The Static Shock film will have significant differences from the comic books — and according to Reginald Hudlin, that’s due to the nature of the medium.
During a DC press conference attended by CBR, Hudlin explained, “Look, I think whenever you tell a story, and you go from medium to medium, that’s a tremendous opportunity to take advantage of the unique qualities of that medium. And how you tell a story in television is different from how you tell a story in a movie, and versus how you tell a story in a comic book.”
He continued, “They can all be really different, and all be really good. The Batman TV show from 1966 is different from the Neal Adams comic book in the 1970s, which is different from the Christopher Nolan movies. But they’re all great, and they’re really different. And I believe in leaning into making the most of each medium and each platform and all the different audiences.”
Michael B. Jordan is producing the Static Shock film under his Outlier Society banner and recently offered a brief update by saying the film was being “built out.” Randy McKinnon was tapped to write the script for Static Shock; McKinnon previously wrote the Disney+ sports film Safety, which Hudlin directed. Hudlin also wrote the Milestone Returns one-shot which introduced the new version of the Milestone Universe — and reworked Static’s origin for modern times.
DC and Warner Bros.’ Static Shock film is produced by Michael B. Jordan and Reginald Hudlin and written by Randy McKinnon. No director is currently attached, nor is any casting information available.
TBS has enlisted Tiffany Haddish to host “Friday Night Vibes,” a weekly movie showcase that will feature wrap-around segments with the comedian and guests.
Haddish’s new venture with producer Reginald Hudlin was among a number of programming announcements unveiled Wednesday by WarnerMedia at the company’s annual upfront, including a plan to give HBO and HBO Max original series second-window airings on TNT and TBS. The shock of Monday’s news that WarnerMedia is set to spinoff of AT&T and merge with Discovery has greatly overshadowed the company’s programming announcements for its ad-supported cable networks.
But the upfront presentation that was scheduled long before Discovery and AT&T sealed the deal went ahead as planned, complete with remarks from WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar, who is expected to bolt after being unpleasantly surprised by the secret merger plan.
In its upfront pitch to advertisers, WarnerMedia referred to its linear general entertainment cable networks TBS, TNT and TruTV as “TNets,” a sign that the company is looking to program them as a block at times.
“The TNets have been invited into consumers’ homes for decades and our fans know they can continually turn to us for quality programming that fits their emotional need: a good time, a good laugh, or a thrill ride,” said Brett Weitz, general manager of TBS, TNT and TruTV.
In the summer, WarnerMeida said it would launch the “Front Row on TBS” and “Front Row on TNT” as programming blocks that will carry select titles from HBO Max platform. TBS’ lineup will include series “The Flight Attendant,” “Love Life,” “Close Enough” and “12 Dates of Christmas.” TNT will run DC superhero vehicle “Titans” docu-series “Class Action Park” and upcoming HBO Max original “Rich People Problems.”
“We know viewers discover content in a variety of ways, and with ‘Front Row’ we are giving more of them an opportunity to encounter our groundbreaking Max Originals,” said Tony Goncalves, exec VP and chief revenue officer for WarnerMedia. “To put it simply, we’re growing audience. That’s valuable to each and every one of our partners from distributors.”
Those programming umbrellas are designed to run with fewer commercials as a bid to keep viewers more engaged in the movie.
Haddish’s series is set to bow June 18 at 7:30 p.m. with 2015’s “Creed” followed by 2018’s “Creed 2.” The movie selections will emphasize artists from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds. The wraparounds will feature Haddish interviewing celebrity guests as well as musical performances and a regular DJ. Haddish and Hudlin previously worked with TBS on the Tracy Morgan comedy “The Last O.G.”
Hudlin is executive producing with Phil Gurin of Gurin Co.
“I’ve wanted to work with Tiffany again since we did ‘The Last O.G.’ together, and ‘Friday Night Vibes’ is a place where we can celebrate great movies, play great music and hang out with funny and insightful guests. It’s the best way to spend your Friday night,” Hudlin said. “Let’s watch movies and have some fun,” Haddish enthused.
Separately, TBS said unscripted competition series “Wipeout” and “Fast Foodies” and scripted comedy “Chad” have been renewed for second seasons.
Oprah Winfrey and Sterling K. Brown at the 69TH PRIMETIME EMMY AWARDS, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles Sunday, Sept. 17 , 2017 Photo by Francis Specker/CBS via Getty Images
For this year’s Father’s Day OWN is premiering a new television special on June 15th dedicated to Dads titled, “Honoring Our Kings: Own Honors Black Fatherhood.” The special will be hosted by Oprah Winfrey and actor Sterling K. Brown and produced by (Emmys executive producer), Reginald Hudlin.
The two-hour special will feature conversations with everyday Dads, special messages from celebrity fathers and musical performances to celebrate fathers everywhere. “We want to honor the Black Kings who stand firm and proud in their role as a father, and celebrate the love and joy they bring to their families and communities,” said Oprah Winfrey to the press.
“Our intention at OWN – across all of our programming – is to authentically portray the real-life experiences of African Americans,” said Tina Perry, president of OWN. “We know, and our viewers know, the way Black fathers show up for their families, and we are honored to welcome Sterling K. Brown to co-host this special program to celebrate these Black men.”
In September of 2020 OWN premiered “They Call Me Dad,” an inspirational one-hour special that celebrated Black Fatherhood and the special bond Dads have with their children. That program featured Bishop T.D. Jakes, DJ D-Nice, Anthony Hamilton, Kirk Franklin and NFL champ Malcolm Jenkins.
“Once again, [Oprah] knows exactly where the culture needs to go,” explains executive producer Hudlin. “There are so many Black Dads who give their all for their families who are never represented in the media. Sterling and I always compare notes on what’s best for our kids, and it’s wonderful to be able to take that conversation nationwide and replace inaccurate stereotypes with inspirational truths.”
“The greatest role of my life happened 10 years ago when I became a father for the first time,” said Sterling K Brown, co-host and Executive Producer. “I am honored to celebrate these exceptional men who are my ‘Brothers in Fatherhood’, and continue to shift the national perception of Black fathers.” Known for his Emmy Award-winning portrayal of Randall Pearson on NBC’s “This Is Us,” Brown also protrayed Erik Killmonger’s (Michael B. Jordan) father, Prince N’Jobu, in the Academy Award-winning Marvel film, Black Panther. Off screen Brown is married to actress Ryan Michelle Bath, with whom he has two boys, Amaré and Andrew. “This project is a testament to the consciousness, empathy and leadership Oprah Winfrey has shown over the course of her life. And to also have Sterling K. Brown, who is the definition of strength and positivity as a Black man/father, additionally leading the way, makes this truly a dream project,” said Byron Phillips, also Executive Producer of the program.
“Honoring Our Kings: Own Honors Black Fatherhood,” will air on June 15th at 9:00 p.m. ET. The special is produced by Hudlin Entertainment and The Gurin Company. Executive produced by Reginald Hudlin, Byron Phillips, Phil Gurin, Oprah Winfrey, Sterling K. Brown and Tara Montgomery.
