Letitia Wright is a name you need to know. Plain and simple.
The 24-year-old actress is stepping into the spotlight this month with a leading role in Black Panther, portraying T’Challa’s intelligent younger sister, Shuri. Many critics have noted that not only did Wright blow them away with her performance, but that she steals just about every scene she’s in, a feat made even more impressive by the fact that co-star Chadwick Boseman is such a talented actor. This impressive role comes after a celebrated turn in the newest season of Black Mirror, and a critical role on Humans.
It’s clear that Wright chooses her roles wisely, and her turn in Black Panther is no different. While speaking with Variety, Wright as asked why she decided to take on Shuri, and the answer was simple: This character destroys stereotypes.
“On the page, she was really intelligent,” Wright explained. “She was so far from the stereotypes that we see all the time. She likes science and she’s super cool as well. I really liked the fact that she was smart and different; she can be an inspiration. In the comic books, she becomes a Black Panther. She’s a queen in her own right. It’s just a phenomenal part. A cartoon drawing brought to life.”
Of course, the love for this character only blossomed as filming went on and the movie was finished. At the Black Panther premiere, Wright ran into comic writer Reginald Hudlin, who created Shuri, and he had nothing but praise for her performance.
“I met the creator of the character Shuri [Hudlin] at the premiere,” she revealed. “He said it was perfect, and I said, ‘I hope I can continue to grow more with Shuri, if that’s where the future takes us with Marvel.’ Shuri’s young now, but when she grows into an adult, she’s kind of savage. She’s one of the coolest leaders in the comic books.”
“We didn’t talk about it in terms of the future,” Wright said of her conversations with director Ryan Coogler. “It was something I feel he was playing with [trying] to set up, but it didn’t happen. Hopefully it does. I’m happy that there’s room to allow Shuri to grow. I wanna sit with her a little bit more.”
Black Panther is set to hit theaters on February 16. Wright can also be seen this year in Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One, which will be released on March 29.
CREDIT: ARNOLD TURNER/INVISION/AP/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK
Global Road Entertainment has signed Reginald Hudlin and Byron Phillips to a a co-development deal through their company New Nation Networks. Under the agreement, Hudlin and Phillips will develop and produce original content across all platforms for Global Road.
Hudlin and Phillips have a longstanding relationship with Global Road unscripted and alternative president Phil Gurin, having produced the NAACP Image Awards with him for the last five years.
“Reggie and Byron are not only great creative thinkers, they bring a wide range of skills, interests and relationships to tap into for content creation,” Gurin said. “Through this relationship we hope to identify comedy, reality, factual, live events and documentary projects with a unique voice and a global appeal. Plus, they are great guys and I have loved working with them over the years as we have together produced the annual NAACP Image Awards telecast. I am excited to see what they come up with!”
A writer, director, and producer, Hudlin’s credits include “The Bondocks,” “The Bernie Mac Show,” Fox’s “Showtime at the Apollo” specials, and Marvel’s “Black Panther” animated series, as well as the films “Django Unhcained” and “Marshall.” He also produced the 88th Academy Awards hosted by Chris Rock in 2016.
“It’s been a pleasure working with Phil for the past five years on the NAACP Image Awards,” Hudlin said. “Expanding our working relationship is a natural extension of our relationship and his position at Global Road.”
Phillips is a former executive vice president of entertainment for the BET Networks, where he oversaw content creation. He and Hudlin are co-founders of film, TV and digital content company New Nation Networks.
“Working with Phil the last few years has been an absolute joy,” Phillips said. “He has a brilliant creative mind and the ability to bring a vision to fruition. Phil is a natural leader and someone I plan to work with for years to come.”
All-new weekly series Showtime AT THE APOLLO, hosted by Emmy® Award-winning personality STEVE HARVEY and co-hosted by TV personality Adrienne Houghton, premieres Thursday, March 1 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX, following the spring return of GOTHAM (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT).
STEVE HARVEY is a TV personality, talk show host, actor and comedian who currently hosts six popular TV shows: daytime talk show “Steve”; breakout hits “Little Big Shots” and “Little Big Shots: Forever Young”; game show “Family Feud,” which he began hosting in 2010; “Celebrity Family Feud”; and “Steve Harvey’s Funderdome,” an inspirational show featuring young innovators and entrepreneurs. He also hosts the nationally Syndicated radio show “The STEVE HARVEY Morning Show,” which premiered in 2000. Additionally, he has hosted the MISS UNIVERSE contests, which have aired on FOX since 2015, and he will host the return of Showtime AT THE APOLLO, scheduled to premiere on FOX in 2018.
Full Episodes of Fox Series are Available to Watch with On Demand for Customers of Cox, DIRECTV, DISH, PlayStation Vue, Spectrum, Sling TV, Verizon FiOS, XFINITY, YouTube TV and Many More. Fans also can Stream the Episodes at FOX NOW and Hulu.
