While interviewing John Singleton on his producing duties for his upcoming film, 'Illegal Tender', directed by Franc Reyes, he mentioned to me that his next film will directing Halle Berry and Billy Bob Thornton in the Lionsgate film, 'Tulia'. Not only is Singleton directing the film, but he also co-wrote and will co-produce the film as well.
Berry will portray the key attorney for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund in a case involving the 1999 arrests of 10% of the black population of Tulia, Texas. The arrests did not produce drugs or money, causing prosecutors and civil rights groups to denounce the bust as racial profiling. The undercover agent who conducted the bust was indicted for perjury; most of the 46 arrestees were pardoned by Texas Gov. Rick Perry last year. The character that Berry plays is not African American but Indian.
'Tulia' is an adaptation of the Nate Blakeslee book "Tulia: Race, Cocaine, and Corruption in a Small Texas Town." Shooting will take place in Texas.
Berry's last film was 'Perfect Stranger' with Bruce Willis and will star opposite Benecio Del Toro in the upcoming, 'Things We Lost in the Fire'. Singleton last directed the ensemble film, 'Four Brothers' with Tyrese Gibson and Mark Wahlberg in 2005, but recently produced Craig Brewer's 'Black Snake Moan'.
It had been reported earlier this that Carl Franklin would be directing the film, but he has since moved on to helm 'The Maintenance Man' for Screen Gems.
This will the first time that Berry and Thornton have starred together in a film since they did 'Monster's Ball' years ago, which led to Berry winning the Oscar for Best Actress.
Comments: (24)
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By: Felicia on 7/26/2007 10:19AM
TULIA was a very good book. I actually worked for the publisher of that book. Glad to see it's being made into a movie. Thanks for sharing!
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By: Dumaine on 7/26/2007 3:11PM
Figures that a sell out and Universal studio house negro like John Singleton would be directing this. I hope he doesnt demand on being the only black male on the set and gets Universal sued for racism like he did a few months back! Keep it real Singleton. Dont forget where you came from.
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By: ToddyEnglish on 7/26/2007 4:58PM
Why is she playing a full blooded Indian? It is quite obvious that's she black mixed...
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By: Dumaine on 7/26/2007 3:13PM
Perry declined to give details of the suit. But in a Sept. 30 press release, the EEOC claims that "2 Fast 2 Furious" director John Singleton, who also is black, fired Davis and replaced him with a white assistant director.
The EEOC seeks injunctions prohibiting further racial discrimination at the company, its parent, Vivendi Universal SA, and several affiliates. For Davis, whose other credits include work on "Seven" and Terminator 2: Judgment Day," the EEOC seeks back pay, compensation losses, punitive damages and the return of his job.
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By: Hermna B on 7/27/2007 8:57AM
do halle berry and jessica alba have matching tattoos. jessi has a butt butterfly while halle has a flower growing out of her poo hole
i love nature :- )... . .
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By: Herman B on 7/27/2007 10:34AM
what i'm curious about is who the detective profiler is that's been opening closets and duping the good folk out in hollywood? do you have any idea how he is john?
i sure that enquire magazine knows, and so gabriel aubry and does whitney houston but everybody's to embarrassed to talk about it. oh, that's right he's related to gabriel
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By: Herman B on 7/27/2007 10:46AM
so halle. have you met the detective profiler who duped whitney houston. he's a bad cop but a master of opening peoples closets isn't he. he actually duped enquire magazine and the nyc police department. how embarrassing
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By: Belinda L on 7/29/2007 8:11AM
Toddy English, the reason Halle Berry is playing a full-blooded Indian is the same reason Donna Reed played Sacajawea in "The Far Horizon" and Katherine Hepburn played a Chinese woman in "Dragon Seed"--acting talent and star quality. Think of the many white actors who have played full-blooded Indians. If they had dark hair and eyes, dark makeup was applied and they became Indians. If they can do it, so can Halle.
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By: SINCERE5FT6 on 7/29/2007 9:00AM
I THINK IT IS GREAT HOLLY IS PLAYING A INDIAN ALSO I ADMIRE JOHN SINGLETON. THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN A GOOD REASON WHY JOHN FIRED DAVIS. BUT I DON'T THINK YOU SHOULD HIRED SOMEONE BLACK JUST BECAUSE THE DIRECTOR IS BLACK YOU SHOULD HIRE WHOEVER YOU THINK CAN BEST PREFORM FOR WHAT YOU NEED. IN THAT CASE A WHITE DIRECTOR COULD ONLY HIRE WHITE PEOPLE INSTEAD JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE WHITE. AND IAM A BLACK WOMAN MAKING THESE COMMENTS AND IAM A VERY PROUD BLACK WOMAN
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By: Mimi on 7/29/2007 9:48AM
DUMAINE....JOHN SINGLETON IS NOT A SELL OUT...DON'T HATE ON HIM...I LOVE HIS WORK
TODDY ENGLISH...IT'S QUITE OBVIOUS YOU DON'T WATCH MOVIES OR KNOW THE HISTORY OF MOVIES....READ THE COMMENT MADE BY BELINDA....AND I WANT TO INLCUDE WITH BELINDA'S COMMENT ELIZABETH TAYLOR...A WHITE ACTRESS PLAYING CLEOPATRA...A BLACK WOMAN....
HERMAN B....YOUR COMMENTS MAKE NO SENSE...WHY ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT HER TATOO'S...WHERE IS THE JEALOUSY AND HATE IN YOUR COMMMENTS COMMING FROM? YOU DON'T PERSONALLY KNOW HALLE...SO STOP THE STUPID HATEFUL COMMENTS...NOT APPRORIATE
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