I was very geeked when Bishop TD Jakes’ PR rep read my Examiner.com article about Bishop Jakes not having spoken to Bishop Eddie Long lately, and contacted me personally -- providing this reporter with more information about his new movie, Sparkle.
And now that Roland Martin recently sat down with Bishop TD Jakes to speak more at length about Bishop Eddie Long in this compelling video, it reminded me to pass along what I’ve learned about Bishop Jakes’ upcoming film projects.
What I like the most about Bishop Jakes’ interview is that he speaks of imperfect Christians – and how we don’t need to appear perfect. Sounds like a new blog post of inspiration to me…
(In the meantime, Christine Cape, if you’ve got a Google alert set up on Bishop Jakes’ name and/or yours in order to find these pieces – or whether the Holy Spirit is leading you here, I’ve got a fabulous movie treatment idea I could whip up…think Mad Men meets Why Did I Get Married? inside a fictional megachurch. )
Anyhoo, on to the remake of the cult-classic movie Sparkle.
Jordin Sparks is playing the lead role of cute little singing Sparkle, whilst Carmen Ejogo is playing the sexy sister “Sister” – the oldest vixen.
Tika Sumpter plays Delores, the sister who bolts when life gets too rough, and amazingly Whitney Houston plays the mother, Emma, and sounds good in that clip of her singing in church on the video page.
Derek Luke is Stixx while Omari Hardwick is nice guy Levi.
Mike Epps will play the abusive Satin Struthers– should be an interesting turn for the comedian to take on this dramatic role.
Tamela Mann is Sarah, and Cee-Lo Green steps in as the girls' opening act.
Some websites are claiming that R. Kelly will star in the film, however, Bishop Jakes’ rep confirmed that Kelly’s music will appear in the movie that was shot on location in Detroit, Michigan, and has a release date of August 10, 2012.
I went to high school with Robert Kelly, by the way – and he was even a star back then, with his rendition of Eddie Murphy doing Stevie Wonder’s “Mon Cherie Amor” song, replete with the dark sunglasses and head-in-the-air-waving-back-and-fro that made the girls at Kenwood Academy High School scream and squeal.
(Even the guys were impressed. Years later, when I read R. Kelly speaking about the incident in Vibe magazine, it was a trip to know that I witnessed it with my very own eyes.)
R. Kelly was on the basketball team, and therefore out of my nerdy and buck-toothed but still-cute league. The guy I met my senior year before graduation whose “Kelly” name I scribbled in my little phone book was not him, I’m pretty sure.
Okay, I’m seriously digressing, but that’s the interesting stuff.
There’s a lot more where that came from.
And with Bishop Jakes’ Woman Thou Art Loosed-On the 7th Day movie coming out, I’m wondering how far into that 9-movie Sony Pictures deal he’s gone. I’d seriously love to see “screenplay” next to my name like those listed below from the Sparkle movie on one of his future endeavors.
Make it so, God of all grace.
Sparkle Movie Crew:
Director - Salim Akil
Screenplay - Mara Brock Akil, Joel Schumacher
Producer: Debra Martin Chase, Mara Brock Akil, Salim Akil, T.D. Jakes,
Curtis Wallace
Executive Producer - Whitney Houston, Zvi Howard Rosenman
Read more:
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20111202/ENT02/112020323/Lonette-McKe...
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