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A ‘Jumanji’ Remake With Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart Is Possible…

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They must have had so much fun together filming "Central Intelligence" which will be out in June, as well as co-hosting the 2016 MTV Movie Awards just last week, because Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart are said to be in early talks to star in Sony’s “Jumanji” reboot.

Jake Kasdan is directing from a script written by Scott Rosenberg and Jeff Pinkner, based on a draft by the original writers, Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers.

Principal photography is expected to start this August in Honolulu, HI, with a July 28, 2017 release eyed.

Sony Pictures announced their plans to film a remake of the film last summer – news that was met with much ire from fans, in part because the news came just one year after the death of Robin Williams who starred in the 1995 movie which was directed by Joe Johnston.

Like the first film, the upcoming reboot/remake will be an adaptation of the 1981 children’s book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg.

The story centers on 12-year-old Alan Parrish, who becomes trapped in a board game while playing with his best friend Sarah Whittle in 1969. Twenty-six years later, siblings Judy and Peter Shepherd find the game and begin playing and then unwittingly release the now-adult Alan. After tracking down Sarah, the quartet resolve to finish the game in order to reverse all of the destruction it has caused.

No word yet on how the new film’s story will unfold with Johnson and Hart starring (assuming deals are worked out).

The first "Jumanji" was a box office success, grossing $262.8 million worldwide on a budget of approximately $65 million, and was the 10th highest-grossing movie of 1995.

Both Johnson and Hart are ridiculously busy, with as many as 14 movie and TV projects between them, all scheduled to premiere in the next 1 to 3 years. This will be just another one to add.

Variety was first to report the news of Johnson and Hart being in talks.


‘Central Intelligence’ Review: Dwayne Johnson Wrestles Some Big Laughs From A Weak Buddy Comedy

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Nearly (but not quite) redeemed by its good nature and the megaton charisma of its two stars, “Central Intelligence” is a dopey blockbuster diversion that will surely keep United Airlines passengers entertained during the dog days of summer. Directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber (“Dodgeball,” “We’re the Millers”) and shot with the safety on at all times, this unambitious buddy comedy has all the biting wit and visual flair of a movie that already seems resigned to its final resting place on the tiny airplane screens where it will be interred. And yet, “Central Intelligence” knows something that audiences will be delighted to learn — or, more likely, rediscover — for themselves: Dwayne Johnson is a fucking national treasure.

Our story, eerily similar to that of Adam Sandler’s recent Netflix disaster, “The Do-Over,” begins all the way back in a magical time known as 1996. An obese teenager named Robbie Weirdicht (Johnson, his face plastered on to the body of an obese teenager as the result of the sophisticated uglification technology that allowed Brad Pitt to be an elderly dwarf in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”), stands alone in his high school’s locker room showers, butt-naked and belting out his very own version of En Vogue’s 1992 pop masterpiece, “My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It),” which was definitely picked for its cultural specificity and extraordinary comedic value and not because it was the first thing that Thurber received clearance to use.

Meanwhile, in the packed gymnasium outside the locker room, prom king Calvin Joyner (Kevin Hart) is enjoying the last of his glory days at the head of a pep rally for the graduating class. Alas, his “follow your dreams” speech interrupted by a pack of sniveling bullies who heave Robbie’s naked body onto the hardwood basketball court floor for the entire school to see. Sure, that’s probably a serious criminal misdemeanor in the eyes of “the law” or whatever, but boys will be boys. Calvin, a mensch to the core, rushes to help cover him up.

READ MORE: Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson May Star in ‘Jumanji’ Remake

Cut to 20 years later: Calvin is a mid-level accountant who’s disappointed with his life, while Robbie — now going by the name Bob Stone — has evolved into a rippling half-Samoan demi-god who’s strong enough to carry an entire movie on his back. And yet, despite undergoing the most ridiculous physical transformation this side of Captain America, Bob is still a total doofus. Reuniting with Calvin at a local bar on the eve of their class reunion, Bob shows up rocking a fanny pack and a skin-tight t-shirt with a unicorn emblazoned across the chest. Viewers familiar with “Pain & Gain” know that Johnson is at his best (and most infectiously self-amused) when playing against type, and he seems to be having the time of his life as he belittles his co-star into playing the straight man.

Of course, there’s more to this story — the artist formerly known as “The Rock” wouldn’t just be a run-of-the-mill dweeb. We’re talking about Hercules. We’re talking about the Scorpion King. We’re talking about a guy who fought an earthquake in last summer’s “San Andreas,” and made that motherfucker apologize for every inch of its fault line. In other words, Calvin is the only one who’s even the least bit surprised when it turns out that Bob is a rogue, possibly psychotic C.I.A. agent who’s on the run from his boss (a thankless Amy Ryan) with a MacGuffin. “You’re Jason Bourne in jorts!,” yelps Hart, in one of his few memorable lines.

Calvin is the only guy Bob trusts (the movie is sweet like that), and the two get wrapped up in an explosively stupid adventure that — thanks to a tight $50 million budget and the fact that Thurber directs with all the visual panache of a McDonald’s commercial — often feels less like Jason Bourne than it does Agent Cody Banks. Fortunately, Thurber seems to have embraced his various limitations, and “Central Intelligence” doesn’t strain towards being a full-throated action-comedy. In fact, its few shootouts and car crashes are so half-assed that the movie occasionally feels like a deliberate throwback to the middle-brow studio fare of the ’80s and ’90s, which feels somewhat appropriate given that Hard and Johnson’s archetype-based chemistry is pretty much just “Twins” all over again.

The laughs are often just as limp, particularly because Hart doesn’t appear to be super comfortable with the idea that he’s there to tee-up jokes for his co-star. In the “Ride Along” movies, he and Ice Cube were a united front of unfunniness; here, Hart is just nipping at Johnson’s heels. Calvin’s default mode is “scared shitless,” and while the character serves a necessary function, he could pretty much be played by anyone (brilliant cameos from the likes of Jason Bateman and Kumail Nanjiani further emphasize how few of the one-liners land when Hart is left to deliver them).

Perhaps the problem is that Hart no longer needs to be anyone’s foil — he’s excellently empathetic in the more dramatic moments when he’s struggling to become the hero of his own story, and the film leaves us with reason to believe that Johnson isn’t the only one who should continue to subvert his image. And Johnson, good as he is, should only go further around the bend from here. For all the fun he’s having, he’s only truly electric in the moments when Thurber entertains the possibility that Bob might be a delusional psychopath who’s just flown over the cuckoo’s nest.

With a tepid studio offering like this, in which themes include such bold ideas as “bullies are bad,” “guns are fun,” and “all those haters from high school would worship you if you weren’t so fat,” there’s no hope that Johnson might dive off the deep end and create something special. And yet, between “Central Intelligence” and “Pain & Gain,” there’s reason to believe that he’ll get there, one day — it’s still too soon to smell what the Rock is cooking, but you can feel him firing up the grill.

Grade: C+

“Central Intelligence” opens in theaters on Friday.

‘Central Intelligence’ Review Roundup: Critics Think Dwayne Johnson & Kevin Hart Have Chemistry, But Script Lacks

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This summer’s latest action comedy, Warner Bros’ “Central Intelligence,” pairs Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart as former high school classmates who reunite for a top-secret CIA mission. While some critics acknowledge the fun, buddy-comedy aspect of the film, most agreed that the chemistry between the two leads couldn’t make up for lackluster writing and plot.

READ MORE: ‘Central Intelligence’ Review: Dwayne Johnson Wrestles Some Big Laughs From A Weak Buddy Comedy

Moira Macdonald of The Seattle Times was not impressed with the movie’s execution, and writes, “Sometimes, matches seemingly made in heaven end up somewhere closer to hell. Whoever thought up the idea of pairing Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart for a crime/caper/comedy was right on the money: The blend of Johnson’s laid-back hero-dudeness and Hart’s whippet-fast comic timing should have been good fun. But somebody, alas, had an idea, though not a good one: Make Johnson the comedian and Hart the straight man. The result is kind of like having ice cream for dinner and steak for dessert — it seems like it might work, but it doesn’t.”

IndieWire’s David Ehrlich was equally unimpressed: “With a tepid studio offering like this, in which themes include such bold ideas as “bullies are bad,” “guns are fun,” and “all those haters from high school would worship you if you weren’t so fat,” there’s no hope that Johnson might dive off the deep end and create something special.”

READ MORE: Dwayne Johnson Is Going On A ‘Rampage’ In Video Game Adaptation

Jon Frosch of The Hollywood Reporter was a bit more optimistic, writing, “It capitalizes on the chemistry between Hart and Johnson, who convey what seems like genuine delight in each other’s company – something that gives this bromantic diversion a giddy kick.” He adds, however, that “The bar for studio comedies has sunk so low that when one comes along and doesn’t bludgeon you with its ineptness, there’s a temptation to lavish praise on it.”

Variety’s Owen Gleiberman agrees: “It delivers – on some basic, giddy, turn-off-your-frontal-lobes level. It’s an action-comedy utensil, like ‘Rush Hour’ crossed with an old Arnold Schwarzenegger shoot-’em-up, with a few goofy added sprinkles of ‘Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion.'”

READ MORE: Kevin Hart, Lionsgate Enter Multi-Faceted Agreement to Launch of New VOD Service, Mobile Game, More

While many reviews praised the leads while critiquing the film as a whole, Neil Pond of Parade Magazine loved it all. He argues that “If comedy is art, ‘Central Intelligence’ wants to make sure the canvas is well covered—it’s got a big, tall brush, a short, little brush and some very funny painters.”

“Central Intelligence” hits theaters June 17.

‘The Secret Life Of Pets’ Review: Talking Animals Are Fun, But Don’t Expect the Pixar Touch

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By Ben Croll

How’s this for a shock: it turns out this summer’s biggest, wildest action flick is… about talking dogs. Stranger things have happened, but there it is.  “The Secret Life of Pets” moves like a bat out of hell from frame one, though if you’re looking for any kind of emotion you might be barking up the wrong tree.

READ MORE: Watch: Cats And Dogs Are On The Run In New Trailer For ‘The Secret Life Of Pets’

Comparisons to “Toy Story” will no doubt abound, not least because both films ask the same basic question –what do our playthings do when we’re not around to see them? — with the same winking glee. What’s more, both “The Secret Life of Pets” and the first entry in Pixar’s soon to be four strong franchise are animated by a shared basic tension. Both films are built on a rivalry between a king-in-his-castle prodigal son and a new interloper, a seeming competitor for top-gun number-one status in the master’s eye.

That top dog is Max, a boisterous terrier voiced by Louis C.K, who gives a family clean, high-energy riff on his scrappy everyman (err, dog) persona. Max lives in Manhattan’s most pet friendly apartment building with owner Katie (Ellie Kemper, chirpy but barely used) and horde of neighboring domesticated beasts. There’s Mel the pug (Bobby Moynihan), Chloe the tabby cat (Lake Bell) and Gidget (Jenny Slate), the eskimo dog with feelings for our lead. We’re introduced to all of them –and many more—in a fast paced opening sequence. Filled with sight gags, stupid pet tricks, and set to an up tempo Alexandre Desplat score, it nimbly sets the scene, showing us what fun happens when the masters leave and the pets come out to play.

Of course, Max’s good times aren’t meant to last, and they come to a decisive halt the day owner Katie brings home Duke. The wooly mongrel, voiced by Eric Stonestreet, poses an immediate threat to Max’s status quo, and be it through expert editing or some larger alchemic bond, the two performers share a snappy antagonistic chemistry. But that snappy antagonism, and the escalating feud it boosts, soon lands our two canine leads lost in the streets of New York, collars gone and Animal Control nipping at their paws. At this point, barely 15 minutes in, the already fleet-footed story kicks into overdrive.

READ MORE: ‘Horace and Pete’: Why Louis C.K. is ‘Very, Very Sad’ the Series is Ending

Directors Chris Renaud and Yarrow Cheney, aided by screenwriters Brian Lynch, Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio, pile on situation after situation, new character after new character. The Flushed Pets – a band of sewer dwelling revolutionaries led by evil rabbit Kevin Hart – also join the chase. Meanwhile, Gidget, Mel and company assemble a team to bring them home, bringing into the fray too many comedians and character actors to mention (Albert Brooks, as an impulse-impaired hawk, is a standout). There are the requisite film homages and references (“The Fugitive” an obvious go to, “Some Like It Hot” less so) to keep the adults happy, and the parkour-performing wiener dog is just pure fun.

If it all sounds totally overstuffed, well, it totally is. And if the film’s breakneck pace keeps all those balls in the air without too much strain, it does so at the expense of character investment and emotional payoff. In that sense, in overdrive, those Pixar similarities are left in the dust. Hardly a throughline through the manic energy, that central tension between Max and Duke gets lost amid the comedy, chase sequences and action setpieces.

Which isn’t to say that any of those are poorly done. Quite the contrary, Renaud, Cheney and their Illumination animators work at peak technical expertise. Colors pop off the screen, the golden light of New York in autumn beckons in the background, the elaborate set-pieces are choreographed with maximum Rube Goldberg invention.

Only, with such quantity and velocity in action, the only thing you’re really left with — once you catch your breath and the credits roll — is a general appreciation of the way Renaud and company animate fur, or make the waves the Hudson roar to life. It may be technically impeccable, but it’s something less than a feeling.

Grade: B-

“The Secret Life of Pets” opens in theaters on Friday, July 8.

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‘Jumanji’ First Pic: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan Gear Up

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In 1995, TriStar Pictures released Joe Johnston’s family adventure film “Jumanji,” starring Robin Williams and Bonnie Hunt, about a board game that comes to life and wreaks havoc until the players have completed it. The film was a box office success and has had a lasting impact on a generation of kids.

READ MORE: Dwayne Johnson Says New ‘Jumanji’ Is Not a Reboot

Now, a new “Jumanji” film, a continuation of the 1995 film, is currently in the works, and it stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (“Fast Five”), Kevin Hart (“Central Intelligence”), Jack Black (“School of Rock”), Karen Gillan (“Guardians of the Galaxy”), and Nick Jonas (“Goat”). Check out a image from Kevin Hart’s Instragram below from the first day of the “Jumanji” shoot, featuring Hart, Johnson, Black, and Gillan in costume. The caption reads, “We had a amazing first day. The chemistry & energy of our cast & crew was beyond amazing!!!! This movie is going to be dope as hell.”

READ MORE: A ‘Jumanji’ Remake With Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart Is Possible…

The film is set to be directed by Jake Kasdan. Kasdan has a wildly successful television career, directing and producing episodes for such acclaimed shows as “Freaks and Geeks,” “New Girl,” “Fresh Off the Boat,” and “The Grinder.” On the film side, he has directed the cult music biopic parody “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story,” as well as the commercially successful “Bad Teacher” and “Sex Tape.”

“Jumanji” is set to be released on July 28th, 2017 from Columbia Pictures.

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‘Kevin Hart: What Now?’ Critical Roundup: Reviews Say the Comedian Brings the Laughs in His New Concert Movie

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“What Now?” asks Kevin Hart’s new concert movie. According to most reviews, a lot of laughs: In his three-star (out of a possible four) review for the Chicago Sun-Times, Richard Roeper puts the movie’s appeal in straightforward terms: “If you think Kevin Hart is funny — as I do — you’ll laugh frequently, as I did. If you don’t, you’re not going to this movie in the first place, are you?”

READ MORE: ‘Jumanji’ First Pic: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan Gear Up

Alonso Duralde likewise sings the comedian/actor’s praises in The Wrap:

“Whether he’s expounding upon his fear of wild animals or recounting how he sweated his way through his first experience trying to order something at Starbucks, Hart is a natural raconteur, alternately arrogant and self-deprecating, worldly and juvenile.”

Variety’s Owen Gleiberman is less enthusiastic:

“[Hart] shouts and screams and rasps and rants and talks excessively fast, as if his house were burning down and he was spewing instructions to the firemen on how to get there. A little of this is funny, but a lot of it raises the question: Why is the new king of comedy working so hard to grab and hold our attention? Is he secretly worried he’s going to lose it?”

READ MORE: Bryan Cranston & Kevin Hart To Star In Remake Of French Hit ‘Intouchables’

Ditto Peter Keough of the Boston Globe, who finds Hart’s brand of comedy a chore:

“Nobody works harder at getting a laugh than Kevin Hart. It’s exhausting to watch. Gold-plated mike in hand, he spins his yarns faster and faster, his voice pitched higher and higher, his burly, bantam body racing, lurching, dancing across the stage with such dogged frenzy that it looks like it’s shot in fast-motion. Contrived, inane, absurd, and occasionally brilliant, it’s all a blur.”

Glenn Kenny, who acknowledges the film is probably “critic-proof” in his New York Times review, nonetheless offers modest praise:

“The movie is a good representation of Mr. Hart’s comedy, but not a perfect one; it’s bracketed by a goofy and lightweight (albeit star-studded) James Bond parody. If I were asked to offer one answer to the question posed by the movie’s title, I’d advise Mr. Hart to steer clear of such gratuitous indulgences in the future. But I don’t think I’m the person he’s asking.”

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Kevin Hart To Executive Produce and Star In ‘Kevin Hart Presents: The Black Man’s Guide To History’

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Today, History (formerly known as The History Channel) has greenlit “Kevin Hart Presents: The Black Man’s Guide to History,” a look at lesser-known black history stories, from the perspective of comedian and actor Kevin Hart. Hart will star and executive produce the two-hour event.

READ MORE: ‘Kevin Hart: What Now?’ Critical Roundup: Reviews Say the Comedian Brings the Laughs in His New Concert Movie

“Kevin is an extraordinary performer with a real appreciation for history,” said Paul Cabana, the Executive Vice President and Head of Programming at History. “Only he could bring these true stories to life in such an entertaining way. We’re thrilled to be working with him.”

“The Black Man’s Guide to History” begins as Hart finds his daughter upset after watching Steve McQueen’s Best Picture-winning film “12 Years A Slave” as she believes that black history appears to only be about slavery and oppression. Hart then decides to educe her through about undervalued historical figures, like Matthew Henson, the first person to go to the North Pole, but did not receive the credit; Mae Jemison, the first black female astronaut, Henry “Box” Brown, a slave who courageously mailed himself to a free state in a box and more.

READ MORE: ‘Jumanji’ First Pic: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan Gear Up

“I’m very excited to be working with History on this show because not only is it entertaining, and it’s hysterical, but it also is an important program for our country right now. We hope to make people laugh and learn a bit too,” said Hart.

This last year, Hart appeared in four films: “Ride Along 2,” the sequel to his 2014 film, “Central Intelligence” opposite Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, “The Secret Life of Pets” and a stand-up film “Kevin Hart: What Now?”

“Kevin Hart Presents: The Black Man’s Guide to History” will air sometime in 2017.

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‘Captain Underpants’ Trailer: Kevin Hart and Thomas Middleditch Lend Their Voices To Unique Animated Comedy — Watch

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DreamWorks has released the first trailer for its upcoming film “Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie,” and the studio used two of the biggest stars of the film, Kevin Hart and Ed Helms, to introduce the teaser. Directed by David Soren (“Merry Madagascar,” “Turbo”), the animated comedy is based on the popular children’s graphic novel series created by Dav Pilkey.

READ MORE: ‘Archer: Dreamland’ Teasers: Animated Comedy Moves Its Newest Season to Classic Hollywood — Watch

The film follows George and Harold (voiced by Hart and Thomas Middleditch), two very mischievous boys, who love to play pranks on everybody at school. When their mean elementary school principal (voiced by Helms) threatens to place them in different classes, the boys hypnotize him and turn him into their comic book creation, Captain Underpants. But far from being a real superhero, he becomes their biggest problem.

“It’s a story of a superhero. I take that back, because he’s barely a superhero. He doesn’t have x-ray vision, he can’t even climb a tree,” says Hart on the clip, as he introduces the trailer. “Wearing a cape does not make him a superhero.”

READ MORE: Kevin Hart To Executive Produce and Star In ‘Kevin Hart Presents: The Black Man’s Guide To History’

“Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie” hits theaters June 2. Check out the first trailer below.

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‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’ Trailer: The Rock and Kevin Hart Put A Whole New Spin on a Robin Williams Classic

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A lot of people were skeptical when Columbia Pictures announced Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart would be starring in a new version of the classic children’s book “Jumanji.” The property was already turned into a beloved 1995 classic starring Robin Williams and wasn’t necessarily crying out to be remade. Johnson had promised fans the film wouldn’t be a reboot, and the wild first trailer makes that sentiment outrageously clear.

READ MORE: Dwayne Johnson Says New ‘Jumanji’ Is Not a Reboot

“Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” follows four high-school students who discover the titular video game and literally get sucked into its jungle world. The avatars they choose are played by Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan and Jack Black, which means a lot of the film’s comedy will be provided by this body-swapping premise. One of the characters is a popular girl who enters the game as Black, for instance, while the nerd becomes Johnson and so on.

Columbia is releasing “Jumanji” in theaters December 20, and it’s clearly hoping to be the Christmas comedy film of choice. Nick Jonas and Alex Wolff co-star. Watch the trailer below.

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‘The Upside’ Review: Kevin Hart and Bryan Cranston Make an Odd Couple in English-Language Remake of ‘The Intouchables’

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The 2011 French buddy comedy “The Intouchables” was a surprise box-office hit, in part because the story of a wealthy, white paraplegic and the black assistant who becomes his close friend doesn’t exactly scream for commercial domination. Yet the movie became a bonafide cultural phenomenon in France, finding fans around the world in the process; its premise, inspired by the bonding of a French businessman Phillips Pozzo di Borgo and caregiver Abdel Sellou, provided an easy, formulaic template for celebrating a connection across race, class and age.

Some critics found its racial politics as problematic as “Driving Miss Daisy,” in that both ostensibly found a black man rescuing his bitter white superior from a grumpy, insular existence. That’s a classic trope of American cinema, so it was only a matter of time before “The Intouchables made its way to an English-language remake.

The best thing that can be said about “The Upside” — which finds Bryan Cranston chained to a wheelchair and Kevin Hart pushing him around — is that it smooths out the troubling racial elements of the original and winds up as an endearing one-note trifle. The dynamic between the characters remains strained and obvious, but the actors go out of their way to sell it anyway.

Directed in utterly straightforward terms by Neil Berger (“Divergent,” “Limitless”), the movie wastes no time establishing its odd-couple premise. Affluent Upper East Side author Phil (Cranston) needs to hire a new caretaker to help with his day to day needs, even as he grows tired of living; his longtime assistant Yvonne (Nicole Kidman, in a bizarrely phoned-in supporting turn) sets up interviews with a range of possibilities, and as to confirm his death wish, he goes with Dell (Hart), a reckless divorced dad newly released from prison who just wants an easy gig to keep his parole officer at bay.

Instead, he winds up forced into a high-society world of opera and fine art, fast cars, and decent paychecks while trying to help the grouchy Phil get over the death of his wife in a hang-gliding accident that put Phil in the wheelchair.

Dell runs his mouth at every available opportunity, mocking the elegant, upper-class world at odds with his street-wise ways, while Phil warms to the perspective of a rascally figure from outside his bubble of despair. Hijinks ensue as the two worlds collide: As Dell takes an ill-advised interest in painting, gets Phil high, and speeds him around town, “The Upside” follows the safest route toward establishing how these two disparate worlds enrich each other. No surprises here, folks; just half-hearted punchlines and unadventurous sentimentality readymade for marketplace consumption.

Fortunately, Cranston’s gruff delivery makes Hart’s loudmouth a perfect foil, and the actors keep the story engaging with wry grins and one-liners to the extent that they can. Needless to say, the material starts to show the same seams as the original once it heads into a bizarre long-distance romance between Phil and a random woman (Juliana Margulies, in one scene) while Dell attempts to help with the courtship.

It’s here that “The Upside” veers dangerously close to the magical-black-man trope that one would have assumed American movies put to bed ages ago, but it largely avoids the racial subtext that made “Les Intouchables” so problematic. Aside from the occasional poke at Phil’s wealth (“Your plantation is bananas,” Dell says of Phil’s home), most of the humor in “The Upside” is too superficial for any kind of deeper cultural reading. This is a movie more concerned with prolonged gags about catheters and smoking pot than any kind of genuine sophistication.

The story gets more treacly as it moves along, and the bromance hits all the usual notes one might expect from such cookie-cutter material. Yet even as “The Upside” goes to one familiar place after another, there’s an unquestionably endearing quality to the bond between the two men. It may be a low bar, but Hart has shown such depth as a man desperate to clean his life up, and the movie’s gentle rhythms and heartfelt plot give him the chance to show a subtler dimension to his abilities that his usual brash material would never allow.

Cranston, who has the rare ability to scowl and smirk at the same time, can do this sort of rough-hewed material in his sleep. “The Upside” basically hums along on autopilot, its two men doing what they can to elevate a tired routine. They can only take it so far, but the effort’s there in most scenes, and “The Upside” winds up in a paradoxical place — it’s the rare remake that improves on the original without justifying a second round.

Grade: C

“The Upside” premiered at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival. It will open in limited release this year and nationwide in 2018.

‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’ Review: A Robin Williams Relic Is Reborn as a Mildly Amusing Video Game Movie

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A semi-related sequel to a 1996 kids movie that exactly zero human beings have watched since the death of VHS, the mildly amusing “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” is further proof that even the stalest whiff of brand recognition has become preferable to originality. Only part of the blame for that belongs to the studios, but after cannibalizing themselves for much of the last 20 years, Hollywood has clearly eaten their way down to the crumbs.

That’s not to suggest the original “Jumanji” was such an unspeakably terrible thing — Joe Johnston has always known how to serve a fine bowl of popcorn entertainment — but rather to say that no one should ever have to write the words: “The original ‘Jumanji.’” And while it’s nice that this new adventure has virtually nothing to do with the first one, “The LEGO Batman Movie” screenwriter Chris McKenna leveraging the franchise’s most basic premise in order to pursue a clever post-modern concept, that’s also part of the problem: Despite the fact that nobody cares about “Jumanji,” our collective familiarity with that nonsense word is the only reason why Sony Pictures was willing to invest in such a high-concept holiday comedy, and the only reason why much of its eventual audience might be willing to give it a chance. Everybody wants something new, but nobody is willing to risk spending their money on it.

Does any of that actually detract from the experience of watching “2Manji”? Not really. At least, not always. When Jack Black, who’s pretending to be possessed by the soul of a self-obsessed teenage girl, suddenly gets swallowed whole by a killer hippo, there’s a good chance you won’t be too busy thinking about the socioeconomics of nostalgia to enjoy it. On the other hand, when the entire cast looks at the sky and screams “Juuummaaannjiiiii!!” in unison during a climactic moment, paying customers might just feel like they’re part of the problem. The more “Welcome to the Jungle” moralizes about how people — young people, in particular — only have one life to live, the harder it gets to overlook the fact that this film was essentially brought back from the dead.

Once upon a time, “Jumanji” was pretty much just a super interactive version of “Trouble,” but even magically enchanted board games from hell have to keep up with what the kids like. Now, “Jumanji” is a video game, and everyone who picks up a controller gets sucked inside its jungle setting.

The players are a Breakfast Club’s worth of misfits whose fates intertwine during the deadliest detention of their lives. There’s Spencer (Alex Wolff), a nerdy gamer whose bedroom is such a marvel of product placement that it could easily double as Sony’s E3 booth (FYI: “The Last Guardian” is available now for the Playstation 4). There’s Martha (Morgan Turner), a shy but severe bookworm who doesn’t realize that we’re gonna need a few more years before it’s okay for movies to use her first name again. Next is “Fridge” (Ser’Darius Blain), the football star who’s slacking on his schoolwork. And finally we have Bethany (Madison Iseman), the pretty girl who cares only about boys and Instagram pics and whether boys like her Instagram pics.

Don’t get too attached to any of these archetypes, because it isn’t long before our unlikely group of heroes are spirited into the world of Jumanji, where their souls inhabit the bodies of the avatars they chose from the “character selection” screen. Spencer outwardly becomes the smoldering Dr. Xander Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson), fulfilling every scrawny teen boy’s fantasy of having biceps the size of small buildings. Johnson is an enduringly winning presence, but he’s now played against type almost as many times as he’s played into it; the only interesting future that’s left for him might be in playing more comically jacked normal people. Or who knows, maybe he’ll just become President. Make America Buff Again or whatever.

"Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle"

“Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle”

Martha is zapped into the body of Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillan), a Lara Croft type whose revealing outfit seems ill-suited for jungle exploration. In a classic example of a movie having its cake and eating it too, Gillan’s toned midriff gets so much screen-time it deserves its own SAG card, but the film’s meta-narrative ostensibly excuses its leering gaze (in fairness, the camera spends plenty of time ogling The Rock). Fridge becomes the diminutive “Mouse” Finbar (Kevin Hart, trying hard to recreate whatever chemistry he shared with Johnson in last summer’s “Central Intelligence”), and Bethany has the misfortune of turning into Professor Shelly Oberon (Jack Black, whose self-deprecating lead performance as a pretty girl trapped in an “overweight, middle-aged man’s” body generates the film’s only real laughs). Nick Jonas also shows up at some point, but don’t worry about that.

The “Freaky Friday” of it all goes a long way towards distracting from a straightforward story full of stale action beats, and director Jake Kasdan (“Walk Hard”) is clearly a lot more comfortable with improv comedy than he is with large-scale CG. “Welcome to the Jungle” is at its most fun in the moments when it leans into the video game nature of its reality, assigning each of its characters three “lives” and amusingly adhering to the rules and limitations of an old-fashioned side-scroller. To borrow a phrase from Buzzfeed, there are gags here that only ’90s kids might get. On the other hand, people of all ages can enjoy whatever the hell Bobby Cannavale is doing in his glorified cameo as the villainous John Hardin, whose ability to vomit scorpions is a lot scarier than his name.

Will Xander teach Spencer how to be brave? Will Bethany learn how to care about other people? Will Martha learn how to talk to boys? Will Fridge learn how to do his homework or something? Will Nick Jonas learn why he’s even in this movie? Will The Rock and Kevin Hart continue riffing on old Robin Williams movies due to the overwhelming demand to see them swap in for Matt Damon and Ben Affleck (respectively) in a reboot of “Good Will Hunting”? All, or at least most of these questions will ultimately be answered in very pat ways, but the characters’ personal journeys are engaging enough to see them through the dull roar of their adventure.

The studios may be eating themselves, but hopefully they can survive on movies like this for long enough to figure out who they want to be when they grow up.

Grade: C

“Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” opens in theaters on December 20.

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‘Saturday Night Live’ Review: The Show Limps out of 2017 With Kevin Hart at the Helm

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It’s the last “Saturday Night Live” of 2017, and you’d think NBC’s perennial sketch show would go out with the bang. Getting Kevin Hart to host and the Foo Fighters as the musical guest is pretty much a case of busting out the big guns, after all.

Unfortunately, this episode of “Saturday Night Live” can barely be considered an extravaganza, and the holiday aspects of it aren’t even memorable or strong enough to use “it’s a holiday episode!” as an excuse.
So, what happened?

Host: Kevin Hart

Let’s start with the monologue. Kevin Hart goes with the standup routine monologue, which is obviously a good idea for a standup comedian — in theory. Boy, is this monologue a good idea in theory. (His execution is good too, but…) He brings up how this is his third time hosting, how he just had his third kid, and how he’s about to go on his third standup tour.

He then performs what we can assume are excerpts from of his standup set, a lot of which is based on being a parent at different stages of life. But the elephant (or maybe the llama, given one of the episode’s sketches) in the room as he starts his set is impossible not to see: He’s telling jokes about his struggles with having a third child, when he just very publicly cheated on his wife when she was pregnant with that child. The jokes obviously never touch on that particular aspect, but it’s looming. Then we get into the material about young women “making” older men have children, which… is definitely not the best way to paint women after this year. Also, he’s telling that joke on the same show Alec Baldwin just can’t seem to leave. The monologue is just non-stop material that makes you wonder if this is really the way “SNL” wants to go out for 2017. In fact, that’s pretty much the question of the episode.

Apparently, Kevin Hart wanted to do his okay Shaquille O’Neal impression. So we get a sketch where he does his okay Shaquille O’Neal impression (and everyone else does the same quality as Kenan’s Charles Barkley, because it doesn’t matter) and wears stilts. Some pretty ridiculous looking stilts, and yes, they’re pretty funny. But Kevin Hart clearly wanted to do voices all episode, as the majority of the sketches don’t appear to have a point outside of that. And that’s what he does, in this episode that feels more like Hart came in and gave his own ideas of what the episode should be than a collaborative episode of “SNL.” The only parts of the episode that don’t have his fingerprints at all over them are the ones he’s not involved in. But when he’s involved, it’s abundantly clear he’s involved.

Best Sketch of The Night: Active Jack

At first, the sketch feels off, as the supposed “theme song” to this show is just long and without any payoff. Then they get to the reunion (and Kevin Hart becomes Kenan Thompson) and it all clicks.

Honorable Mention: Captain Shadow

Chris Redd’s portrayal of black Robin… er… Cardinal is so high-energy and dweeby and perfect that one can only assume this is something he’s had in his back pocket for a while. The sketch itself also has the bite the rest of the episode lacks, though the finish — with Hart’s Captain Shadow having cocaine as “energy dust” — kind of deflates the points the rest of the sketch is making.

Considering this makes there more than one Batman sketch in one season, within episodes of each other, the comparison needs to be made: The Chance The Rapper episode’s Batman sketch was better.

“Worst” Sketch of The Night: Office Phone Call

This is the first live sketch (not counting the cold open) of the night, and it’s one long poop joke. They start this
show off with one long poop joke.

The thing about this sketch is that it feels like it belongs in a late ‘90s episode of “SNL,” with Will Ferrell and/or Jimmy Fallon in the mix. “It’s 2017” shouldn’t be the biggest reaction to come out of this episode, and yet, that’s what happens.

To be fair, this isn’t truly the worst sketch of the night. (“Christmas Party” might take the cake.) The final moments — with the emotional music and the imaginary phones — actually end the sketch on a high note. But considering this is the first sketch Kevin Hart does in front of the audience, it essentially sets the bizarre tone for the rest of the episode. Also, it feels wrong to even consider the Inside The NBA sketch “a sketch” when making this designation.

Best Male & Female Performers: Foo Fighters

No, this is not an “SNL” cast member or any sketch performer in this episode at all. But you can’t say Dave Grohl and the boys and girls didn’t bring it in their “Everlong”/”Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”/’Charlie Brown Christmas” medley. They brought it hard, and it was the highlight of the show. Well, that and the goodnights from the ice rink at Rockefeller Center.

Best Follow-Up To “Henrietta & The Fugitive”: Nativity Play

Somewhere in all of this, Leslie Jones becomes obsessed with a horny llama. That fits the qualifications of this particular honor.

Best Impression: Leslie Jones as Omarosa

Leslie Jones isn’t doing a pitch-perfect impression of Omarosa — she’s pulling a Kenan, really, just wearing a dress and being the same race. But the “Say Anything”-ing attempt at staying in the White House in the cold open and the clarification of her quitting, not being fired, in the Weekend Update is a solid one-two punch. There’s always room to appreciate continuity between sketches/segments.

Honorable mention: Alex Moffat as Guy Who Just Bought A Boat (Weekend Update)

This isn’t so much praise for an impression as it is praise for how scarily good Alex Moffat is as this douchebag character, right down to the abbrevs.

Grade: C-

This episode certainly won’t provide any highlights for future ‘SNL’ holiday compilations. Okay, maybe the cold open and Foo Fighters medley will. But you get the point. Oh, and Scarlett Johansson showed up.

It’s a technically proficient episode, but perhaps more than any other episode of the season, it seems toothless and irrelevant outside of the cold open and Weekend Update. There’s no edge to the sketches, which you might expect from a holiday episode, but at the same time, the holidays haven’t stopped “Saturday Night Live” before. And when discussing the voices of “SNL” hosts, this episode comes across like it’s too dedicated to Kevin Hart’s voice. While there are “SNL” standards like sketches going on too long or not quite landing, the hit to miss ratio hasn’t been this miss so far this season, and as far as standouts from the cast go, that genuinely doesn’t happen this week. At least, not as regularly or obviously as it does other weeks, regardless of episode quality.

It’s an unmemorable episode from top-to-bottom. And since Kevin Hart has done two previous episodes, it’s worth noting that hasn’t always been the case for him on “SNL.”

“Saturday Night Live” will return in 2018.

‘Night School’ Trailer: Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish Team Up in New Comedy From ‘Girls Trip’ Director

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Arriving on the heels of their highly successful (and deeply funny) “Girls Trip,” filmmaker Malcolm D. Lee and star Tiffany Haddish are back in business with another comedy, this one bolstered by the additional star wattage of co-star Kevin Hart. The trio have teamed up for “Night School,” which sets Hart as a previously very successful salesman (the trailer amusingly plays up just how he became “previously” successful) and Haddish as his slightly beleaguered night school teacher, an inspired pairing that if there ever was one.

Partially written by Hart himself (alongside quite a cadre of screenwriters, including “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” director Nicholas Stoller), the film revolves around Hart’s character, a whiz-bang BBQ salesperson who seems especially adept at figuring out what his customers need, whose entire life blows up (literally) after an ill-advised proposal to his long-time girlfriend.

Thrust back into the real world, he’s forced to contend with a cruel truth: he never got his high school diploma, and it’s keeping him from pursuing some new (and necessary) career paths. Enter the eponymous Night School, where he meets a murderer’s row of other GED-hopefuls, plus Haddish as his no-nonsense teacher and Taran Killam as a principal with one very unseemly habit. High jinks, we can only assume, ensue. (And probably a very funny, but weirdly touching graduation scene.) Check out the trailer below.

“Night School” opens on September 28.

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Kevin Hart Is the 2019 Oscars Host

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With mere months to spare, the Academy finally found its Oscars host. After much speculation that Oscar producer Donna Gigliotti was having trouble landing a suitable host, former hosts Hugh Jackman, Ellen DeGeneres, and Whoopi Goldberg were among the possibles before Kevin Hart agreed to be the man in the spotlight at the top of the upcoming Oscar ceremony on February 24. Hart is the fifth African-American to host the Oscars, after Goldberg, Chris Rock, Richard Pryor and Diana Ross.

Hart revealed in an Instagram post late Tuesday that he had accepted the role:

For years I have been asked if I would ever Host the Oscars and my answer was always the same…I said that it would be the opportunity of a lifetime for me as a comedian and that it would happen when it was supposed to. I am so happy to say that the day has finally come for me to host the Oscars. I am blown away simply because this has long been a goal on my list for a long time…To be able to join the legendary list of hosts that have graced that stage is unbelievable. I know my mom is smiling  from ear to ear right now. I want to thank my family/friends/fans for supporting me & riding with me all this time…I will be sure to make this year’s Oscars a special one. I appreciate @TheAcademy for the opportunity…now it’s time to rise to the occasion. #Oscars

Movie comedian Hart moves up from hosting the MTV Movie Awards with his “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” and “Central Intelligence” star Dwayne Johnson, who could be expected to join Hart on the live global broadcast. Jimmy Kimmel was no longer on the list of desirable Oscar hosts as the last two Oscar shows he hosted, produced by Michael De Luca and Jennifer Todd, boasted plummeting ratings. A record-low 26.5 million viewers watched March’s telecast.

Clearly, the Academy paid attention to research showing that diversity can move the needle in a positive direction.

The Academy has promised a three-hour show with six to eight categories accepting their awards during the commercial break and edited into the show in shorter form.

Kevin Hart Called Out for Homophobic Jokes After Being Named 2019 Oscars Host

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After months of speculation, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences confirmed December 5 that comedian Kevin Hart would be taking on the job of Oscars host for the upcoming 91st Academy Awards. The gig will be Hart’s first time hosting the Oscars, a massive step up from his gigs hosting ceremonies like the BET Awards, the MTV Video Music Awards, and the MTV Movie and TV Awards. However, Hart’s hiring is being met with some backlash online from film writers and Oscar pundits.

Erik Anderson, the founder of Awards Watch, took to social media shortly after Hart confirmed his hosting duty to call out the comedian for his controversial past. The awards prognosticator wrote, “Considering how many of the Oscars’ biggest fans are women and gay men it’s quite something for the Academy to hire a guy who beat one wife, cheated on another when she was eight months pregnant and said one of his biggest fears is his son growing up and being gay.”

Hart publicly admitted in December 2017 to cheating on wife Eniko Parrish while she was pregnant earlier that year. In his 2017 memoir “I Can’t Make This Up,” Hart admitted there were times when his marriage to first wife Torrei Hart became violent. But it’s Hart’s controversial comments on homosexuality that are resurfacing the most in the wake of his Oscars hosting being confirmed.

Benjamin Lee, film writer and journalist for The Guardian, shared a polarizing bit from Hart’s 2010 comedy special “Seriously Funny” in which he joked about how he would react to his son growing up as a gay man.

“One of my biggest fears is my son growing up and being gay,” Hart said in the special. “That’s a fear. Keep in mind, I’m not homophobic. . . . Be happy. Do what you want to do. But me, as a heterosexual male, if I can prevent my son from being gay, I will.”

Lee accompanied Hart’s quotes with the caption, “And the Oscar for most homophobic host ever goes to…” In that same special, Hart performed a skit where he looked back at times his son gave off “homosexual tendencies,” to which Hart joked that he would yell at his son, “Stop, that’s gay!”

Hart told Rolling Stone in 2015 he would not make the same joke again and that the quote had everything to do with his own insecurities than with taking aim at the LGBTQ community. Regardless, the joke has remained a point of contention in Hart’s career. The Guardian film critic Peter Bradshaw even referenced it while debating whether or not Hart was the right Oscar host in a post titled “Can Kevin Hart Tiptoe Through the Oscars Minefield?”

As others observed online, Hart was accused again of being homophobic after the release of his 2015 comedy “Get Hard,” in which he starred opposite Will Ferrell. At the time of the film’s release, Hart, Ferrell, and Warner Bros. were criticized for numerous homophobic prison jokes in the movie. Given this year’s Oscar race includes queer films like “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” and “Boy Erased,” plus movies about gay icons such as Freddie Mercury (“Bohemian Rhapsody”) and starring gay icons like Lady Gaga (“A Star Is Born”), Hart being hired as host stands out even more.

In a statement confirming his Oscars hosting duty, Hart wrote, “I will be sure to make this year’s Oscars a special one. I appreciate The Academy for the opportunity…now it’s time to rise to the occasion.” The 91st Academy Awards air February 24, 2019.


Both Kevin Hart and the Academy Benefit From His Hosting – Analysis

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Comedian-turned-media-mogul Kevin Hart will host the 2019 Oscars broadcast. Previous hosts have implied it’s a thankless job, but it’s been Hart’s dream for several years, one for which he’s actively campaigned. And for the Academy, that enthusiasm is a godsend: It knows that the more diversity in its ceremony, the higher the viewership. In hiring Hart, this may be the rarest of Hollywood deals: a genuine win-win.

While Hart’s politicking speaks to the honor of hosting the Oscars, he is also a relentless self-promoter with a by-any-means necessary will to market the product that is Kevin Hart. Even with declining viewership, Nielsen ranks the Oscars broadcast as one of the top 10 most-watched TV programs in each of the last three years, with a broadcast that reaches more than 225 countries. For a brand builder like Hart, it’s a no-brainer. It’s a singular opportunity to potentially reach a global audience — particularly for an African-American star climbing the ladder in an environment that tells you there’s no overseas market for your content.

And then there’s Academy perspective. The Oscars have steadily lost core 18-49 audience, and hit an all-time audience low in 2018. In a time when the Oscars must fight for cultural relevance, diversity is one of its most powerful available drivers. Enter the affable Hart, who can further promote his brand and possibly bid for a prestige his movies haven’t afforded him, on one of the grandest stages of all.

In a post to his roughly 125 million social-media followers, Hart promised to “rise to the occasion” and make the 2019 broadcast a “special one.” With Instagram and Twitter accounts that rank in the top 40 of most followed accounts in the entire world, he will leverage his vast social media presence to back up his guarantees.

Kevin Hart, Heaven Hart, Hendrix Hart. Kevin Hart, from left, daughter Heaven Hart and son Hendrix Hart volunteer to serve Thanksgiving dinner to a group of homeless people at the Los Angeles Mission, in Los Angeles2018 Mission's Thanksgiving Dinner, Los Angeles, USA - 21 Nov 2018

Kevin Hart and his children Heaven and Hendrix volunteer to serve 2018 Thanksgiving dinner to a group of homeless people at the Los Angeles Mission.

Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP/REX/Shutterstock

More than any Oscar host in its 90-year history, Hart recognizes how social media has profoundly shifted the relationship between celebrity and fan. Perhaps taking a page from the book of his role model, Oprah Winfrey, Hart is transparent not only with his successes, but also in his personal struggles, failures, and disappointments. While Winfrey utilized a daily talk show, Hart unleashes his authenticity on social media as well as in his stand-up. That same unwillingness to filter himself has also gotten him into trouble, as evidenced by the resurfacing of a homophobic comedy routine in Hart’s 2010 comedy special “Seriously Funny,” in which he says that his “biggest fear” was his son “growing up and being gay.”

As his popularity has grown, Hart has had to contend with pushback over the routine, telling Rolling Stone in 2015, that it wasn’t a “well thought-out” joke, claiming he was speaking to his own insecurities: “It’s about my fear. I’m thinking about what I did as a dad; did I do something wrong? And if I did, what was it? Not that I’m not gonna love my son, or think about him any differently. The funny thing within that joke is it’s me getting mad at my son because of my own insecurities — I panicked.”

As reps for both Hart and the Academy have yet to address social media calls for a reconsideration of Hart’s hosting the Oscars, it’s uncertain what, if any, fallout will result.

More recently, Hart very publicly dealt with the 2017 revelation that he had been unfaithful to his then-pregnant wife, Eniko Parrish. A scenario that had the potential to fatally damage his all-important brand, Hart, very much in keeping with an approach that has helped endear him to audiences worldwide, took to his Instagram account to acknowledge his profound treachery, and apologized to his family and fans, even titling his next comedy tour after it (“Irresponsible”).

Meanwhile, the apology video drew over 6.2 million views on his Instagram page alone.

With minute-long Instagram video posts that often get more views than the average TV series, brands looking for a boost could perceive Hart as an invaluable marketing apparatus.

And for the Academy, Hart looks like an ideal host. He’d bring some safety-edged excitement to what is typically a rather reverent and stodgy affair. A relentless optimist, highly energetic with a non-threatening persona, he has proven himself to be a draw — not only at the box office, but also as a brand ambassador.

Widely regarded as first and foremost a comedian, the aspirational Hart is a businessman. Or maybe more appropriately, to borrow from fellow mogul Jay Z on “Diamonds from Sierra Leone,” Kevin Hart is not a businessman; he’s a business, man! Unseating Jerry Seinfeld in 2016, Hart is the world’s most successful comedian with an annual income at $87.5 million. Hart is also currently one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood, boasting a career $3.5 billion in worldwide box office.

Kevin HartNike Innovation Launch, New York, America - 16 Mar 2016

Kevin Hart at the Nike Innovation Launch, March 2016

Andrew H Walker/WWD/REX/Shutterstock

He’s also inked multimillion-dollar endorsement deals with top retailers including Nike, H&M, Lyft, and Old Spice; developed TV shows for various networks including BET and Comedy Central; and, two years ago, purchased and transformed sound stages in the San Fernando Valley into what has become the hub of his Hartbeat Productions and Hartbeat Digital, the foundations of his young and rapidly evolving media empire. There are even Kevin Hart emojis or “Kevmojis.”

Hart also has TV hosting experience, starting with the 2011 BET Awards, followed by the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards (after which he said, “Hopefully after MTV, of course we’re talking Emmys, Oscars, whatever.”). And in 2016, Hart co-hosted the MTV Movie Awards with Dwayne Johnson.

As a 2015 Nielsen report revealed, there’s a direct correlation between the number of black Oscar nominees (and hosts), and viewership. Academy president John Bailey shared his enthusiasm over the decision to hire Hart, calling him a “very kind of warm and loving and lovable person” whose affability he believes will resonate with audiences. Additionally, Bailey suggests that Hart may “surround himself with people who also are going to be appealing like him… I think some of the presenters and guests are going to be his friends.”

The Academy ceremony enjoyed one of its best draws ever in 2005, when Chris Rock hosted the show, a year that also saw several black actors nominated in major categories, including Don Cheadle, Jamie Foxx, Morgan Freeman, and Sophie Okonedo, with “Ray” nominated for Best Picture. Roughly 5.3 million black viewers tuned in, helping to lift the show’s numbers to over 42 million — a rarity in this millennium.

In what might be a repeat of that evening, Hart is hosting in a year that will also likely see multiple black nominees including Ryan Coogler, Barry Jenkins, Regina King, Viola Davis, Michael B. Jordan, Mahershala Ali, and Spike Lee, to name a few. There is money to be made in diversity, as reports from the UCLA Ralph Bunche Center and other organizations have all recently shown. And the stakes are high: Academy leaders know if the show fails to attract a diverse audience, it also risks making the awards less relevant to new generations of viewers.

Will Smith, in a 2007 “60 Minutes” profile at the height of his career, said the following about his success: “I’ve viewed myself as slightly above average in talent. And where I excel is ridiculous, sickening, work ethic. You know, while the other guy’s sleeping? I’m working. While the other guy’s eating? I’m working.” Hart could probably say the same about himself. The Academy is betting that’s the ethic he brings — along with that massive social media following — to his hosting duties.

Kevin Hart Steps Down From Hosting the Oscars: ‘I Do Not Want to Be a Distraction’

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Kevin Hart said that if he had to choose between hosting the Oscars and apologizing for his homophobic tweets, he’d rather “pass on the apology.” And on Thursday night, he made good on his claim, stepping down from the role… and apologizing as he did it.

The Academy announced him as host just two days ago, and almost immediately met a tsunami of backlash. That was the day the trades reported that they just couldn’t seem to land an Oscar host — and, the day of the Academy Museum show-and-tell where Academy president John Bailey was upset because, they had hired a host; they just hadn’t announced it yet. So they did, immediately.

Kevin Hart had been eager to host the Oscars since 2015; it was on his bucket list. That played well with the Academy, who had tired of so many former and possible Oscar hosts turning them down. Why not go back to such recent (safe) successes as Ellen DeGeneres and Hugh Jackman? No, they were dazzled by a genuine movie star with 34.6 million Twitter followers and someone with serious social media savvy, who wasn’t in everyone’s living room every night, like their host for the last two years, Jimmy Kimmel.

Kevin Hart, with more than $1.2 billion in total global box office, seemed like the perfect antidote to their declining ratings. Still, one can ask, legitimately, why the Academy didn’t see this coming. Did they not vet this guy? Until the Academy announced his hiring, his homophobic tweets were still live. (They’ve been taken down since.)

Hart made the statement in an Instagram video:

I just got a call from the Academy and that call basically said, ‘Kevin, apologize for your tweets of old or we’re going to have to move on and find another host.’ I’m talking about the tweets from 2009 and 2010. I chose to pass on the apology. The reason why I passed is because I’ve addressed this several times. This is not the first time this has come up. I’ve addressed it. I’ve spoken on it. I’ve said where the rights and wrongs were. I’ve said who I am now versus who I was then. I’ve done it. I’ve done it. I’m not going to continue to go back and tap into the days of old when I’ve moved on and I’m in a completely different space in my life. The same energy that went into finding those old tweets could be the same energy put into finding the response to the questions that have been asked years after years after years. We feed the internet trolls and we reward them. I’m not going to do it, man. I’m going to be me. I’m going to stand my ground. Regardless, Academy, I’m thankful and appreciative of the opportunity. If it goes away, no harm, no foul.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BrEjHFCFe83/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

Prior to this evening’s tweet, it’s unclear if Hart had made a public and explicit apology for his statements. In a July 2015 Rolling Stone interview, he did address a routine from his 2010 standup special in which he said, “One of my biggest fears is my son growing up and being gay.” As he told the publication:

“It’s about my fear. I’m thinking about what I did as a dad, did I do something wrong, and if I did, what was it? Not that I’m not gonna love my son or think about him any differently. The funny thing within that joke is it’s me getting mad at my son because of my own insecurities — I panicked. It has nothing to do with him, it’s about me. That’s the difference between bringing a joke across that’s well thought-out and saying something just to ruffle feathers.” Even so, he adds, “I wouldn’t tell that joke today, because when I said it, the times weren’t as sensitive as they are now. I think we love to make big deals out of things that aren’t necessarily big deals, because we can. These things become public spectacles. So why set yourself up for failure?”

Hart also appeared on The Breakfast Club radio show in January 2015, and spoke about why he wouldn’t play a gay character in a film.

“No. Not because I have any ill will or disrespect… I don’t think I’m really going to dive into that role 100 percent because of the insecurities about myself trying to play that part. What I think people are going to think while I’m trying to do this, is going to stop me from playing that part the way that I’m supposed to.”

However, neither of these statements exactly rose to the level of an apology, as when Hart publicly apologized to his wife and family after he said he was the victim of an extortion attempt by a woman who claimed he had a sexual relationship with her while Hart’s wife was pregnant.

IndieWire has reached out to the Academy for comment.

GLAAD: Kevin Hart ‘Shouldn’t Have Stepped Down’ as Oscars Host, but Used Gig to Bring Unity

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GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis has weighed in on the Kevin Hart Oscars fiasco, but not in the way most people might expect. In a statement given to The Wrap, Ellis criticized Hart for stepping down as the host of the 2019 Academy Awards, saying that Hart could have shown his growth by remaining the host and bringing awareness to LGBTQ issues.

“Kevin Hart shouldn’t have stepped down; he should have stepped up,” Ellis said. “Hart’s apology to LGBTQ people is an important step forward, but he missed a real opportunity to use his platform and the Oscars stage to build unity and awareness.”

In an interview with CNN, embedded below, Ellis said GLAAD was hoping Hart would have used the hosting gig as a “teachable moment” for both himself and the nation at large. Hart was announced as Oscars host on December 4, but soon after he was called out on social media for his history of homophobic jokes.

One controversial joke from Hart’s 2010 comedy special, “Seriously Funny,” included a bit where the comedian thought about how he would react if his son grew up as a gay man. “One of my biggest fears is my son growing up and being gay,” Hart said in the special. “That’s a fear. Keep in mind, I’m not homophobic.  . . . Be happy. Do what you want to do. But me, as a heterosexual male, if I can prevent my son from being gay, I will.”

Hart told Rolling Stone in 2015 he would not make the same joke again, but it was just one of numerous instances of the comedian making homophobic jokes and references. Hart’s Twitter page included several tweets with gay slurs in them, and the comedian started deleting some of the tweets in the wake of the backlash. Eventually, Hart announced he would step down as Oscars host.

“I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past,” Hart said. “I’m sorry that I hurt people. I am evolving and want to continue to do so. My goal is to bring people together not tear us apart.”

Ellis and GLAAD had hoped Hart would remain host so that he could use such a major platform to bring people together on LGBTQ issues. Ellis said that Hart stepping down “isn’t the conclusion I think everyone would have liked,” and she remained clear the door is always open at GLAAD should Hart want to discuss the controversy.

As for who the Academy should choose to replace Hart, Ellis said, “The Academy has recently made significant strides in featuring diverse talent onstage and they should now double down on that commitment as they look for a new host.”

The Oscars air Sunday, February 24.

Oscars 2019: Who Will Host Now? The 10 Most Likely Candidates — Including No Host At All

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If anyone doubts the insane pace of the news cycle in Hollywood these days, consider this: The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences just announced that Kevin Hart would be hosting the 2019 Oscars this Tuesday, December 4 and just a little over 48 hours later he had withdrawn. The Academy now faces a dilemma: any potential host they reach out to could feel like they were a second choice or a “safe” choice.

But it doesn’t have to be that way: the IndieWire staff has given a lot of thought to who is most likely to step into Hart’s shoes, given their availability, the image they’ll project for the Academy, what corporate synergy they’ll represent for broadcaster ABC, and any previous statements they’ve given about their desire to host. Based on what we know right now, these are the most likely contenders.

10. Kate McKinnon and Kumail Nanjiani

Hosts Kate McKinnon, left, and Kumail Nanjiani speak at the Film Independent Spirit Awards, in Santa Monica, Calif2016 Film Independent Spirit Awards - Show, Santa Monica, USA - 27 Feb 2016

Kate McKinnon and Kumail Nanjiani at the 31st Independent Spirit Awards

Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP/REX/Shutterstock

Anyone who watched the 2016 Film Independent Spirit Awards knows what a powerhouse comedic duo Kate McKinnon and Kumail Nanjiani are as emcees. The two comedians delivered a knockout hosting gig, with hilarious live bits (not surprising considering McKinnon’s Emmy-winning “SNL” chops) and some amazing pre-tapped videos parodying the nominees (McKinnon’s “Carol” ripoff was hilariously inspired). Oscar host legend Billy Crystal was famous for inserting himself into footage from the nominees, and McKinnon proved tenfold she can carry on that tradition in an innovative new way. Plus, McKinnon and Nanjiani are minorities in Hollywood who have broken through in a big way and that’s worth celebrating. —ZS

9. Will Smith

Few major actors have managed to make charisma a key part of their brand the way Will Smith has maintained it for decades. The actor-producer-rapper remains a major movie star with a sizable audience, even as his kids have matured into their own promising entertainment careers. There’s no question that Smith would make an endearing Oscar host, able to mingle with the A-list crowd without condescending to it, and his sizable fan base — which stretches across many ages and demographics — would likely tune in. On his Instagram, Smith has been charming and personal as he shares intimate moments from his life, proving that no matter how many wisecracking types he’s played over the years, he’s always in his element when playing himself. Unlike Kevin Hart and other comedians, Smith is also down to earth. He could follow the rules with an endearing aw-shucks quality, but wouldn’t waste time on distracting stunts. The Oscars need a safe bet who stands out from the crowd, and couldn’t do much better than this. Plus, Smith has “Aladdin” coming out next year, and it wouldn’t hurt ABC parent company Disney to drum up a little extra PR for its newest genie. —EK

8. Melissa McCarthy

Melissa McCarthy is expected to earn an Oscar nomination for Best Actress thanks to her leading role in “Can You Ever Forgive Me?,” but hiring her as host wouldn’t be a conflict of interest (just look at the Golden Globes, where “Killing Eve” nominee Sandra Oh is co-hosting next year). A host has been nominated for an Academy Award the year of their hosting gig six times in the past. The Oscars could use McCarthy’s infectious energy and acclaimed comic wit, and she has so many funny friends (Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph, for starters) she could bring on stage with her that the idea of her hosting is quite enticing. McCarthy thrives in the live performance space, having won an Emmy for “Saturday Night Live” hosting duties, so she should be considered as a top contender. —ZS

7. Dwayne Johnson

Dwayne Johnson'Fate of the Furious' film premiere, Arrivals, New York, USA - 08 Apr 2017

If ABC is looking for a beloved A-lister with comic chops and some celebrity friends he or she can bring to the party, then Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson would be an ideal choice. From a business perspective, Johnson is a member of the ABC-owned Disney family and has the studios’s epic family adventure “Jungle Cruise” with Emily Blunt coming in 2020, which bodes well for his prospects. Simply put, everyone loves Johnson and he’s got a enormous social media presence, which would be crucial advertising for Disney and ABC. Johnson could also bring in the teen demographic the Academy is so desperate to capitalize on. The only minor hiccup is that Johnson co-starred with Kevin Hart in the comedy “Central Intelligence.” Would the Academy hire a host with direct ties to Hart? And would Johnson even be willing to take over a job that canned his friend? It remains to be seen. —ZS

6. Someone Who’s Hosted Before

The truly safe choice for the Academy and ABC would be just to have someone who’s hosted before host again: all parties involved will know the person is question can deliver and do so without being offensive. However, this year the Academy has been trying hard to shake up the Oscars telecast formula, first with the withdrawn “Most Popular Film” category, then with the decision to remand certain technical categories to the commercial breaks to speed up the show. Kevin Hart was appealing because he could bring in viewers who might not normally watch the Oscars. If it’s Jimmy Kimmel hosting again, like he has the past two years, viewers can expect more of the same  and ABC can expect similar ratings to what they had for the ceremony in 2018. As a mini ranking within this larger ranking here are previous Oscars from the most likely (A) to host again this year to the least likely (E):

A. Ellen DeGeneres: She’s the most likely simply because she’s universally beloved and she hasn’t hosted since 2014.
B. Jimmy Kimmel: Continues the corporate synergy for ABC from having him host the two previous years.
C. Billy Crystal: Stepped in for the 2012 ceremony following Eddie Murphy’s withdrawal from the ceremony because he stood by Brett Ratner, who had been widely criticized for his homophobic remarks while briefly set to produce the show.
D. Whoopi Goldberg: Last hosted in 2002, which some may think is too long a gap.
E. Hugh Jackman: Possibly the preferred host overall from within the Academy, but the fact that he has a touring show next year — and may be hosting the Grammys — makes that unlikely. —CB

This article continues on the next page.

The Kevin Hart Oscar Host Scandal Shows the Academy Must Enter the 21st Century

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The Academy of Motion Arts & Sciences has a “What we’ve got here is failure to communicate” problem. There seems to be a profound disconnect between this august Beverly Hills institution — which promotes Hollywood to the world every year via the Oscar telecast — and the public. And that gap is widening, which anyone can see on Twitter.

Millions of people around the world still care about the Oscars. But the Academy keeps running into a messaging problem, from hiring bad boy Brett Ratner back in 2011 –who resigned over homophobic comments on the Howard Stern show, followed by his would-be host Eddie Murphy — to the “Best Popular Film” idea, which was swiftly shot down.

The Academy keeps making decisions without thinking through how they will play not only in the public arena, but with their own members. This doesn’t come down to how they handle their public relations. It’s a more profound issue. It’s a question of not taking their PR seriously enough to think ahead and comprehend how their news will play–to look at the 21st century 3D chess game that is social media.

It’s like the Academy president John Bailey (a cerebral cinematographer born in 1942) is Wreck-It-Ralph, stepping gingerly out of an old arcade game onto the big gleaming internet. Anyone who looks at Film Twitter every day could see how the news of Kevin Hart as Oscar host was playing with Gay Twitter. The Academy seemed unfazed at the initial reaction to Hart. He had dealt with his anti-gay slurs back in 2015, it was done. They loved his movie star status, eagerness to host, and 34.6 million Twitter followers, and were excited by his ability to grow the dwindling audience for ABC’s Oscar show.

In fact, Hart gets social media far more than the Academy does. On Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, things don’t just die down and fade away. They go viral and spread–exponentially. At the end of Thursday, after Bailey emerged from the cocoon of an afternoon of Academy Museum meetings, the Academy responded to mounting pressure–also from their own members –and asked for an apology from Hart.

That was something he wasn’t willing to give. To his credit, Hart understood when to bail and stop the damage. (He may have been unwilling to risk losing any of his hard-won fans.) Some people were impressed with how he handled the situation. “He was articulate about how people grow,” said one member of the Academy producer’s branch. “He was behaving with integrity. He should have been allowed to host the Oscars.”

The only way that was going to happen was for a deliberate and sophisticated outreach and candidate vetting ahead of the announcement. The Academy needed to line up their allies and supporters, check in with GLAAD, forecast what could happen and manage it in advance. Or recognize that Hart wasn’t such a good idea after all.

When the trades complained that they were taking too long to pick a host–because they couldn’t find one who would say ‘yes’–the Academy defensively jumped into action and announced their pick. Too soon, it turns out.

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