For Joshua Henry, 2017 seems to be his year, as he says in this Exclusive interview following his 2 solo shows at Schubas Tavern in Chicago. He was joined by some friends from Chicago's cast of Hamilton including Ari Afsar Eliza, Chris De'Sean Lee LafayetteJefferson and Samantha Marie Ware PeggyMaria Reynolds singing backup for him. There were also other cast members in the audience including Tony winner Karen Olivo Angelica, Jose Ramos John LaurensPhillip Hamilton and some other members of the ensemble cheering their friend on.

The Walking Dead's Steven Yeun is setting his sights on the big screen. Yeun is teaming with Radar Pictures to adapt Kang Chol-Hwan's autobiographical book The Aquariums of Pyongyang, The Hollywood Reporter has learned exclusively. Yeun is attached to star as Chol-Hwan and exec produce the film, and will work alongside producers Ted Field, Mike Weber and Michael Napoliello in partnership with Sean Lee. Photos: 'The Walking Dead's' Most Shocking Deaths Aquariums is set in North Korea, one of the last bastions of hardline Communism. Its leaders have kept a tight grasp on the one-party regime, quashing

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FilmDistrict has acquired U.S. distribution rights to the upcoming film adaptation of novelist Anne Rice's "Christ the Lord".

Rice's book tells the story of a seven-year-old Jesus, who departs Egypt with his family to return home to Nazareth and discovers the truth about his birth, who he is, and his purpose in life.

Cyrus Nowrasteh ("The Stoning of Soraya M.") will direct from a screenplay he co-wrote with Betsy Nowrasteh. Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan, Mark Radcliffe, Sean Lee, Patricia Chun and Keo Lee will produce.

A March 2015 release is planned.

Source: FilmDistrict...

1492 Pictures and Cj Entertainment have acquired the film rights to Anne Rice's book "Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt" reports Variety.

Rice's book tells the story of a seven-year-old Jesus, who departs Egypt with his family to return home to Nazareth and discovers the truth about his birth, who he is, and his purpose in life.

Cyrus Nowrasteh ("The Stoning of Soraya M.") will direct from a screenplay he co-wrote with Betsy Nowrasteh. Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan, Mark Radcliffe, Sean Lee, Patricia Chun and Keo Lee will produce.

Some cheesy moments and high adrenaline action may very well be the saving grace of Quick, a Korean-made film. The name will not get any headlines, since it looks like Keanu Reeve's Speed on acid, but mix in some fun from the opening act of Katsuhiro Otomo's animated opus, Akira, with some stylistic cinematography and trippy stunts, this film may potentially be a product to check out.

There are no psychics or secret government agendas to keep an eye out for. Instead, the fun and thrills of motorcycle races is certainly more thrilling to watch than a clumsy city bus that can't stop.

Ki-Soo (Lee Min-Ki) was a member of a motorcycle gang during his youth, so audiences have to wonder if the invisible antagonist is part of Soo's past. He is clean now, and is working as a delivery service. But when one of his latest trips proves to be dangerous,...

According to a press release, Rob Cohen has signed on to direct the $100 million Korean War tale "1950" for Cj E&M Pictures and Grapevine Entertainment. Here is the full press release. Cj E&M Pictures and Grapevine Entertainment have attached Rob Cohen (The Fast and the Furious) to direct 1950, the largest budgeted project ever undertaken by the Korean film industry, at $100m. Production is expected to begin in May 2012 with a planned release date of spring 2013. An untold story of courage and endurance during the Korean War, 1950 is an epic adventure, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning dispatches from the front line by legendary New York Herald Tribune correspondent Marguerite Higgins.1950 is being produced by Cj E&M Pictures of Korea and Grapevine Entertainment, alongside Brett Donowho and executive producer Paul Hudson. The producers developed the story, and commissioned a screenplay from Rachel Long and Brian Pittman (Silver Falls and Stranded). Marguerite Higgins,...

Rob Cohen ("The Fast and the Furious," "XXX") has signed on to direct the $100 million Korean War tale "1950" for Cj E&M Pictures and Grapevine Entertainment says the trades.

The story will chronicle New York Herald Tribune correspondent Marguerite Higgins' journey across the Korean peninsula with a platoon of marines.

The journey ended with the mass evacuation of nearly 200,000 South Korean civilians as the Chinese and North Korean armies moved in.

Shooting aims to kick off in May ahead of a Spring 2013 release. Rachel Long and Brian Pittman penned the script while Brett Donowho, Sean Lee and John Han will produce.

I truly admire Rob Cohen. Despite lacking any discernible talent or sense of style that isn’t taken from an early 2000′s music video, he’s managed to get movies made, and they manage to make money. A press release from Cj E&M Pictures and Grapevine Entertainment brings the wonderful news of a Korean War epic that he’s screwing up helming, titled 1950.

What’s really sad, above all else, is that this is based off the work of New York Herald Tribune reporter Marguerite Higgins, who won a Pulitzer Prize for her work, which also makes her the first woman to win the coveted prize. So, the film based on her great efforts is directed by the guy who made The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. Go figure.

Written by Rachel Long and Brian Pittman, the movie focuses on the reporter’s trip across the Korean peninsula with a marine platoon.

Fast and the Furious director Rob Cohen has signed on to directed a Korean War film epic called 1950. This movie will be the largest film project ever made by the Korean film industry. It was budgeted at $100 million dollars and will start shooting in May of next year. The plan is to release the film in spring of 2013.

The story follows the true events of "Marguerite Higgins, the New York Herald's then Far East bureau chief, who had covered the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps at the end of WWII, initially found herself banned by the Us Army top brass from covering the Korean conflict, simply because she was a woman. Her persistent efforts to overturn this ruling eventually won her special permission from General Douglas MacArthur to work alongside the front line troops. 1950 follows Higgins’ journey across the Korean peninsula with a platoon of marines, ending with the...

A new telling of the Robin Hood rags to riches tale is being told at Cannes '11. Instead of tights and English accents, you will find skulls and lifelike 3D, in Robin Hood: Ghosts of Sherwood. There is no current release date for this title in North America, but you can experience some gothic thrills here, with the film's first imposing graphic. Make-up artist and actor Tom Savini (Dawn of the Dead) will play a ruthless Sheriff of Nottingham and some more exciting cast announcements await you inside.

Tagline:

"Whether you're rich or poor, you're not leaving the forest."

Director: Oliver Krekel.

Writer: Sean Lee.

Cast: Carolina Grigorov, Kane Hodder, Tom Savini, and Martin Hentschel.

Source:

Robin Hood: Ghosts of Sherwood at Shock Till You Drop

One of the latest interpretations of Robin Hood, is told excellently by Ridley Scott, here:

Advertise Here - Contact me Michael Allen at 28Dla...

The Korean American Film Festival (Kaffny) has released the lineup for its fifth anniversary showcase of feature-length and short films by Korean, Korean-American and international filmmakers. Kaffny will open with a live re-score of Paul Miller aka DJ Spooky's drama "Madame Freedom," featuring violinist Sean Lee and cellist Okkyung Lee. The festival will also present a six-film retrospective honoring documentarian Dai Sil Kim-Gibson, as well as a discussion centering around ...

Ultra-successful Recovery album and Home and Home Tour with Jay-z shoot Em straight to the top.

By Paul Cantor

Eminem

Photo: Getty Images

Everyone loves a comeback story, and in 2010, that's what they got from Eminem.

Even though Marshall Mathers sold 608,000 copies of 2009's Relapse in its first week, the project was panned by critics and longtime Em fans. They said he rhymed in too many weird voices, that the production sounded dated and that the subject matter was too grim. The LP didn't make enough of an impact, and there really wasn't much buzz around Eminem to even warrant him making the Hottest MCs list last year.

This year, however, was totally different. Eminem pretty much dominated 2010 from start to finish, and the MTV News Hip-Hop Brain Trust voted him the #1 Hottest Mc in the Game. "Obviously, the last album was lackluster," mtvU's Yomi Desalu said during the Hottest MCs roundtable discussion.

Even without a 2010 album, Jay stayed relevant with new singles and guest spots on Kanye West tracks.

By Paul Cantor

Jay-z

Photo: Getty Images

Good music stands the test of time. Just ask Jay-z.

The Roc Nation chief spent the better part of 2010 riding the wave of success from 2009's The Blueprint 3. Songs like "Empire State of Mind," "Forever Young," "On to the Next One" and "Run This Town" kept BP3 on the Billboard albums chart for 56 weeks, well into 2010. Jay racked up awards for Best Rap Solo Performance for "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)" and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and Best Rap Song for "Run This Town" at the Grammys. He won CD of the Year for BP3 and Best Live Performer at the Bet Hip-Hop Awards. He toured the country on the BP3 Tour (which yielded him a reported $1 million a show) and split Home and Home...

G.O.O.D. Friday series and epic TV performances thrust 'Ye back into the spotlight.

By Paul Cantor

Kanye West

Photo: Getty Images

Some artists are so hot, they can make up for almost a full year out of the spotlight in just a few short months. Well, at least Kanye West can.

Even though he was featured on popular songs like "Forever," with Drake, Eminem and Lil Wayne, and Jay-z's "Run This Town," 'Ye essentially went into hiding after his infamous run-in with Taylor Swift at the 2009 VMAs, traveling to Europe to intern at Fendi and, later, Hawaii to begin recording his forthcoming LP, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, due November 22. While he resurfaced with the anthemic single "Power" in late May and its accompanying "Portrait of Power" art installation in early August, it was really the oddest of things — his joining of Twitter — that signified Kanye...

Drizzy delivered on his debut and was a staple on radio in 2010.

By Paul Cantor

Drake

Photo: Getty Images

In 2009, Drake dropped the instant-classic mixtape So Far Gone (which sold upward of 70,000 units its first week when it was released as an Ep last September) and appeared on songs with Jay-z, Fabolous and Mary J. Blige, among others. He was the industry's new "it" guy, nominated for two Grammys after only a mixtape. His clout was reflected on last year's Hottest MCs in the Game list, with the MTV News Hip-Hop Brain Trust ranking him #3. What more did Aubrey Graham really have to do?

Well, for one, he needed to drop an actual album to prove he was more than just a fly-by-night sensation. He also needed to hit the road and show he was a dynamic performing artist who could fill an arena. And, finally, he needed to make...

The Bawse earned his spot with 'B.M.F.' street banger and start-to-finish classic album Teflon Don.

By Paul Cantor

Rick Ross

Photo: Getty Images

In hip-hop, the streets do the talking. And in 2010, the streets anointed Rick Ross their savior.

Not only did his fourth LP, Teflon Don, debut at #2 on the Billboard albums chart in July with 176,300 sold its first week, but Ross had the undeniable street anthem "B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)," which sold more than 100,000 copies despite being available on the free Albert Anastasia Ep. What's more, he was still fighting off criticism from being outed as a corrections officer and beefing with 50 Cent. But good music can't be stopped, and Ross supplied plenty of it this year, so the MTV News Hip-Hop Brain Trust voted him 2010's #5 Hottest Mc in the Game, the same ranking he received last year.

In a musical climate...

With help from his Young Money fam, Weezy proved not even prison bars could stop his otherworldly flow and undeniable 'star power.'

By Paul Cantor

Lil Wayne

Photo: Johnny Nunez

Lil Wayne had a helluva 2010, and just think: He wasn't even around for most of it. The New Orleans Mc has been on Rikers Island since March, serving time on a weapons charge that dates back to 2007. But before he went in, the Cash Money rapper adopted a work ethic reminiscent of Tupac Shakur.

To wit, he released the compilation album We Are Young Money in late December '09, two full-length solo LPs — Rebirth, which debuted at #2 on the Billboard albums chart and has since gone gold, and I Am Not A Human Being, which sold 110,000 copies in its first week of release in September — more than a handful of videos and a couple of notable collaborations. A mainstay on the Hottest MCs list,...

With help from his Young Money fam, Weezy proved not even prison bars could stop his otherworldly flow and undeniable 'star power.'

By Paul Cantor

Lil Wayne

Photo: Johnny Nunez

Lil Wayne had a helluva 2010, and just think: He wasn't even around for most of it. The New Orleans Mc has been on Rikers Island since March, serving time on a weapons charge that dates back to 2007. But before he went in, the Cash Money rapper adopted a work ethic reminiscent of Tupac Shakur.

To wit, he released the compilation album We Are Young Money in late December '09, two full-length solo LPs — Rebirth, which debuted at #2 on the Billboard albums chart and has since gone gold, and I Am Not A Human Being, which sold 110,000 copies in its first week of release in September — more than a handful of videos and a couple of notable collaborations. A mainstay on the Hottest MCs list,...

Atl rapper earns his first Hottest MCs in the Game bid thanks to consistency in the clubs.

By Paul Cantor

Photo: Getty Images

It's been a quick rise to the top for Waka Flocka Flame.

The Queens-born, Atlanta-bred rapper began garnering attention in hip-hop circles after his mixtape Salute Me or Shoot Me Vol. 1 hit the streets of Atlanta in January 2009. It featured his breakout record "O Let's Do It." The rowdy club track quickly became a fan favorite, and a year later, after he peppered the streets with more mixtapes and a guest verse on "Bingo," from Gucci Mane's 2009 LP, The State vs. Radric Davis, "O Let's Do It" got an official remix featuring Diddy, Rick Ross and Gucci Mane.

On top of all that, the singles "Hard in Da Paint" and "No Hands," from his debut LP Flockaveli (released October 5), garnered him enough buzz and attention to...

Atl rapper earns his first Hottest MCs in the Game bid thanks to consistency in the clubs.

By Paul Cantor

Photo: Getty Images

It's been a quick rise to the top for Waka Flocka Flame.

The Queens-born, Atlanta-bred rapper began garnering attention in hip-hop circles after his mixtape Salute Me or Shoot Me Vol. 1 hit the streets of Atlanta in January 2009. It featured his breakout record "O Let's Do It." The rowdy club track quickly became a fan favorite, and a year later, after he peppered the streets with more mixtapes and a guest verse on "Bingo," from Gucci Mane's 2009 LP, The State vs. Radric Davis, "O Let's Do It" got an official remix featuring Diddy, Rick Ross and Gucci Mane.

On top of all that, the singles "Hard in Da Paint" and "No Hands," from his debut LP Flockaveli (released October 5), garnered him enough buzz and attention to...

Bobby Ray's transition from underground upstart to chart-smashing hitmaker lands him on the list.

By Paul Cantor

B.o.B

Photo: GettyImages

Though B.o.B had been signed to Atlantic Records since the mid-aughts, 2010 was actually the first year people outside underground hip-hop got to experience what he was all about. A year ago, despite being a fixture on MTV's Mixtape Daily, Bobby Ray was stuck in major-label limbo and contemplating giving it all up.

Now, taking into account his buzz, commercial success and impact, the MTV News Hip-Hop Brain Trust has selected B.o.B as the #9 Hottest Mc in the Game, his first appearance on the list.

B.o.B had a handful of minor looks over the years, yet never one that catapulted him to stardom. There was his 2007 trance-rap single "Haterz Everywhere" and, a year later, the song "I'll Be in the Sky." There were...

Making his first-ever appearance on the list, Luda took the 10th spot with his Battle of the Sexes and a slew of chart-topping cameos.

By Paul Cantor

Ludacris

Photo: GettyImages

The 2010 Hottest MCs in the Game rollout is now under way! As in 2008 and 2009 the criteria is based on a combination of rhyme skill, flow, buzz, commercial success, business ventures, Web presence and cultural influence.

All this week, we'll be rolling out the rankings and reactions from artists, DJs, the MCs themselves — and you! Upload your comments, reactions, arguments and/or your own list to Your.MTV.com or send tweets to with the hashtag #hottestmcs — the best responses could be on TV or our hip-hop blog, RapFix! And tune in to MTV2 this Sunday at 1:30 p.m. to watch the final reveal.

Flame Thrower: Ludacris

2010 Rank: #10

Collection: Battle of the Sexes

Previous Rankings: N/A

Ludacris has been...

Making his first-ever appearance on the list, Luda took the tenth spot with his Battle of the Sexes and a slew of chart-topping cameos.

By Paul Cantor

Ludacris

Photo: GettyImages

The 2010 Hottest MCs in the Game rollout is now under way! As in 2008 and2009, the list, determined by the MTV News Hip-Hop Brain Trust, is based on an Mc's achievements right now, rather than an entire career. The criteria is based on a combination of rhyme skill, flow and how those things are implemented musically. The Brain Trust also considered buzz, impact, commercial success — sales, airplay, business ventures, Web presence, endorsements and helping to spawn other artists' careers — and the intangible, impact: Can an artist not only contribute to the rap game but influence cultural shifts? Are they trendsetters? All of these factors contributed to deciding who is the Hottest Mc in the Game. All this week, we'll be rolling out reactions from artists,...

The top five will be revealed on October 24 on MTV2.

By MTV News Staff

Photo: MTV News

It's about to go down, basement! The MTV News Hip-Hop Brain Trust is back at the roundtable to discuss the most authentic, most controversial and most debated list in the music industry today: the Hottest MCs in the Game right now. Will Jay-z retain his crown? Could a young upstart like Drake snatch it from him?

We'll find out soon, as the 2010 Hottest MCs edition begins to roll out on Monday, October 18, on MTVNews.com and MTV's RapFix blog leading up to the big reveal on Sunday, October 24, on MTV2.

The criteria for all the MCs who actively released music in the past year is the same as in 2009: artistic execution (lyrical ability, flow), commercial success (charting hits, radio spins, album sales), cultural impact (business acumen, putting on other big artists), digital metrics,...

Before giving his commencement speech, Obama pops in on some unsuspecting Kalamazoo Central students.

By James Montgomery, with additional reporting by Sean Lee

Kalamazoo Central High School are visited by President Barack Obama on Monday

Photo: MTV News

On Monday (June 7), hours before he was set to deliver the commencement address for Kalamazoo Central High School's class of 2010, President Barack Obama gave those graduating students the surprise of their lives, bringing the already energized group to a frenzy with an unannounced meet-and-greet at an intimate, pre-commencement ceremony.

MTV News was there exclusively, and we've got the footage for you right now!

Backstage, in the moments prior to their commencement — which was held at nearby Western Michigan University, due to the overflow crowd — Kalamazoo Central Principal Von Washington Jr. brought the nearly 300 graduating seniors together in an adjoining holding area for what they only assumed to be little more than a quick pre-commencement pep talk.

Kanye's message is, 'I'm here to smack you,' RapRadar's Elliott Wilson says.

By MTV News Staff, with reporting by Akshay Bhansali

Kanye West

Photo: Amy Sussman/Getty Images

Kanye West returned with a bang on Friday when his new track "Power" leaked online, making it the first offering from his highly anticipated next album. The Mc has been keeping a relatively low profile in recent months, following his interruption of Taylor Swift's acceptance speech at last year's MTV Video Music Awards and subsequent apologies.

The Symbolyc One-produced "Power" finds West back in Mc mode, firing away at his detractors and giving fans a preview of what's to come on his next project, which he's been recording in Hawaii with a slew of other artists and producers.

"I'm living in the 21st century, doing something mean to it," West spits on the opening lines. "Do it better than...

By Sean Lee

Rihanna's latest attempt at summer song domination is "Rock Star 101," and she's got the obligatory Travis Barker cameo to prove it. As you may have noticed, she's hardly the first hip-hop/R&B artist to have this brilliant crossover idea. Recent years have given us Juelz Santana's "Rock Star," Shop Boyz' "Party Like A Rock Star" (all the girls with "tramp stamps," stand up!), N.E.R.D.'s "Rock Star" (the standard bearer of faux-rock excellence), Young Jeezy's "Rockstar," R. Kelly and Ludacris' "Rockstar" (which added Kid Rock for extra cred), Chamillionaire's "Rock Star," Eminem's "We Made You (Rockstar)" and Pink's "Rockstar" (she'll always be urban to those of us who remember her first album).

In addition, Gucci Mane's big hit "Wasted" may as well be called "Rock Star," as it famously kicks in with the lyric "Rock star lifestyle/ Might don't make it.

By Akshay Bhansali

Last Friday's (January 22) "Hope for Haiti Now" telethon raised $58 million in donations (as of Saturday, January 23) from donors all over the world. A lot of times, one never gets to see how exactly donations result in tangible relief on the ground, or just how long it takes to get from your text, or submission, to a life in Haiti changing for the better. In an effort to observe this exercise, I joined MTV News supervising producer Sean Lee, production manager Adam Stewart and correspondent Suchin Pak on an expedition to see just how donations affect Haitians on the ground.

After a day's worth of Navy Blackhawk chopper rides from Guantanamo Bay to the USS Carl Vinson to the USS Batton, we made it to the U.S. Armed Forces camp at Port-au-Prince airport on Thursday evening. The level of activity on the base was monumental: 290 helicopter and plane relief runs occurring daily.

MTV News is sending a team of reporters to Haiti to chronicle the recovery effort in the wake of last week's devastating earthquake. We will be following their journey to Haiti through e-mails, tweets, BBMs and video in the lead-up to Friday night's "Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief" telethon, which will air on MTV and dozens of other networks at 8 p.m. Et.

Reporter Suchin Pak, production manager Adam Stewart and producer Sean Lee departed Miami on Wednesday on their way to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where they will embed with the military for a relief flight to Haiti.

Suchin Pak, 11:20 a.m. (Wednesday, January 20): "We are waiting for our military contact and the private plane terminal is filled with young doctors in scrubs. I talk with Rodney Napier, 24, who works in a Haitian restaurant here in Miami and is going with the surgeons to Haiti tonight.

MTV News is sending a team of reporters to Haiti to chronicle the recovery effort in the wake of last week's devastating earthquake. We will be following their journey to Haiti through e-mails, tweets, BBMs and video in the lead-up to Friday night's "Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief" telethon, which will air on MTV and dozens of other networks at 8 p.m. Et

Our first dispatches come from reporter Suchin Pak, production manager Adam Stewart and producer Sean Lee as they prepare to embed with the military for a relief flight to Haiti.

5:19 a.m. Est, Wednesday (January 20), Suchin Pak: "We caught an early morning flight to Miami and then a military flight to Guantanamo. From there, we will get helicoptered into Haiti. Our mission is to follow a relief package from the U.S. into Haiti. We wanted to see what a...

By Shaheem Reid

MTV News Hip-Hop Brain Trust

Photo: MTV News

In October, the reveal of MTV News' 2009 "Hottest MCs in the Game" list begins. Before you start running up on the MTV News Hip-Hop Brain Trust members on the street asking why Tupac Shakur, Notorious B.I.G. or some of the other greatest MCs of all time aren't on the list, let's reestablish the criteria.

First, note that — as it was in 2007 and last year — the list is based on an Mc's accomplishments over the past eight to 12 months. Rather than analyzing an artist's entire career, like we did in our "Greatest MCs of All Time" series in 2006, we break down what's going on right now. That doesn't mean legends can't make the list: Jay-z and Outkast's Andre 3000 have made our previous two lists.

For the criteria, we factor in the following: How the Mc's words penetrate on the...

Welcome to the weekly Newsroom Poll, where we will give you a sneak peek into the lives and minds of some of the correspondents, writers, editors and producers here at MTVNews.com. Every week, they'll answer a poll question that will reveal some of what we talk about behind the scenes here in the newsroom. Enjoy!

This week, details surfaced about one of the most hotly anticipated albums of the fall. No, not Jay-z's The Blueprint 3 or Lil Wayne's Rebirth. We're talking about the soundtrack to "New Moon," which will likely feature contributions from Radiohead's Thom Yorke, Muse, Kings of Leon and Death Cab for Cutie. There was also the announcement of the soundtrack to "Jennifer's Body," the new Diablo Cody-penned horror film. With that, combined with the quarter-century anniversary of one of the finest film soundtracks ever constructed (that being Prince's Purple Rain), this week's question is:...