Fox News Flash top entertainment headlines 8/17
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Jamie Foxx and Jeremy Piven filmed an NBA comedy in 2016 titled "All-Star Weekend," but the film has not yet appeared in theaters, and many have begun to wonder if it will ever see the light of day.
"All-Star Weekend," which also stars Robert Downey Jr., Benicio del Toro, Gerard Butler and Eva Longoria, was supposed to hit theaters in 2018 before being pushed to 2019. However, the premiere, once tied to the NBA All-Star Weekend, never happened.
Downey Jr. was cast as a Mexican man, while Foxx was set to play a "white racist cop," Page Six reported.
"It’s been tough with the lay of the land when it comes to comedy," Foxx told CinemaBlend last week when asked for an update on when fans can see the movie. "We’re trying to break open the sensitive corners where people go back to laughing again. … Hopefully, we'll keep them laughing and run them into ‘All-Star Weekend’ because we're definitely going for it."
Jamie Foxx's "All-Star Weekend" potentially being shelved is part of a Hollywood trend of "risk aversion stifling Hollywood creativity," an expert told Fox News Digital. (Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic)
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According to IMDB, the film is currently in "post-production." A representative for Foxx did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Foxx said the comedy was "relevant" during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2018. "Comedy, right now, needs a movie like ‘All-Star Weekend’ and something you haven’t seen before."
Experts explained to Fox News Digital how the "risk" behind making comedies in today's climate can affect what gets to be released by a studio.
"This is part of a greater trend of risk aversion stifling Hollywood creativity," Howard Breuer, CEO of Newsroom PR, said. "I saw that Tom Hanks recently said that, if he had it to do over, he would not play a gay character like he did in ‘Philadelphia.’ That's where we are today: one of the biggest movie stars in history feels that, if he did something similar today to a role that won him a best actor Oscar nearly 30 years ago, members of the Academy might be as disapproving as they once were embracing."
Jamie Foxx, left, reportedly recruited Robert Downey Jr. to play a Mexican man in the film. (Kevin Winter/BAFTA LA/Getty Images for BAFTA LA)
Foxx, left, and Downey Jr. were joined by Eva Longoria and other A-list celebs for the movie. (David Crotty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images)
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"This is driven by a very reactionary minority of movie audiences who want every movie to be a vehicle for the changes these individuals are looking for in society," he continued. "It's not wrong to want those changes, and it's certainly not wrong if some movies are exactly what those individuals want to see. The problem is that those individuals try to blacklist anyone or anything that's not a bulls-eye for them."
Author of "Crisis Averted" and CEO of global PR firm Red Banyan Evan Nierman pointed out that comedies aren't what studios are focused on right now.
"There are numerous possible reasons for holding up the film, but the studio and its A-list stars are probably the only ones who know the full story here," Nierman said. "Cancel culture is an insidious force in our society. But whether or not it’s to blame for the holdup, the fact is that movie comedies are simply not getting made much lately."
Nierman noted that the "clout" Foxx has in Hollywood could be enough to get the film released.
"Jamie Foxx is like King Midas — seemingly everything he touches turns to gold," Nierman told Fox News Digital. "If Foxx were to focus his efforts on pushing the film forward, then it’s hard to imagine it not getting done in the end. Foxx is right when he says the world needs more comedy in it, and the clout he has amassed in the industry from his extensive, varied and excellent work all but guarantees that the film will make a huge splash if it ever hits the big screen."
Whether "All-Star Weekend" ever sees the light of day or not, experts predict that Foxx's career will remain unharmed.
"Jamie Foxx’s career will not be affected one way or another by this one film and how things play out. He is too outrageously talented and bankable to see his career derailed or even dinged by what happens with ‘All-Star Weekend,’ Nierman told Fox News Digital. "Only time will tell what happens with the film, but what we know for certain is that Foxx is a Hollywood MVP and the other members of the cast are all-stars in their own right."
Foxx's clout should be enough to get the controversial movie released, one expert told Fox News Digital. (Steve Granitz/FilmMagic)
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Breuer told Fox News Digital that he believes Foxx has a "shot" at getting "All-Star Weekend" released.
"If he fails, no. It won't hurt his brand," he said. "Even if some studio execs decided, 'This is too risky, we're going to pass,' they'd be happy to see what else Foxx has up his sleeve."
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