Category: Upcoming Films

The Christmas Lottery

Release Date:   12/12/20, BET and BET Her; and 12/17/20 BET+
Genre:  Comedy/Holiday
Rating:  NR
Director:  Tamika Miller
Studio(s):   MarVista Entertainment, Octet Productions
Running Time:  Unknown

Cast:  Reginald VelJohnson, Asai’h Epperson, Christina “Brave” Williams, Candiace Dillard Bassett, Lorenzo “Renny” Cromwell, Terayle Hill, Kay-Megan Washington, Phylicia Morgan.

Story:  Gerald Davenport has requested his three estranged daughters Diedre, Nicole, and Tammy come together for Christmas for a big announcement…he has won a $10-million-dollar lottery! To get their share, the sisters must repair their broken relationship. But when their dementia-stricken mother, Diane, forgets where she hid the ticket, the Davenport’s are now in a race to find the ticket and fix their family all before Christmas Day.  Source(s):  Shadow & Act; Black Film & TV.

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Restless

Release Date:  12/15/20; DVD
Genre:   Thriller
Rating:  NR
Director:  Tavares M. Wilson
Studio(s):  Maverick Entertainment
Running Time:  75 mins.
Cast:  Tai Anderson, Tavares M. Wilson, Robyn Connell, Will Jeziorski

Story:   Single Mother Naomi Harper takes on a ruthless drug lord and corrupt politicians when her teenage son is killed in what appears to be a gang related homicide. With her sights set and a list full of names, Naomi sets out on brutal path of revenge and justice, as she won’t stop or rest until every single person is held accountable.  Source:  Maverick Entertainment.

Trailer:

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Cooking Up Christmas

Release Date:  12/15/20; OWN
Genre:  Family/Holiday
Rating:  NR
Director:  Roger M. Bobb
Studio(s):  Mutiny FX, Tycor International Film Company
Running Time:  Unknown
Cast:  Lamman Rucker (Donovon Jackson), Meagan Holder (Chloe), Jen Harper (Dolores), Giovonnie Samuels (April), Marquita Goings (Shavonne), Vince Pisani (Mark), L. Warren Young (Buck), Peter Luis Zimmerman (Carlos), Bailey Tippen (Vanessa), Lindsey Blackwell (Lindsey).

Story:  Meagan Holder (“Pitch”) stars in this family-centric holiday story as Chloe, an Atlanta-based chef at a fine dining restaurant who gets fired just weeks before Christmas and reluctantly takes a job with pro baseball player Donovan Jackson (Lamman Rucker), who is a single dad of three needing a live-in-chef to get him through the holidays with the kids. Chloe only takes the job in order to save up enough capital to live out her dream of opening her own restaurant, but soon finds herself caught up in the ups and downs of the Jackson family during her residency. Throughout the holiday season in the Jackson household the importance of family and Chloe’s good Southern cooking are two constants that remain. As Christmas comes to an end, Chloe discovers that her lifelong dream might finally come true… and that her heart has a mind of its own.  Source:  Black Film & TV.

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Malcolm & Marie

Release Date:  2/5/21; Netflix
Genre:  Drama
Rating:  NR
Director:  Sam Levinson
Studio(s):  Little Lamb, The Reasonable Bunch, Netflix  
Running Time:  106 mins.
Cast:  Zendaya (Marie), John David Washington (Malcolm)


Story:  Sam Levinson teams up with Zendaya and John David Washington for an achingly romantic drama in which a filmmaker (Washington) and his girlfriend (Zendaya) return home following a celebratory movie premiere as he awaits what’s sure to be imminent critical and financial success.  The evening suddenly takes a turn as revelations about their relationships begin to surface, testing the strength of their love.  The first film to be written, directed, and completed during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.  Source(s):  Shadow & Act; IMDB.

Trailer:

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First Christmas

Release Date:  12/22/20; OWN
Genre:  Drama/Holiday
Rating:  NR
Director:  Crystle Roberson
Studio(s):  Foremost Pictures, MarVista Entertainment, OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network
Running Time:  Unknown
Cast:  Idara Victor, Tonea Stewart, Samantha Smith, Mason Beauchamp, Peyton Jackson, Amanda Tavarez
Story:  Given up for adoption and placed in foster care at a young age, writer Halle Downing (Idara Victor) receives the blessing of a lifetime when she is invited to spend Christmas in New Orleans with the biological family she never knew she had – The Moores. Halle’s grandmother “Memaw” (Tonea Stewart) welcomes the young woman with open arms, completely overwhelming Halle with emotion at the significance of finally finding her family.  Extremely excited to meet her twin siblings Tiffany (Samantha Smith) and Glenn (Mason Beauchamp) along with younger brother Drew (Peyton Jackson) for the first time, Halle soon faces the hard reality that finding her place in this close-knit family is going to take longer than she thought, something that becomes particularly evident when she witnesses Tiffany’s apprehension about introducing her new girlfriend Paris (Amanda Tavarez) to the family for the first time. However, as Christmas approaches, Halle begins to gain perspective on the Moore family dynamic and ultimately comes to embrace and celebrate her first family holiday with a special gift that tells her she is right where she is supposed to be.  Source(s):  Shadow & Act; Black Film &TV.

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A Christmas For Mary

Release Date:  12/8/20; OWN
Genre:  Romance/Holiday
Rating:  NR
Director:  David DeCoteau
Studio(s):  Hybrid; OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network; Harpo Films
Running Time:  Unknown

Cast:  Vivica A. Fox (Vivian), Jackée Harry (Deborah), Morgan Dixon (Lena), Leah Briese (Stephanie), Alonzo B. Slater (Michael), Ricco Ross (David), Kelli Dawn Hancock (Claudia), Chris Rouse (Earl), Mercedez Ja’Miece (Julie).

Story:  A holiday tale of rediscovery and renewal when up-and-coming journalist Lena Jones (Dixon) is tasked with delivering a story by Christmas that will wow her boss, magazine editor Vivian Vaye (Fox), who is dangling a promotion to head writer over Lena’s head. Intrigued by a portrait of a mysterious woman painted by her late grandfather, Lena journeys to the small town of Pineville, where with her mother, Deborah’s (Harry) blessing and support, Lena uncovers a long-ago forgotten tale of young love that not only uncovers cherished memories of the past, but also inspires Lena to follow her heart and find her own true love … and her perfect Christmas story.  Source(s):  Shadow & Act; Black Film & TV.

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