The Playlist

'Law & Order' Star Jesse L. Martin Back To Star In Marvin Gaye Biopic 'Sexual Healing,' Replaces Lenny Kravitz

By Kevin Jagernauth
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March 4, 2013 3:48 PM
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0 Comments

Television

What goes around comes around, or something like that. The forever developing Marvin Gaye biopic "Sexual Healing" has once again switched out its lead, but this time has gone back the man who was originally tapped for the gig.

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What's Going On: Lenny Kravitz To Play Marvin Gaye In Julien Temple's 'Sexual Healing'; Michael Hutchence Biopics In The Works

By Kevin Jagernauth
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November 26, 2012 10:05 PM
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1 Comment

News

It certainly hasn't been for lack of trying that we haven't had a Marvin Gaye biopic. Cameron Crowe has been trying for years to get one made, while F. Gary Gray was also attached to helm a project titled simply "Marvin." But now it looks like Julien Temple is getting ahead of the pack with a leading man who has acting and musical chops.

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Minka Kelly To Play Jackie Kennedy Opposite Matthew McConaughey's JFK In Lee Daniels' 'The Butler,' Lenny Kravitz Also Joins

By Ryan Gowland
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May 23, 2012 9:20 AM
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3 Comments

News

While "Precious" helmer Lee Daniels is nominally in Cannes at the moment to promote the debut of the follow up to his Oscar-nominee, "The Paperboy," which screens tomorrow morning (keep your eyes peeled for our review), it seems the director also intends to leak out casting news for his upcoming project, "The Butler." Earlier this week, it was revealed that Daniels would reunite with his "Paperboy" star Nicole Kidman on the project, and now Daniels has revealed that "Friday Night Lights" star Minka Kelly and "Precious" actor Lenny Kravitz have been added to the growing ensemble of "The Butler" as well.

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Review: 'The Hunger Games' Is Thoughtful, Thrilling Popular Entertainment That Genuinely Deserves To Be A Franchise

By Todd Gilchrist
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March 16, 2012 9:01 AM
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12 Comments

Reviews

Complexity and understatement are two criminally under-utilized values in most mainstream movies these days, but they’re at the core of, and the chief reason for the success of “The Hunger Games.” Director Gary Ross, screenwriter of the proletariat presidential fantasy “Dave” and writer-director of the social-consciousness-as-sci-fi tome “Pleasantville,” has always engaged his subjects with a light and yet substantial touch, but his adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ acclaimed young-adult novel is a truly remarkable achievement: he turns escapism into a deeply emotional experience. Instantly razing comparisons – qualitative especially -- to other female-friendly series such as “Twilight,” “The Hunger Games” is the first film in a long time that deserves Hollywood’s instant-franchise ambitions because it appeals to genre fans regardless of gender by crafting a story that’s both epic and intimate, spectacular and subtle.

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Watch: Lenny Kravitz Talks Playing Cinna In 'Hunger Games,' Paying His Dues & Growing As An Actor

By Kevin Jagernauth
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February 1, 2012 1:00 PM
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2 Comments

News

While Lenny Kravitz has dominated the stage as a musician for years, his recent transition to the big screen has been a fascinating journey to follow. The burgeoning actor made his movie debut in Lee Daniels' "Precious," and it was pretty far from the charismatic persona he developed as an axe slinger and singer. Playing the sympathetic Nurse John, his performance showed a sensitivity and depth that was a pleasant surprise. And he's changing things up once again, swinging from an indie film to franchise project, playing Cinna in the forthcoming "The Hunger Games."

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Watch: Full Trailer For 'The Hunger Games' Is Mostly Convincing

By Oliver Lyttelton
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November 14, 2011 9:25 AM
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14 Comments

News

If a trailer's going to bow on "Good Morning America," it feels like you're safe in making some assumptions on the content of that trailer. Something frothy, we would imagine, in the vein of "New Year's Eve" or "Eat Pray Love," perhaps. At the very most, something from the latest Disney film, bearing in mind that ABC is a subsidiary of Disney. Not on our shortlist? A violent, dystopian sci-fi film about children made to fight each other to the death for the benefit of the general public.

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'Abduction' Soundtrack Can't Steal A Good Song, Features Lenny Kravitz, Train & More

By Kevin Jagernauth
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September 2, 2011 3:46 AM
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6 Comments

Music supervision is a tricky business. It's a careful balance of working with a filmmaker in choosing songs that will be effective their movie, while in many cases, also ensuring it will be something that will appeal to the intended audience. It's a strange sort of curation but when it works well, everyone is happy. Say what you will about the "Twilight" soundtracks but they have been a savvy blend of tunes that courted both Twihards and those would couldn't care less about the franchise. All of which brings us to "Abduction," Taylor Lautner's first stab at a leading-man action role, and the music chosen for the movie is a pretty bizarre mix, to the say the least.

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Lenny Kravitz Will Style Katniss Everdeen As Cinna In 'Hunger Games'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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May 24, 2011 3:30 AM
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2 Comments

Are you gonna go my way? The answer is yes.

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Woody Harrelson, Stanley Tucci & Lenny Kravitz Sought For 'Hunger Games'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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April 29, 2011 12:57 PM
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0 Comments

Ethan Jamieson & Tara Macken Cast As District 4 PlayersWhile most of the "Hunger Games" casting so far has centered around the smaller names that populate the various Districts in the game (please see the most recent casting of Ethan Jamieson and Tara Macken), it seems that the filmmakers are not done headhunting for big names to join the franchise-starting film and now three more stars are being tossed into the rumor mill.

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Mickey Rourke, Lenny Kravitz, Rosario Dawson & Rodrigo Santoro Top-Lining 'The Blind Bastard Club'

By Oliver Lyttelton
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February 16, 2011 1:56 AM
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0 Comments

The Berlin Film Festival always brings a ton of news as independent producers shop around for pre-sales, and the latest project to be revealed is an intriguing, if odd-sounding drama, with an eclectic cast. Screen Daily reports that Mickey Rourke, Rosario Dawson and Lenny Kravitz are all attached to star in "The Blind Bastard Club," which will begin filming in April.

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