NETFLIX ORIGINAL: New Netflix Original Film Trailer: Burning Sands!

New Netflix Original Film Trailer: Burning Sands!

Burning Sands takes you on a raw, voyeuristic journey of fraternity pledging through the eyes of one favoured pledgee, who is torn between honouring a code of silence or standing up against the intensifying violence of underground hazing. Led by a breakthrough performance by Trevor Jackson, director Gerard McMurray's feature directorial debut brings an emotional honesty to the classic tale of "rites of passage" and the complicated bonds of brotherhood. Via Netflix 

NEWS: Kid Cudi Talks Playing A Gay Character In "James White", Cut Kissing Scenes

Kid Cudi talks about the responsibility of playing a gay character in his new movie James White, as well as some more intimate scenes that were cut from the film.

While Cudi has seemingly been keeping a low profile from a public standpoint, it turns out he's been working hard on both acting and music in over the last year. While we heard news that he just wrapped filming a new movie with Zoe Kravitz last week, the Man On The Moon had a premiere at Sundance just this weekend, acting in and providing the score for Josh Mond's "James White".

Cudi's role is a gay best friend of the protagonist (played by Christopher Abbott), a challenge he was excited to take. "This was way different than anything else I've ever done," he told Billboard at the premiere. "It was dope to do that. I felt like I had a responsibility to present a different walk in life from that world."

The rapper explained that his sexuality is not a focus in the film, which he found progressive. "When he comes out of the closet it's not really a thing," he said. "I think that's something the world needs to see. 'Cause it's not a thing. We're all equal."

Cudi's only qualm with the final product was that a few of his more intimate scenes didn't make the cut. "I'm mad [Mond] cut out my kissing scenes with David," he said with a smile. "We made out so many times -- and it was so good! That's my only gripe."

As far as the music is concerned, director Josh Mond explained why Cudi was the prefect choice for the score. "I write a lot to music, and Scott's albums I listened to while I was writing," said the director. "It was an inspiration and motivation for me. He really understands me. For the score, we asked him to write something that really paralleled the characters and New York. He found something that's really beautiful, anxious and aggressive."

NEWS: Tupac Biopic Set To Film In June

 Tupac Biopic Set To Film In June

The upcoming film based on Tupac Shakur's life is due to begin production in June.

The announcement of production on the Tupac biopic is becoming something of an annual news article. With that being said, this time it seems to be for real. Producer Randall Emmett has confirmed that the long-awaited film on Tupac Shakur's life will begin filming in June.

What may have held the film back -- and for good reason -- is earning the rights to use Pac's original music, something that has been detrimental to biopic's past (the infamous Aaliyah Lifetime film among them). Thankfully, we will be hearing Shakur's work in the movie, which will follow him through his early years, to his mainstream success, and ultimately to his untimely death.

While there have been plenty of documentaries (of varying quality) on the late rapper, this marks the first venture into recreating Shakur on film, and will surely be a tough casting process.

Watch the full interview with Randall Emmett below.

[via]

NEWS: Possible Kanye West Film Revealed By Sony E-mail Leaks

Possible Kanye West Film Revealed By Sony E-mail Leaks

Kanye West's creative director e-mailed Sony about a "feature length film" in the works.

Sony's email was hacked, as you may know, and this has led to plenty of tentative movie plans hitting the net, as well as an inside look as to how the industry really behaves. Over the weekend we learned that Spike Lee would like to have Drake and Kevin Hart star in a "School Daze" sequel. More possible movie plans hit the web today, with the latest e-mail leak revealing Kanye West's team reached out to Sony about a possible "immersive cinema experience."

Yeezy already had a successful movie debut at the Cannes film festival in 2012, creating an extremely unique movie experience with seven screens displaying the film. In an e-mail to a Sony executive, Kanye's creative director Elon Rutberg wrote,

"I supervise all of Kanye's film and media projects, and we have a major film project coming up that involves both cinematic and technological innovation, so I naturally thought Sony and wanted to reach out," Rutberg wrote in the email. "We premiered a multi-screen cinema experience to great response at Cannes 2012, and are looking to take the storytelling to the next level with a feature length film, shot for an immersive cinema experience."

As Complex reports, it's possible Rutberg is referring to the "Yeezus" film, of which we received a trailer back in February. There have been no new developments since then.

The e-mail leaks also reveal plans for a Kanye West cameo in a film starring Seth Rogen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, which is slated for 2015. The promo for it is somehow attached to the movie "The Interview," and involves recreating an iconic scene from the movie "Big."

"We have a specific idea to attach to THE INTERVIEW that will crush. Seth, Joe, and [Anthony] Mackie reenacting the scene from BIG on the floor piano at FAO Schwartz with KANYE WEST. It's fucking awesome."