May 25 marked the 2022 Reel Works ChangeMaker(s) Gala. The event honored producer and MACRO founder and CEO, Charles D. King, who received the organizations Reel Works ChangeMaker award; and The Best Man and Little actor, Regina Hall, who received Variety’s Voice of Inspiration Award.
Cinema Village NYC hosted the premiere of the Pusha T and Keep Lock produced drama, Respect the Jux, on May 6. The star studded event brought celebrity trainer Don Saladino, reggae music producer JKlassic, the cast and more to the red carpet.
Respect the Jux focuses on how the “American Dream,” for some, is only a dream; especially for those with few resources. Jux Producer Anothony Jacobs sums it up, “This movie is about the choices life sometimes leaves us with.” The film portrays the infamous struggle of migrating to the U.S. from Jamaica. A cycle that often starts with a parent leaving their child(ren) behind to start a life in “the land of opportunity;” before sending for them so they can grow up in a better place.
The film, however, is just the beginning of a larger story. Years in the making, the novel based plot is the first of many urban stories Keep Lock will produce, according to director and writer G.H. Goba. “This is our job. To produce consistent urban content,” he reassured on the red carpet. “No longer would you have to wait five years for your next movie. From here on out, every year you’re going to see us standing on somebody’s red carpet; presenting to you something great.”
In addition to releasing more content, including Respect the Jux 2, a big part of Keep Lock’s mission is to employ black creatives and non-creatives to keep them off the street. Goba noted, “We’re not about the limelight. We’re actually about the network (…) let’s build. We’re looking for writers, producers, directors, leads(…) we can provide opportunities.”
Respect the Jux is now available on Hulu, Prime, Apple TV and more. Get updates for Respect the Jux 2 and more Keep lock films by following @juxmovie and @keeplockfilms on Instagram.
The Kentucky Derby is always a starry affair and this year was no different.
The Knockturnal was on the scene of the New York City screening of Showtime’s newest sci-fi series The Man Who Fell Earth.
It’s hard to believe but it seems the pandemic may be finally coming to a close, at least in the world of cinema. Nothing indicated this more so than the New York Premiere of “The Batman”. In all my years writing about film, I’ve yet to experience a red carpet with this much excitement, fanfare, and scale. Walking down Broadway to Lincoln center was an exercise in anticipation. You could see and hear thousands of people crowding the streets, just waiting for a glimpse of the A-list cast of “The Batman”. And whenever a star made their big appearance, the roar those fans made could be heard for miles. The red carpet itself was another beast in and of itself. It was a sprawling complex of tents which featured the actual bat mobile from the film, the costumes of all of the heroes and villains, and a series of artwork reminding you that this was going to be the biggest premiere of the year.
It was a pleasure getting to cover this event and interview Robert Pattison, Paul Dano, Andy Serkis, and more. Check out our coverage below:
We also spoke with ALESSO, who composed an original song for the film!
After five long years, Sing 2 is finally here. Fans of the first Sing movie have been anticipating what was next for the franchise and Sing 2 did not disappoint. Opening to the public on December 22, 2021 Sing 2, written and directed by acclaimed returning filmmaker Garth Jennings, follows the story of Buster Moon and all of his animal performers while they get ready to take on the stage again.
Buster Moon is tasked with trying to find and persuade the world’s most reclusive rock star to join them in their performance. As Buster attempts to make this dream into a reality the audience goes through an emotional rollercoaster learning how healing the power of music can really be and how music can heal even the most broken heart. Sing 2 is sure to be a box office hit with returning all-star cast such as Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton, Tori Kelly, and Nick Kroll along with additional new characters played by Pharrell Williams, Halsey, Letitia Wright, Bobby Cannavale, Nick Offerman, Eric Andre and Chelsea Peretti, and rock legend Bono. The movie also features the original song “Your Song Saved My Life” by Bono and The Edge from legendary Irish rock band U2. The song “Your Song Saved my Life” being their first project in three years. Bono making his animated film debut playing reclusive former rockstar Clay Colloway told us, “It took this movie to get me to write this song to write it out, and I’m really grateful to this film and it was fun getting in touch with my inner big cat.”
Sing 2 also features an array of new songs that combine dozens of classic rock and pop hit songs that the audience is sure to enjoy. With the all-star casts electrifying performances and Illumination’s signature humor and heart, Sing 2 is on track to be the feel-good movie of the year that the whole family can enjoy.
Check out our interviews with actors Matthew McConaughey, Scarlett Johansson, Reese Witherspoon, Eric André, Tori Kelly, Executive Music Producer and CEO of The Recording Academy Harvey Mason Jr., and Bono and The Edge from U2 on the red carpet and don’t forget to check out our official TikTok for more behind the scenes content!
Caitriona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Sir Kenneth Branagh, Jude Hill, and Ciaran Hinds attend the premiere of the Belfast movie at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, California on Monday.
You’ll laugh! You’ll cry! You’ll cheer as it wins all of the trophies next award show season!
Watch the interview above.
Set in the late 1960s, Belfast is a semi-autobiographical tale from Sir Kenneth Branagh that explores the life of a/his charming working-class family during The Troubles in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Belfast‘s Los Angeles premiere saw most of the stars walk the red carpet with the exception of Dame Judi Dench. PS. We missed you!
Bite-size star Jude Hill plays a young Sir Kenneth Branagh in the film and walked the carpet with a beautiful mystery blonde… ok, it was his Mom but she was still beautiful and mysterious. Jude was 9 when he landed the life-changing role. He’s 11 now. A man. Jude told The Knockturnal‘s Kinsey Schofield that he was initially a little nervous to work with Kenneth but the Harry Potter star turned out to be “such a nice guy.” I can concur!
Upon mention of a recent Variety article comparing Branagh to Walt Disney, George Clooney, and Warren Beatty, the writer/director responds, “It’s beautifully insane!”
Ciaran Hinds, who is also from Belfast, discusses what he discovered about his own family tree and what it’s like to recreate someone that someone else once loved. Hinds seemed most excited for American audiences to get a peek at the Belfast movie!
Last but not least, we ask Caitriona Balfe and Jamie Dornan what it is like to recreate someone’s life in front of them… plus we check on Jamie’s wifi situation.
YOU GET AN OSCAR, YOU GET AN OSCAR, YOU GET AN OSCAR.
Belfast is in theaters on November 12, 2021, and stars Caitriona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, Jude Hill, Judi Dench, and Ciaran Hinds.
Kinsey Schofield is a contributor to The Knockturnal and you can follow her on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.
Dear Evan Hansen,
The cast of M. Night Shyamalan’s latest film ‘Old’ hit the red carpet for the world premiere.
On Juneteenth, The Tribeca Film Festival celebrated the 30th Anniversary of the 1991 musical, The Five Heartbeats, directed by and starring Robert Townsend.