Source: Paras Griffin/ Getty Images For Universal Pictures / Getty
‘Little’ Cast Visits Spelman Before Atlanta Premiere
‘LITTLE’ officially opens in theaters on April 12th, but some 900 lucky students from Spelman College, Clark Atlanta University and Morehouse College packed Spelman’s Sisters Chapel on Thursday, April 4th for a LITTLE conversation with cast members Regina Hall, Issa Rae, Marsai Martin and Director Tina Gordon.
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Welcomed by moderator, Spelmanite Kennedy Rue-McCollough, students and teachers went wild as the ladies walked on stage. Kennedy chatted with the ladies about the importance of women empowerment and how to uplift your sister. In addition, the ladies discussed how they personally deal with responsibility of representation in media and who they look up to for representation. Throughout the conversation, Issa kept the crowd cheering and laughing, especially with her chemistry with Regina on stage.
Check out more photos from the Spelman event below, then hit the flip for photos from the premiere as well as interview exclusives with BOSSIP.
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Later in the day, film stars Regina Hall, Issa Rae and Marsai Martin as well as Producer Will Packer and Director Tina Gordon, hit the blue carpet for a star-studded premiere at Regal Atlantic Station in midtown Atlanta. The blue carpet screening was a huge success with many of Atlanta’s biggest stars in entertainment, film and music excited to see LITTLE.
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VIP Attendees Included:
· Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (Mayor of Atlanta)
· Luke James (Actor)
· Trina Braxton (Reality Star, Bravo’s Braxton Family Values)
· Kenny Burns (Producer, Studio 43)
· TC Carson (Actor, Living Single)
· Derek J (Fox’s STAR)
· Monyetta Shaw (Actress, CEO)
· Egypt Sherrod (HGTV Host)
· Terri J. Vaughn (OWN’s Greenleaf)
· Sheree Whitfield (Bravo’s Real Housewives of Atlanta)
· Caleb McLaughlin (Netflix’s Stranger Things)
Hit the flip for interview exclusives with BOSSIP.
Source: Paras Griffin/ Getty Images For Universal Pictures / Getty
BOSSIP spoke with Marsai Martin about becoming the youngest executive producer in Hollywood history.
“It feels surreal,” Martin told BOSSIP. “This is something that I’ve wanted to do for a long time but I never knew I wanted to do this, you know when you get that feeling? It honestly still hasn’t really sinked in yet because I’m still regular 14-year-old me, but no, it’s important for me to see I’m not just doing this for myself, I’m doing this for my fans or people that look like me that don’t think that they belong. So I want to just lead by example.”
Marsai tackles a few scenes in the film that required singing and dancing from her. She told BOSSIp that although there were some challenges, she had fun.
“It was definitely different,” Martin said. “I feel like throughout the script it just grew bigger and bigger than what I expected it to be but it was a good different, it was fun.”
Marsai’s pretty active on Instagram, and she occasionally posts different makeup looks that she creates so we had to ask which beauty vlogger she’d love to collaborate with.
“Jackie Aina,” Marsai answered without hesitation. “I love her so much. When she first followed me I was freaking out. I love her.”
Hit the flip for our exclusive interview with Issa Rae.
Source: Paras Griffin/ Getty Images For Universal Pictures / Getty
BOSSIP also spoke with Issa Rae at the premiere, asking the “Insecure” creator and actress who she’d cast as her younger self if there was a film that called for it.
“I would lowkey cast Marsai,” Issa Rae told BOSSIP, “because she reminds me so much of myself at that age — who I wanted to be — who I thought I was at that age. I love Skai Jackson. Otherwise, I need to familiarize myself with the next generation of Hollywood, but they’re going to make themselves known if they are following what Marsai is doing. “
We also spoke to Issa Rae about the musical number she performed in with Marsai, asking if it was nervewrecking.
“It was,” Issa told BOSSIP. I’m not a singer. I’m not a dancer. I thought me and Marsai were going to be in the same boat, but she can sing and dance so it’s really unfair. We were unfairly matched.”
Tina [director Tina Gordon] made us do it like 22 times. No, it was awhile, we had to shoot the scene twice.
With the element of magic that is included in the film, we had to ask Issa what spell she’d cast if she had a magic wand. Her answer is all bad news for the guys out there.
“I would give men cramps,” Issa Rae told BOSSIP. “I just want them to know what it feels like. I want them to know a quarter of a woman’s struggles. You said a spell so I would be like oooh, you got cramps now!”
We couldn’t help but notice that Issa was wearing the ring that is rumored to mark her engagement to longtime beau Louis Diame, but she remained guarded as ever when we asked whether we should be congratulating her on anything else.
“On everything!” Issa laughed. “I have so much going on so I’ll take all the congratulations I can get.”
Hit the flip for Regina Hall, Will Packer and director Tina Gordon’s takes on Black Girl Magic and ‘Little’
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BOSSIP spoke with Regina Hall about Black Girl Magic being on the rise in Hollywood and asked whether the film industry has put more value on women of color.
“They’ve certainly put more value on Black Girl Money,” Hall told BOSSIP. “I think when movies open, I think Hollywood, if there is someone like a Will Packer or whoever, who thinks of a way, to have vision that we haven’t seen then those movies do well and they do more of those movies. I think it takes more people like that behind the scenes making those suggestions.”
Source: Paras Griffin/ Getty Images For Universal Pictures / Getty
Executive producer Will Packer brought his wife, daughter and mother to the premiere and talked about the film’s uplifting message during difficult times.
“The world is heavy right now,” Will Packer told BOSSIP. “It’s been heavy for awhile and I think it’s great to create something that can help people escape for a little while. To go into a movie theater and laugh and hopefully learn something for a couple hours, that’s powerful. I enjoy being able to do that. “
Will Packer also addressed the Black Girl Magic theme sprinkled throughout the film and production.
“It’s undeniable,” Packer said of the Black Girl Magic element. “First of all it’s literal Black Girl Magic, we’ve actually got a movie with a magical device at the center of it, then you’re talking about a black director, black writers, black cast, black executive producers, all female by the way. It’s incredible. I’m just proud that I can be in position to stand behind these women and give them a platform to do what they do.”
We had to ask Will about what he’d choose for his magic spell as well.
“A spell that I’d put on other people?” Packer asked BOSSIP. “I don’t know… Go see Will Packer movies? I don’t know if I’d want that much power. That sounds scary.”
Source: Paras Griffin/ Getty Images For Universal Pictures / Getty
We spoke with writer/director Tina Gordon about her take on the Black Girl Magic of the film.
“I feel like Marsai started it, when she came in at 10-years-old with this idea, and it galvanized us to support her, I brought in people behind the scenes, myself as a writer, Tracy [Oliver] as a writer, wardrobe, production design, it was like a good sisterhood, we all just got together and supported her and had a good time in the meantime.”
When BOSSIP asked her, Gordon had a rather unique spell she said she’d use her magic wand for:
“I should say something selfless, what should that be? Uh, just to be able to eat carbs and not gain weight!”
Great one, riiight?
