We are halfway through July, and the television and film train is full steam ahead! Summer is upon us and there is much to dive into!! Check out this week’s new trailers below:
Untamed (Streaming on Netflix July 17th)
Billy Joel: And So It Goes (Streaming on HBO Max July 18th and 25th)
Chief of War (Streaming on Apple TV+ August 1st)
Weapons (In theaters August 8th)
Season 2-Gen V (Streaming on Prime Video September 17th)
Now You See Me: Now You Don’t (In theaters November 14th)
Well, folks, I’m back with a few pop culture nuggets! Nothing like sharing some exciting news and updates. This week we have a range of topics including BASL representation, Black hair care, comic book teaser alerts, and Adidas footwear.
Check this week’s news below:
Making HUGE moves for the BASL community…Right on time for its July 4th release on Max, fans of the acclaimed film Sinners will be able to watch it two ways: by 1) streaming the exact theatrically released version, and 2) choosing Sinners in Black American Sign Language (BASL).
According to Warner Bros., this is the first time a streaming service has interpreted a film into BASL. According to Max, the release of Sinners in BASL marks “a major step forward in accessibility, representation and visibility in streaming. Interpreted by Nakia Smith, she is “an influential voice in the Black Deaf community, who delivers a powerful interpretation with cultural depth and linguistic richness that aligns with the film’s themes and historical timeline.”
Nothing like the perfect cocktail for your hair…Just in time to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the popular “Girlfriends” show, Tracee Ellis Ross is turning mixology into hairology through her PATTERN hair care line. Described by Ross in a press release, “Hair cocktailing is a common practice in our community—we layer curl gels, creams, oils and more to create a personalized formula that works best for our own hair.” As noted in Essence, with almost six years on the market, PATTERN’s very first commercial gives air to a wash day ritual Black women almost instinctively do.
The products include a Styling Cream and a Strong Hold Gel, which can be used to shape a bouffant afro, as well as the Curl Gel and Leave-In Conditioner to define coils. Lastly, there is the Curl Mousse for definition and shine.
It looks like we may see DC’s first Black Female Superhero, Nubia, on a television or film screen near you in the near future. While waiting on news about Batman in The Brave and the Bold and the DCU’s plans for Wonder Woman, an interviewer (Pay or Wait) slyly asked famed director James Gunn about the addition of two other characters, Nubia and Static Shock. As one of DC’s most significant but underused characters (sometimes connected to Wonder Woman), Gunn explains “I am very aware of Nubia. And yes, we are very much talking about that, and I want to have all sorts of people represented in the DCU and, yeah, you might be very happy in the not too distant future.” Although a release date has not been set, I look forward to seeing what happens with the character on the big screen.
In more comic news, from Marvel Animation, viewers get a sneak peek into another part of Wakanda in the 4-part series, Eyes of Wakanda.
The series casts a stellar, dynamic voice cast including Winnie Harlow, Cress Williams, Patricia Belcher, Larry Herron, Adam Gold, Lynn Whitfield, Jacques Colimon, Jona Xiao, Gary Anthony Williams, Zeke Alton, Steve Toussaint, Anika Noni Rose , and Isaac Robinson-Smith. It will be the first series of Phase Six of the MCU.
See the teaser trailer below, set to stream on Disney Plus August 27th:
Looks like Samuel L. Jackson is making his mark in the shoe game, as he lends his voice to a new Adidas Originals Superstar Campaign. The campaign is set to honor the timeless silhouettes of Adidas through storytelling. This teaser marks the first installment in a multipart campaign featuring a cross-generational roster of creatives. In a statement from the brand, “When icons wear icons, culture moves.” For a brief history of the Adidas Original Superstar shoe, see here.
It’s July 1st, and we are opening the month with some fresh new entertainment set to hit your TV and movie screens. I’ve got a nice kamikaze mix ready for you to view! Check out this week’s new trailers below:
Washington Black (Streaming on Hulu-July 23rd)
My Oxford Year (Streaming on Netflix August 1st)
Magic City: An American Fantasy (Streaming on STARZ August 15th)
America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys (Streaming on Netflix August 25th)
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (In theaters September 12th)
Roofman (In theaters October 10)
Project Hail Mary (In theaters March 20, 2026)
Alright ya’ll, it’s the month of June, halfway through 2025!! Let’s see what is in store for us in film and television. Check out this week’s trailers below:
Season 3-The Gilded Age (Streaming on HBO Max June 22nd)
Ironheart (Streaming on Disney+ June 24th)
Smoke (Streaming on Apple TV+ June 27th)
Head of State (Streaming on Prime Video July 2nd)
The Old Guard 2 (Streaming on Netflix July 2nd)
Season 2-Gen V (Streaming on Prime Video September 17th)
This is going to be an exciting week!! We jumped into a new month and many of our faves are returning to screens this week!! Even dropped a few late spring/early summer features!! Check out the latest trailers below:
Season 3-Abbott Elementary (Streaming on ABC February 7th)
A Soweto Love Story (Streaming on Netflix February 14th)
Churchy (Streaming on BET+ February 15th)
Season 2-Will Trent (Streaming on ABC February 20th)
Madu (Streaming on Disney+ March 29th)
Mary & George (Streaming on STARZ April 5th)
We Grown Now (In theaters May 10th)
Back to Black (In theaters May 17th)
A new week and a new set of trailers! Check them out below:
Rye Lane (Streaming on Hulu March 31st)
Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields (Streaming on Hulu April 3rd)
BEEF (Streaming on Netflix April 6th)
Waco: The Aftermath (Streaming on Showtime April 14th)
The Professor (In theaters April 21st)
Love & Death (Streaming on HBO Max April 27th)
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (Streaming on Netflix May 4th)
Keeping up with my tradition from 2020 and 2021 I have compiled my ‘Top 22’ books from this year!! I feel like I always have an endless supply of books, you can never have too many! Plus I love seeing my library grow!!
This year I added a few graphic novels that caught my attention during one of my many travels this year!!
All in all, I love sharing some of my top reading faves!! As I always say, ‘sharing is caring.’
So in no particular order, here is my Top 22 List of Books for 2022!!
Hopefully you are staying cool in this heat, because Summer is ALL the way here!! So why not continue the party with some HOT reads!!
This month we continue bringing in those literary gems!! Now don’t forget to stop by your local bookstore (virtually or in-person) and pick up your copies!! Enjoy!!
And remember you can always go back and check out the previous month’s list and past recommendations in the “Resource” section of the website!!
“We read books to find out who we are.” ~Ursula K. Le Guin
Have you ever just looked at an image or a still shot of something and became overwhelmingly excited and stunned at the same time?? Well those are my exact emotions when I saw the image below:
Power…Strength…Fierceness…Beauty…Action…Simply Speechless
For even more of the above emotions check out the Empire Exclusive picture, see here!!
The image above is from the upcoming film, “The Woman King.” It is inspired by true events that took place in The Kingdom of Dahomey (now known as present-day Benin), which was one of the most powerful states of Africa in the 18th and 19th centuries. Its story follows Nanisca (Viola Davis), General of the all-female military unit (for additional context the women who inspired Black Panther’s Dora Milaje), and Nawi (Thuso Mbedu), an ambitious recruit, who as a team “fought enemies who violated their honor, enslaved their people, and threatened to destroy everything they’ve lived for.”
Davis debuted the trailer for the film at this year’s CinemaCon in April.
Hook … Line … and Sinker … I’m sold!! To see Viola Davis in a “kick-ass” role (literally and figuratively), as well as see the history of a group of Black women warriors unfold on the Hollywood screen is music to my ears! Now that is “Representation Matters” in action!!
“The Woman King” was co-written by Dana Stevens and Gina Prince Bythewood who also serves as the director. The film is also produced under Viola Davis and her husband Julius Tennon’s company, JuVee Productions (along with . Not only is the film on point behind the camera but it also includes a dynamic cast, which includes Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, Hero Fiennes Tiffin and John Boyega. According to Prince-Bythewood, “we were intentional of creating an ensemble of the dopest actors of this moment from all over the diaspora.” AND the musical score will be coming from the legendary Terence Blanchard. I’m already on the edge of my seat waiting for this one to hit theaters!!
“The Woman King” is set to be exclusively in theaters on September 16, 2022.
April Showers bring May Flowers…And those flowers come in the form of some great television and films!! Don’t believe me, check them out below:
Under the Banner of Heaven (Streaming on Hulu/FX Networks April 28th)
The Staircase (Streaming on HBO Max May 5th)
Senior Year (Streaming on Netflix May 13th)
Season 4-Stranger Things (Streaming on Netflix May 27th)
Becoming Elizabeth (Streaming June 12th on STARZPlay)
Thor: Love and Thunder (In theaters July 8th)
Black Future Feminist 