- vised release. He’s expected to be released in late 2020 and will also have to com- plete 300 hours of commu- nity service plus pay a $35,000 fine.
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