Behind the Scenes Buzz with Donald Glover and JJ Abrams

DONALD GLOVER SETS AMAZON DEAL: Donald Glover has exited his deal with Disney’s FX for an eight-figure deal with Amazon, according to The Hollywood Reporter. This comes shortly after he and Phoebe Waller-Bridge revealed that they would star in and produce a reboot of Mr. and Mrs. Smith. 

NETFLIX TO ADAPT LUPITA NYONG’O BOOK: Sulwe, the bestselling children’s book by the Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o, is being adapted as an animated musical for Netflix. It joins the streamer’s serious slate of animation, including Richard Linklater’s Apollo 10½: A Space Age Adventure, Henry Selick’s Wendell & Wild, Nora Twomey’s My Father’s Dragon and Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio. “The story of Sulwe is one that is very close to my heart,” Nyong’o, who was raised in Kenya, said in a statement today. “Growing up, I was uncomfortable in my dark skin. I rarely saw anyone who looked like me in the aspirational pages of books and magazines, or even on TV. It was a long journey for me to arrive at self-love. Sulwe is a mirror for dark-skinned children to see themselves, a window for those who may not be familiar with colorism, to have understanding and empathy, and an invitation for all who feel different and unseen to recognize their innate beauty and value. I am thrilled that the book is being adapted into an animated musical that we hope inspires children all around the world to celebrate their uniqueness.”

INFINITE STORM FILLS OUT. Oscar-nominee Sophie Okonedo (Hotel Rwanda), Billy Howle (Outlaw King), Tony-winner Denis O’Hare (American Horror Story) and Southside With You’s Parker Sawyers are joining Naomi Watts in Infinite Storm, a thriller based on the true story of a mother and mountain guide who got caught in a blizzard on a solitary trek up Mount Washington.

JJ ABRAMS, HBO TEAM UP ON CONSTANTINE: JJ Abrams is set to produce a new series on DC Comics’ John Constantine for HBO Max. An actor of color will be cast as lead, but details are scant. Keanu Reeves starred as the occult master in the 2005 film.