The 20th anniversary of Mean Girls, the cult classic that still resonates with audiences today, marks a significant milestone. This film, released in 2004, deftly combines humor, sharp social commentary and the unforgettable chaos of high school life. Among its iconic moments is the cafeteria scene, where the cliques of North Shore High are introduced, including the “Unfriendly Black Hotties.” This group, though briefly highlighted, represents a critical commentary on race and inclusion in teen cinema. If the Mean Girls‘ “Unfriendly Black Hotties” table was recreated in 2024, it would include ..read more

EBONY is doing cartwheels over the new trailer for Mufasa: The Lion King. This highly-anticipated prequel tells the story of Mufasa—Simba’s father—and how a young cub rose from poverty to become the leader of his pack. And the new film features the voice of Beyoncé’s daughter Blue Ivy Carter! Following in her mom’s footsteps, Carter will play Kiara, the daughter of King Samba and Queen Nala. Beyoncé, who played Nala in the 2019 photorealistic computer-generated animation version, will also return as Nala, along with Donald Glover as Simba, John Kani as Rafiki and more. Aaron Pierre and K ..read more

Whenever two or more Black women are gathered under one roof, magic is made and emanated into the world. On April 23, Prime Video’s It Girl Brunch attendees achieved just that. Ahead of the horror series Them: The Scare premiere, several of Black Hollywood’s most iconic leading ladies gathered at AOC Wine Bar in West Hollywood to pay homage to the “OG It Girl” Pam Grier, who co-stars in the show. Grier, alongside Deborah Ayorinde—returning to the series after a chilling first installment called Covenant— brings a level of sweet heat only she could deliver. In the second season of Them, the st ..read more

Zendaya doesn’t want to play it nice. In her new movie Challengers, she portrays Tashi Duncan, a former teen tennis phenom who’s caught between her former life on the court and two fellow tennis players from her past who both share in her affection. “It was the opportunity to play such a complicated, messy character, and I think I enjoy playing characters that aren’t just written likable. There’s something about them that makes them more difficult to empathize with,” she explains to EBONY. Zendaya with Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor in Challengers. Image: © 2023 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc ..read more

For the fans following Diarra’s search for the truth on the BET+ mystery comedy series Diarra From Detroit, it’s all about to come to a head. There have been so many twists in the disappearance of Chris, Diarra’s Tinder date who ghosted her after their first meeting, that EBONY wondered how it will all end. “You can definitely expect a resolution of sorts, but of course, it comes with a new can of worms,” series creator and star Diarra Kilpatrick tells EBONY. “All I can say is, I hope we’ll leave you wanting more.” Through all her amateur sleuthing, Diarra has grown. “She knows that her gut i ..read more

In the new animated series Knuckles, Idris Elba gets to show off a side of himself rarely seen in his previous projects.  “I’m funny, that’s the big surprise,” he declares to EBONY. “I’m known for my dramatic roles, but I actually got some comedy chops. And I’m so excited for people to watch.”  In the new series Elba continues to bring Knuckles, an Echidna warrior from Planet Mobius, to life.   “I guess he’s got his own spin off, because he’s quite an intriguing character,” Elba says of Knuckles’ breakout of from the Sonic the Hedgehog movie franchise.   Image: Paramo ..read more

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare will make you want to enter your “gentleman era.” Based on a true story, this action war film features a unit of mavericks and rogues that operate the first special forces mission to fight the Nazis during World War II. Babs Olusanmokun portrays Agent Heron, a highly skilled gentleman and undercover spy of Operation Postman. While undercover, he operates a casino bar and illegal export business on Fernando Po Island. He has many tricks if anyone tries to harm or corner him and can acquire the most dangerous weapons instantly, all thanks to his connections ..read more

More Tyler Perry content programming is coming to BET. The BET Media Group has extended its relationship with the award-winning writer, director, producer, actor and playwright to continue bringing existing and new series to the network through 2028. Perry and BET launched their collaboration in 2017. Since that initial union, he has produced over 700 hundred episodes of top-rated series for the brand. Under the new agreement, the multi-hyphenate will deliver hundreds of new episodes to the network and its outlets. Over the past seven years, Perry has created a diverse col ..read more

Showrunner Ranada Shepard had one goal when shaping Netflix’s new animation series, Good Times. As one of the only Afro-Latina showrunners in the adult animation space, she wanted to bring an authentic voice to the project. “It was an honor to be trusted with the reimagining of Good Times,” Shepard tells EBONY.   Executive producers Norman Lear, the creator of the original Good Times, Seth MacFarlane of Family Guy fame and athlete/multihyphenate Stephen Curry brought the initial concept to Shepherd. “There was a version of the reimagining that preceded me, so my first mission w ..read more

In Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead, 17-year-old Tanya Crandell, played by Simone Joy Jones, eagerly anticipates a summer with her friends in Spain before heading to university in the fall. But her plans are forced to change when her mother leaves for a much-needed wellness retreat across the globe, leaving Tanya to stay home with her three siblings and an elderly babysitter. After an unexpected loss, Tanya has to find a job. She ends up working as an assistant for a driven and confident CEO, portrayed by Nicole Richie. Juggling work, family and a whirlwind romance, Tanya learns some of t ..read more