Way back in 2020, during the height of the pandemic, we saw reports that filmmaker Kenya Barris was set to write and direct a film based on the life of iconic comedian, Richard Pryor. However, like so many projects in the works at that time, we haven’t really heard much about it over the past few years. But according to Barris, not only is the project still alive and well, but it’s actually turned into a TV series. 

Continue reading Kenya Barris Says His Richard Pryor Biopic Has Become A 10-Part Limited Series at The Playlist.

For all of the success that Kenya Barris has had on TV, his film output as a director and especially a screenwriter is bizarrely spotty. For a project like “Girls Trip” (co-written with Tracy Oliver), we then have his directorial debut, Netflix’s “You People” from last January, co-written and starring Jonah Hill, which felt less like a comedy and more like a trap for anybody in front of the camera.

Continue reading ‘White Men Can’t Jump’ Review: A Disposable Remake That Will Make You Yearn For The Chemistry In The Original at The Playlist.

Despite the all-star cast that includes Jonah Hill and Eddie Murphy along with the fact that Hill and filmmaker Kenya Barris also co-wrote it, Netflix’s “You People” didn’t get a ton of love from critics upon its release recently. And sure, the film is in the Netflix Top 10 or whatever, but there’s also the general feeling that audiences were a bit let down by the comedy.

Continue reading ‘You People’: Andrew Schulz Says The Jonah Hill & Lauren London Kiss Was Faked Using CGI at The Playlist.

How do you make the norm abnormal for the sake of comedy? Interracial/mixed-race families are so ordinary these days (I’m part of one as we speak), but comedy often has to exaggerate our differences to strike at deep laughs that speak to deeper, uncomfortable truths. That’s fair enough, and writer/director Kenya Barris’ (“Black-ish”) well-intentioned family comedy, “You People,” certainly seems to have the plan to use racial misunderstanding, misfires, and mis-intentions, to create a funny, insightful dialogue about families, love, and race in America today.

Continue reading ‘You People’ Review: Jonah Hill & Eddie Murphy’s Comedic Chops Can’t Save A Corny, Superficial Family Comedy at The Playlist.

Best known for the television comedies “Black-ish,” “Grown-ish,” and “Mixed-ish,” writer, producer, director, and actor Kenya Barris has had a strong run looking at Black and multiracial families through a comedic lens. He’s done that on the big screen before with the modern version of “Cheaper by the Dozen,” but he really pluses the entire idea with his latest comedy, “You People,” which features an all-star cast for Netflix.

Continue reading ‘You People’ Trailer: Jonah Hill, Eddie Murphy & More Star In Kenya Barris’ New Multiracial Family Comedy at The Playlist.

A few years back, you might remember that Kenya Barris— creator of the ABC sitcom “Black-ish”— and actor Jonah Hill had written a project together, and it would be a family comedy that also co-starred Eddie Murphy. Well, the project, a Netflix film, is called “You People,” and the teaser has finally arrived.

READ MORE: Eddie Murphy Joins Jonah Hill In Netflix Comedy Directed By Kenya Barris

The comedy essentially centers on a Jewish kid (Hill) and a Black girl (Lauren London), who are dating, and the hilarity that ensues when their very different families are put together at dinner and various events.

Continue reading ‘You People’ Teaser: Kenya Barris Looks At Modern Families With Jonah Hill, Eddie Murphy, Nia Long & More at The Playlist.

When you hear the premise of “Entergalactic,” the new animated series coming to Netflix, it might not elicit much excitement. It’s a show about a young guy trying to balance love and success while living in New York City. But, as the trailer for the series shows, “Entergalactic” is much, much more than just a clichéd premise. 

“Entergalactic” comes from the minds of Scott Mescudi, aka rapper Kid Cudi, and superstar producer Kenya Barris.

Continue reading ‘Entergalactic’ Trailer: Kid Cudi & Kenya Barris Combine Forces For An Immersive Explosion Of Art & Music In New Animated Series at The Playlist.

When remaking something as iconic as “The Wizard of Oz,” you have to make sure you get it right, otherwise, people are going to riot. The 1939 film is one of the most acclaimed and revered films to ever get made and clearly, Warner Bros. doesn’t want to screw it up. So, with that in mind, it appears the studio is ready to change directors for the forthcoming remake of “The Wizard of Oz,” going in a completely new direction for the film. 

Continue reading ‘Wizard Of Oz’: ‘Black-ish’ Creator Kenya Barris To Write & Direct WB’s Remake Of The Classic Film at The Playlist.

Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi has had quite the year onscreen so far. His turn in Ti West‘s sleazoid-horror film “X” is one of that film’s many strengths and is bound to put him on other directors’ radars. But maybe Mescudi can handle himself just fine. He has a new project, the animated series “Entergalactic,” on the way last year, with an accompanying soundtrack he produced himself.

Continue reading ‘Entergalactic’ Teaser: Kid Cudi’s Animated Film With Timothée Chalamet, Ty Dolla $ign & More Hits Netflix In September at The Playlist.

The extraordinary story behind the friendship of two of the most iconic figures of the 20th century is finally being told on the big screen. Netflix is behind the new Kenya Barris-produced (“Blackish“) documentary, “Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali,” focusing on the three years that Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali spent forging their brotherhood before their ultimate falling-out.

Continue reading ‘Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali’ Trailer: Netflix Doc Explores The Brotherhood Of Two Icons & Arrives In Sept at The Playlist.

Having enjoyed a recent comeback on streaming platforms of late, comedian Eddie Murphy has landed another streaming project. The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Murphy will star opposite fellow funnyman Jonah Hill (“The Wolf of Wall Street,” “21 Jump Street,” “Superbad“) in an untitled family comedy that Kenya Barris will direct (“#BlackAF,” “Black-ish“) for Netflix.

Continue reading Eddie Murphy Joins Jonah Hill In Netflix Comedy Directed By Kenya Barris at The Playlist.

Kenya Barris is one of the most in-demand creators and screenwriters working in comedy today. Not only is he the man behind “Black-ish,” the popular sitcom that has run for seven seasons, but Barris wrote “Coming 2 America” and the upcoming remake of “Cheaper by the Dozen.” Now, he’s set to make his directorial debut with the help of another comedy heavyweight, Jonah Hill.

Continue reading Jonah Hill To Co-Write & Star In A New Comedy Film From Kenya Barris at The Playlist.

Leave it to former President of the United States, Barack Obama, to create a “Schoolhouse Rock” for a new generation, with the upcoming Netflix series, “We the People.”

READ MORE: ‘Mary J. Blige’s My Life’ Trailer Pulls Back the Curtain on a Superstar

As seen in the new trailer for “We the People,” the animated musical series aims to educate young folks about the ways in which the American government operates.

Continue reading ‘We The People’ Trailer: The Obamas Team With Netflix On A ‘Schoolhouse Rock’ For A New Generation at The Playlist.

Kenya Barris is up there with names like Shonda Rhimes and Ryan Murphy as one of the most successful producers in the realm of TV, with numerous hit shows under his belt such as “Black-ish” (and its three spinoffs) and the recently released Netflix show “#BlackAF.” He’s also the writer of features such as “Girls Trip,” “The Witches,” and the upcoming “Coming 2 America.” And now, it appears the writer-producer is ready to add “director” to his resume with an upcoming film based on the life of legendary comedian Richard Pryor.

Continue reading ‘Black-ish’ Creator Kenya Barris To Write & Direct A Richard Pryor Biopic at The Playlist.

The idea of a series following the life of a massively successful TV producer and the luxurious life he leads might sound like a pretty terrible idea, especially in the era of similar shows like “Keeping Up with the Kardashians,” where excess is flaunted and worshipped. However, the new Netflix comedy series, “#blackAF,” puts its own spin on that premise.

READ MORE: ‘The Great’ Trailer: The Writer Of ‘The Favourite’ Returns With Another Off-Beat, Funny Take On Royalty

It’s clear from the very beginning of the trailer for “#blackAF” that Kenya Barris (the creator of “Black-ish“) is aiming to use the scripted comedy series to poke fun at himself and the idea of being a popular, wealthy TV producer.

Continue reading ‘#blackAF’ Trailer: Kenya Barris Stars In A Meta-Comedy About The Life Of A Hollywood Producer at The Playlist.

The Royal Penis will be cleaned…again.

That’s right, audiences will be going back to Zamunda (and probably Queens) in a sequel to the classic ‘80s comedy “Coming to America.” Hopefully, this means that Randy Watson and Sexual Chocolate will have a reunion, as well.

Deadline is reporting that Craig Brewer, director of “Black Snake Moan,” “Hustle & Flow,” and the upcoming “Dolemite is My Name,” has been hired to helm the long-awaited sequel to the Eddie Murphy comedy.

Continue reading Sexual Chocolate! Eddie Murphy Will Star In ‘Coming To America 2,’ Craig Brewer To Direct at The Playlist.