Aliyah Moulden, lands a leading role in Netflix original film ‘Anastasia: Once Upon A Time’, wants to be an EGOT!

A Vision in Yellow_  Aliyah Moulden from TV show The Voice, cast in Anastasia_ Once Upon A Time, Photo Credit Aliyah Moulden, Courtesy Photo from Instagram  .jpeg

Super-vocalist powerhouse Aliyah Moulden has one big goal in mind and that is to become an EGOT.  EGOT is an acronym for those rare talents that have earned an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and a Tony award. It’s a small group of artists who hold this distinction, including icons James Earl Jones, Whoopi Goldberg and Rita Moreno. 

Afro-Latina (African American and Mexican) Aliyah who turned 16 on August 14th is walking toward the path to reach her EGOT goal. Training since the age of four, she considers “passion and discipline” as two of the vital qualities to reach her artistic goals. It’s that drive that helped Aliyah stand out while as a contestant on The Voice (2017), turning industry veteran’s heads with her voice and overall stage presence being compared to Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, and Adele. While on the top rated NBC show, The Voice, country singer Blake Shelton was her personal coach and she achieved top 3 status.

The young artist spends most of her time in training and on the road, and has already opened for Beyoncé’s protégés Chole X Hale, performed at the “BET Experience LA Live” (2016), Disney’s Channel’s Shake It Up after party opener for platinum singer Jesse McCarney, and participated in a national summer tour with Michael Deleasa with continuous collaborations with Alessia Cara, Miley Cyrus, Alicia Keys, Gwen Stefani, Zedd, Adam Levine, and Jennifer Hudson. 

On her own, she just completed her first EP which features the song “We Own the World”, written by Multi-Platinum producer Drew Lane (Hannah Montana and High School Musical). She was also a part of the National Official Stand Up Tour 2015, conducted by Peggy Lafrate, senior director of Sales at Teen Life and president at Strega Entertainment Group.

The big news for Moulden and one that move her closer to her EGOT goal is booking the leading role in the Netflix original feature film Anastasia: Once Upon A Time—retelling of the Anastasia Romanov story which marks the second production between Swen Group, the Latin American giant that recently established a U.S. distribution arm, and conglomerate—the Florida-based production company behind Walt Before Mickey and the upcoming Little Mermaid.

In Anastasia: Once Upon A Time, the story begins in 1917, as the youngest daughter of Tsar Nicholas II, flees Lenin’s troops through a time portal, emerging in 1988 when she befriends a young American girl. Aliyah Moulden will write and perform original songs and Blake Harris directs, as he did on Little Mermaid. Here is what she had to say about her career. 

Lapacazo Sandoval: You’ve been cast in the Anatasia Romanov story Anastasia: Once Upon A Time, which is set in 1917.  Can you tell us more about your role in this project?

Aliyah Moulden:  The name of the movie is “Anastasia:  Once Upon a Time”, and it’s about a girl named Anastasia, who travels from 1917 to 1988.  While she’s soaking up the eighties, she meets my character, Bliss, a pop artist of the 1980’s.  

LS: You born in 1988. You are not a child of the 80’s?  Can you identify?   

AM: Absolutely. I can definitely identify with [the character] Bliss because she and I both have a love for music.  For this character, I also get to work with the amazing music producer Jeremy Rubolino for the music for the film.  I am really excited about the opportunity and I look forward to working with such a talented cast and crew.

LS: What do you love about being a songstress?

AM: I love connecting with people through music.  I feel that music is such a personal thing and when you’re singing, it creates an indescribable feeling. 

LS: What advice would you give to young performers?  How do you keep your disciplined life matched with your professional obligations? 

AM: The advice that I would give to young performers is to stay focused, and to be ready to work very hard to achieve their dreams. I keep my disciplined life matched with my professional obligations by keeping daily, weekly, and monthly schedules.

"The Black Prince" by Kavi Raz, story of the last king of Punjab, starring Satinder Sartaaj, opens today!

Kavi Raz's "The Black Prince" is a biopic on Maharajah Duleep Singh, the last king of Punjab and son of Maharajah Ranjit Singh. As the last King of Punjab, The Black Prince chronicles Maharajah Duleep Singh's lifelong struggle and daring journey of self-discovery in order to reclaim his identity, his faith, and the Kingdom that was rightfully his. This ultimately leads him to meeting his mother, long herself in exile, after 13 years. The Black Prince spotlights Queen Victoria’s warm relationship with Maharajah Duleep Singh as he begins adjusting to and ultimately embracing the English culture into which he was drawn at the age of 15.

Kavi is an Indian-born British actor, writer, director and producer. Born in Punjab, Raz left India at a young age for the United Kingdom, where he grew up. He became the first ever South Asian actor to be signed on as a regular in a major TV series, St Elsewhere. He was a cast member for the first two seasons of the medical drama, and after being let go continued to appear on a recurring basis. Raz has appeared in over 200 plays, TV shows and films, including guest appearances on The A-TeamM*A*S*H and Star Trek: The Next Generation. Raz began his career as a filmmaker with The Gold Bracelet, a movie about a Sikh man faced with the realities of post-9/11. Produced by Hollywood's elite Brillstein Entertainment Partners, The Black Prince is his second film as director. We talked to Kavi exclusively. Here it is:

Kavi Raz, writer & director of "The Black Prince" talks to Art Shrian, about Diversity & Inclusion in Hollywood today, being Indian in America, his film "The Black Prince", and more. The Black Prince releases July 21, 2017

Acclaimed singer-poet Satinder Sartaaj marks his acting debut in The Black Prince, playing the role of Maharajah Duleep Singh with eloquence. We also chatted with Satinder. Here's the video:

Satinder Sartaaj, Indian singer, poet & star of "The Black Prince" talks to Art Shrian about his film, acting debut, music, NYC & more The Black Prince releases July 21, 2017

He is joined by an esteemed cast of acting stalwarts including Jason Flemyng (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch) as Dr. Login, the foster parent for theMaharajah; English stage, screen actress Amanda Root (The Iron Lady), who boldly portrays the role of Queen Victoria; and veteran actress Shabana Azmi as Rani Jindan, the exiled King’s mother. The film also features Keith Duffy, David Essex OBE, Canadian actor Rup Magon and Sophie Stevens in supporting roles. 

'The Black Prince' film premiered at the Manchester Film Festival on 3 March 2017 with worldwide release 21 July 2017. The film is going to release in two dubbed editions of Punjabi and Hindi language also. Here's the trailer:

The true story of Queen Victoria and the Last King of Punjab, Maharajah Duleep Singh and his lifelong struggle to regain his Kingdom Website: www.theblackprince.com Facebook: Facebook.com/TheBlackPrinceFilm Instagram: Instagram.com/TheBlackPrinceFilm Twitter: @TheBlackPr1nce Hashtag: #TheBlackPrince Cast: Satinder Sartaaj, Jason Flemyng, Shabana Azmi, Amanda Root, Keith Duffy, David Essex, Rup Magon,Sophie Stevens Directed by: Kavi Raz Written by: Kavi Raz Produced by: Brillstein Entertainment Partners Distributed by: Crossover Pictures India Distribution by : Unisys Infosolutions Private Limited Australia/New Zealand & Fiji Distribution by: Seven Colors Entertainment PTY Ltd.

Checkout more at www.theblackprince.com

'GIRLS TRIP' & 'THE BEST MAN' DIRECTOR, MALCOLM D. LEE AND HIS BLACKMALED PRODUCTIONS LOCK A FIRST-LOOK PRODUCTION PACT WITH UNIVERSAL PICTURES

Right before the release of their upcoming production “Girl’s Trip” directed by Malcolm D. Lee, Universal Pictures has locked a first-look production agreement with writer, director and producer Malcolm D. Lee and his Blackmaled Productions. The word-of-mouth on his newest comedy (“Girl’s Trip” ) is strong, and the “raunchy comedy with something for everyone” is set to open, in North America on July 21.  

The news has hit all of the trader papers and African-American twitter is buzzing.  The announcement was made by Peter Cramer, President of Production, Universal Pictures.

“Starting with The Best Man, Malcolm has an incredible track record telling resonant stories that make audiences laugh and cry, which he has done brilliantly once again with Girls Trip,” said Cramer.  “We are thrilled to formalize our long-standing relationship with Malcolm by welcoming his company to the lot, and we are excited about making many more films with him, starting with his next film, Night School.” 

“I am extremely gratified to officially be a part of the Universal family,” said Lee.  “This is a place I’ve always considered my home.  They have respected and been supportive of my vision as a filmmaker, and I hope to continue the great success that I’ve had at Universal as we continue this fruitful partnership.”

Malcom Lee is related to Spike Lee and with his strong family roots deeply embedded in the arts, entertainment and education, he has  been making films since the age of 12, and has been working professionally in the entertainment industry since age 17 as a production assistant, apprentice film editor, casting associate and director’s assistant to his cousin, the aforementioned legendary filmmaker Spike Lee. 

To his credit, Lee has directed five of his nine films to date with Universal beginning with his directorial debut, the critically acclaimed audience favorite “The Best Man,” which debuted in October of 1999, and scored a No. 1 ranking at the box office. The film’s ensemble cast starred Morris Chestnut, Nia Long, Regina Hall, Harold Perrineau, Terrence Howard, Taye Diggs, Sanaa Lathan and Monica Calhoun.  He went on to direct the action-comedy “Undercover Brother,” which starred Eddie Griffin, Dave Chappelle and Neil Patrick Harris in May 2002 and again earned stellar reviews.  His third feature, “Roll Bounce,” starring “Bow Wow”, Mike Epps, Nick Cannon, and Meagan Good debuted in September 2005.

Producer Will Packer (Ride Along and Think Like a Man franchises, Almost Christmas) presents Girls Trip, a new comedy from director/producer Malcolm D. Lee (The Best Man franchise, Barbershop: The Next Cut).

With his next two films, Lee continued to use his voice to tell the heartfelt and nuanced stories of lives not often seen in mainstream studio films with the comedies “Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins,” starring Martin Lawrence, Mo’Nique, and Cedric The Entertainer, and “Soul Men” starring Samuel L. Jackson and the late Bernie Mac.  Both films opened in 2008.  However it was the sequel to his first film where Lee scored his biggest box-office hit.  In November of 2013, with the original cast reunited, “The Best Man Holiday,” grossed $30.5 million in its opening weekend alone, pleasing audiences and shocking the industry with a game-changing debut.  April of 2016 saw the release of the critically acclaimed, “Barbershop, The Next Cut” starring Ice Cube, Regina Hall, Cedric the Entertainer, and Anthony Anderson, and this week will see his latest film “Girls Trip,” starring Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith and Tiffany Haddish.

Among his upcoming feature projects, Lee is in pre-production to direct his sixth directorial outing with Universal, “Night School,” starring Kevin Hart, and produced by Hart and Will Packer, as well as the next installment of the popular Best Man franchise, “The Best Man Wedding,” which he will write and direct. 

Lee and his Blackmaled Productions were represented in the deal by Paradigm and Del, Shaw, Moonves, Tanaka, Finkelstein & Lezcano.

You deserve this. Watch the new #GirlsTrip trailer. -- Facebook - http://unvrs.al/GTFB Twitter - http://unvrs.al/GTTW Instagram - http://unvrs.al/GTIN Official site: http://unvrs.al/GTSite -- Producer Will Packer (Ride Along and Think Like a Man franchises, Almost Christmas) presents Girls Trip, a new comedy from director/producer Malcolm D. Lee (The Best Man franchise, Barbershop: The Next Cut).

When four lifelong friends—Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith and Tiffany Haddish—travel to New Orleans for the annual Essence Festival, sisterhoods are rekindled, wild sides are rediscovered, and there’s enough dancing, drinking, brawling and romancing to make the Big Easy blush.  Producer Will Packer (Ride Along and Think Like a Man franchises, upcoming Almost Christmas) presents Girls Trip, a new comedy from director/producer Malcolm D. Lee (The Best Man franchise, Barbershop: The Next Cut). James Lopez, head of motion pictures for Will Packer Productions, and Preston Holmes, executive produce.

Genre: Comedy      
Cast: Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Tiffany Haddish, Larenz Tate, Kate Walsh, Mike Colter, Kofi Siriboe
Directed by: Malcolm D. Lee
Screenplay by: Kenya Barris & Tracy Oliver
Story by: Erica Rivinoja and Kenya Barris & Tracy Oliver
Produced by: Will Packer, Malcolm D. Lee
Executive Producers: Preston Holmes, James Lopez

Girls Trip directed by Malcom Lee, is set to open in North America on July 21.  

About Universal Pictures

Universal Pictures is a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com).  UniversalStudios is part of NBCUniversal.  NBCUniversal is one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience.  NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group and world-renowned theme parks.  NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation

Despicable Me 3 (3/4) | Same old minions, Gru and team, that we love!

The minions are back for 4th time! Oh, and Gru & others are back too. And this time Gru has a twin-brother as well, very smartly called Dru. All your other favorite voices are also back. But again. minions are back. It's pretty apparent that "Despicable Me" aka DM, has become "De Minions". The fart, they mumble, they run, fall, do tricks etc etc etc, and they are lot of fun!

It is the third installment in the Despicable Me film series, and the sequel to Despicable Me 2 (2013). Directed by Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda, and co-directed by Eric Guillon,[6] the film is written by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio and stars the voices of Steve Carell in a dual role, Kristen Wiig, and Trey Parker. It tells story of Gru discovering he has a twin-brother Dru, who wants to push him back to being  super villain. Unwillingly, he has to partner with his brother to bring down a new supervillain Balthazar Bratt, a former child star who grows up to become obsessed with the character he played in the '80s and is bent on world domination. And then ether's minions, disappointed by Gru's lack of interest in being a villain. They leave him. But do they?Old story? Maybe. Family story? Maybe.

Despicable Me 3 - In Theaters June 30 http://www.despicable.me The team who brought you Despicable Me and the biggest animated hits of 2013 and 2015, Despicable Me 2 and Minions, returns to continue the adventures of Gru, Lucy, their adorable daughters-Margo, Edith and Agnes-and the Minions.

What's good:

  • The voice cast is good, the animation is crisp.
  • Trey Parker as the evil Balthazar is damn good!
  • Steve Carrell's Drummer is quite interesting.
  • There are tons of jokes, many land well.
  • Minions are back!

What's not-so-good

  • Lot of vice talent is wasted. Like Kristen Wiig, Jenny Slate etc.
  • Many jokes don't land. Guess, it happens in comedies. Or the jokes are too childish. )Kids would get a laugh)
  • Rehash of everything we have seen. Nothing special.
  • More minions. Do we really need that? (Yes!)

If you like Minions, or you have kids that like minions, or like silly fun movies. Go ahead and watch this. Otherwise, not really necessary.

Despicable Me 3 - In Theaters June 30 http://www.despicable.me The team who brought you Despicable Me and the biggest animated hits of 2013 and 2015, Despicable Me 2 and Minions, returns to continue the adventures of Gru, Lucy, their adorable daughters-Margo, Edith and Agnes-and the Minions.