Cuba Gooding Jr. Tagged Articles at Cinematical

The last we heard about Red Tails, the new George Lucas project, dear, classy George was saying that while he wasn't directing the feature, "a black director" was. (The name Lucas failed to mention: Anthony Hemingway.) And now we've got a cast. The Hollywood Reporter posts that Cuba Gooding Jr. and Terrence Howard will head the ensemble cast that includes a whole slew of names.

Get ready ... the rest of the cast will be filled out by: Bryan Cranston, Nate Parker, David Oyelowo, Tristan Wilds, Cliff Smith (aka Method Man), Kevin Phillips, Rick Otto, Lee Tergesen, Andre Royo, Ne-Yo, Elijah Kelley, Marcus T. Paulk, Leslie Odom Jr., Michael B. Jordan, Jazmine Sullivan, Edwina Findley, Daniela Ruah, and Stacie Davis.

The Lucas-created story, sent off to John Ridley to write, was inspired by Tuskegee Airmen (the first all-black aerial combat unit in WWII). There's no further word on the plot, but Lucas has talked about the effects, which are pretty much a requisite for Lucas: "We're working on techniques that will give us the first true look at the aerial dogfighting of the era, and our top-notch cast will really make this story special."

It's free of the Lucas-helming fear, while having a dedication to great, authentic effects, it's a Gooding Jr. project that isn't about animals and isn't something immediately cringe-worthy, and it's work for the Iron Man 2-shunned Howard. I'm in. You?

Well, it looks like we can forget about Harold being a cliche, like I feared. Above you can check out the amusing trailer for the film about a kid who has male-pattern baldness at the ripe young age of 14. It looks like it could be a fun ride. I was thinking that the kid just had a bald spot, but no, he's got one big shiny dome on the top of his head. My question: At that point, why not shave it all off?

Spencer Breslin plays the follicly challenged kid, and he really reminds me of Michael Cera, just a little rounder. Even better, it looks like Cuba Gooding Jr. is giving a performance with much less of the family-film mindset that he's become known for. (It's about time!) But those two aren't the only names in this pic -- Ally Sheedy, Nikki Blonsky, Fred Willard, Rachel Dratch, Nicky Katt, Chris Parnell, Colin Quinn... The film is scheduled to hit theaters on July 11. Will you make the trek to see it?

I wonder ... how do you meet the super thieves and spies? How do these cinematic guys always find the people with deep, dark secrets, or law-breaking wild sides? Variety reports that Christian Slater and Cuba Gooding Jr. are starring in a new action comedy called Lies & Illusions, which will be directed by Tibor Takacs. (Will it be able to match the wonder, humor, and intrigue that is Kuffs?!) Sarah Ann Schultz, Christa Campbell, Al Madrigal, and Lochlyn Munro have also signed on to star.

The script, written by Eric James, focuses on "a novelist being hunted by a spy who believes the writer holds millions of dollars in diamonds stolen by his dead fiancee." But it's more than just that. According to IMDb, the writer is "torn between two lovers," and also, "A book editor from New York becomes obsessed with the author of a violent novel. She soon learns secrets about his past." Seeing that Slater gets a first and last name -- Wes Wilson, and Cuba only gets "Isaac," I assume that Slater is the writer, and Cuba is the spy. But I don't see how the editor fits into all of this.

IMDb says that it's now in post, but Variety says the film began shooting this week in Spokane.

For fans of old-school hip-hop, Marley Marl's Juice Crew is the stuff of legends. So it really is about time that they got their very own musical biopic. In an interview with VH1 blog, Marl sat down to talk about the upcoming film titled Vapors (presumably taken from the Biz Markie song of the same name) that is set to start shooting this month in Queens, NY. For the uninitiated, Juice Crew were a hip-collective formed by Marl and its members included Roxanne Shante, MC Shan, Biz Markie, and Big Daddy Kane. The group was a way for Marl to highlight his skills as a producer and the group gained notoriety for their high-profile feuds with Boogie Down Productions and UTFO. Marl says that the film is going to be, "--basically me, Big Daddy Kane and Biz's life story leading up to 1988. How we got there. How we made the golden era pop. ... A lot of ups and downs, a lot of personal sh--. It is what it is." Marl, Roxanne Shante and Big Daddy Kane will all serve as executive producers on the film which is being made with Indiefilmx.com

According to Marl, Furqaan Clover has already signed to direct, but it turns out that some of the casting news released back in December might have been a little premature. BlackFilm.com had reported that Cuba Gooding Jr. had already been cast as Marley Marl, rapper-actor David Banner would play the part of Biz Markie, Evan Ross was playing MC Shan, and Jackie Long would appear as Big Daddy Kane. Now Marl tells VH1 that no decisions have been reached yet, and that they will choose, "The best actor possible, --- We gonna tally it up at the end and see who it could be. We need the movie 'Vapors' to make its point, and a lot of the young kids to know what birthed the golden era" -- Amen to that. Vapors is aiming for a 2008 release so start dusting off your Cazals and door-knocker earrings now.

I dunno... There may be something to this "secret" thing. Just yesterday I wished that Henry Rollins would make the movie rounds again, and I wake up today to find out that he is. However, this is probably more a case of good timing, since I imagine this whole deal was made before my wish. Anyhow, The Hollywood Reporter has listed the cast that are a part of an upcoming action thriller currently called the Untitled Gehenna Project. It's strange, diverse, and kind of irresistible -- Cuba Gooding Jr., Taryn Manning, Ron Perlman, Henry Rollins, Valerie Cruz (The Dresden Files), and Ray Winstone have joined a cast that includes Jason London (the Dazed one, not the mallrat), Franky G (Saw), Zack Ward (Transformers), Stephanie Jacobson (Razor), Bill Moseley (Repo! The Genetic Opera), Sarah Ann Morris (Las Vegas), and Brandon Fobbs (The Wire).

The only thing more surprising than that group of actors is what they get to do. It seems that the film is about a group of elite soldiers who are on a covert mission "to retrieve a missing scientist from an undergound lab." Cruz sends them on the mission, and Perlman is the scientist -- so far, so believable. But get this -- the group consists of Gooding, London, G, Ward, and Manning. Yes, Taryn Manning is an elite soldier. While this strange collection of tough guys/girl are on their mission, they happen upon a priestly Rollins, "who tells them that an 'ancient evil' has been released, causing their greatest fears to come to life." (Team him up with Cheech's tough priest in Machete and they'd be an unstoppable force of religious power.) Rounding things out is Winstone, who is the ed-head of the group, and Moseley and Morris, who are part of the research team.

Keith Kjornes wrote the script, and it's going to be directed by Jason Connery, who just happens to be 007 Sean's son. The script sounds like any strange thriller, but man, this cast is weird enough that it could be completely enjoyable, in that pulp sort of way.

Okay, so apparently Vin Diesel wasn't the only celebrity to get their breakdancing groove on back in the 80s. I'll admit Diesel's instructional breakdancing video is pretty hilarious, but at least it least it was edited fairly well. In this video, circa 1985, Cuba Gooding Jr. stars in one of those fast-paced, breakdancing montages with one helluva kickin' soundtrack. It's killer! My favorite part of the video is when they hold up a card that says, "Starring" and then flash a shot of Cuba Gooding Jr. But they don't show his name; instead, they cut from Cuba to a license plate that says "Black Girls Are Bad" -- so it almost looks like they're trying to tell you that this short stars some random kid and bad black girls. Eventually, they throw up Cuba Gooding's name in graffiti lettering (because you weren't cool in the 80s unless you knew how to write your name in graffiti), and grainy footage continues with a bunch of kids breakdancing. Someone takes a bite out of Mickey Mouse, there are kids breakdancing on rollerskates, and, well, why don't you watch it for yourself. How he went from this to Daddy Day Camp ... I have no idea.

Did you see American Gangster this weekend? Was it good? Did you like Cuba Gooding Jr.'s character? I hope so, because Showtime has just picked up a new show that, according to Variety, will "chronicle the true story of flashy Harlem heroin dealer Leroy "Nicky" Barnes." Yup, Barnes is portrayed by Gooding Jr. in the Ridley Scott film American Gangster, however this new show will have no relation to the film; instead it's based on Marc Levin's recent documentary Mr. Untouchable (which will also serve as the name of the series). Both Forest Whitaker and Levin will serve as executive producers, with David Burke as a writer and exec producer.

Though some other outlets claim Whitaker will also star as Barnes, the Variety story makes no mention of it; only that he will produce. Then again, they don't say he won't star, so chances are we could see the Oscar winner take on the role. Here's how Variety describes the series: "[It] will tell the story of how Barnes built a drug empire in the 1970s that rivaled that of the Italian Mafia. It will show how he rose to great heights, but with his success coming at the expense of his Harlem community. Skein will also detail the government's war on drugs and how it failed for years to bring Barnes down." Personally, I'm really enjoying the new Showtime shows, and I'd love to see Whitaker take on a role like this. I mean, to be able to watch this guy do his thang every week would be a real treat. No word on when the series will air, but I would imagine next year at some point.

I really don't want to jinx it if I'm right, but could we, just possibly, be diving into a new era where Cuba Gooding Jr. doesn't take on crap role after crap role? Man, I hope so. His serious acting career seems like a distant memory, but things might be a-changing. Sure, this year's Cuba stints have included Norbit and Daddy Day Camp (although I give him props for the latter, since it was directed by Fred Savage), but now he's got a part in the soon-to-be-released American Gangster. Following that, he has three projects on the pike -- 2 dramas and a decent-sounding comedy, Harold. Not too shabby.

Topping off this better-sounding sundae, The Hollywood Reporter has posted that Gooding Jr. will star in the upcoming action thriller The Way of War, coming from the Fatwa team Scott Schafer (writer) and John Carter (director). Not too much is being said about the plot, other than producer Nick Thurlow noting: "John Carter and Scott Schafer have crafted a political thriller with deep resonance for our times." So basically, it's some sort of war movie, and maybe terrorists, oil, or something similar will be involved. Thurlow also discussed Cuba's casting, saying: "With his intensity and ability to take a character to the edge, the part is tailor-made for Cuba, and we're excited to have him aboard." That's not something we hear every day, but it's bringing me back to the good old days of Cuba, so I don't mind. Are we approaching the new wave of Cuba Gooding Jr.?

Watching Daddy Day Camp is like eating an individually wrapped slice of American cheese. Despite a slight feeling of comfort, you realize that the stuff you liked as a child is bland and tastes a bit like plastic, and bears very little resemblance to the cheese that grown-ups enjoy. It's unappealingly artificial. But kids love the stuff -- their palates are unformed and they haven't yet learned to love applewood-smoked cheddar or Stinking Bishop or even a nice Swiss cheese. Daddy Day Camp is a healthy slice of American cheese, with an artificial and non-organic plot, plastic characterizations, and the most predictable physical humor it is possible to achieve in a family film. Still, the kids in the audience when I saw the film hooted with laughter at every barf joke and bathroom reference, and perhaps the pie-in-the-face humor seemed new to them.

Cuba Gooding, Jr. takes over the starring role played by Eddie Murphy in Daddy Day Care -- Charlie Hinton, who with his friend Phil (Paul Rae this go-round) founded a successful day-care business even though they didn't know much about taking care of kids. This time, their own boys are headed for summer day camp for the first time, which brings up traumatic memories for Charlie about his own camp experience and his dad's high expectations. It turns out that Charlie and Phil's old day camp, Camp Driftwood, is falling apart and about to be bought and leveled by the evil rich-kid camp nearby, which just so happens to be run by Charlie's childhood camp nemesis Lance (Lochlyn Munro). Anyone over the age of eight could predict that at this point, Charlie and Phil are going to run the camp themselves, that the bank holding the mortgage will set a deadline that they must meet to avoid losing the camp, and that kids and adults alike will all learn valuable life lessons about family and self-esteem.

Safe from the dog comedy of Disney's upcoming South of the Border, Kevin Bray is gearing up to direct an indie film called Linewatch -- a drama about a border agent with a troubled past. You might know Bray from the saucy Whitney Houston and J-Lo videos he has directed, the many television episodes he's helmed from shows like Veronica Mars and Heroes or as the man behind The Rock's Walking Tall. The feature, which is currently in production, now has its stars -- Diana Ross' son, Evan Ross and Cuba Gooding Jr. Could this be Cuba's shining light out of crappy movie hell? The movie is currently shooting in New Mexico, so we should know fairly soon.

The drama is about a man named Michael Dixon (Gooding Jr.), a well-respected border agent with a wife and daughter in New Mexico. His security crumbles when his troubled past as an L.A. gang member finds its way back to him. In order to protect his family, he has to help the "psychotic gang leader" smuggled drugs across the border. Now Ross is playing Little Boy, Dixon's nephew, who was close to his uncle before the man left Dodge. Deserted, Little Boy joined the gang and sought out "a psychotic member" (presumably the leader) as his surrogate dad. I'm sure there will be all the requisite angst and guilt, but hopefully it will be done in a way that looks believable, and not one of those films where the man loses all common sense and digs a deeper and deeper hole for himself.