Academy Award(R) and Golden Globe(R) Nominee Mary J. Blige to Appear in MTV's "Scream"
She joins the previously announced all-star cast including Keke Palmer, Tyler Posey, Tyga, Giorgia Whigham, Jessica Sula, RJ Cyler, C.J. Wallace and Giullian Yao Gioiello.
[via press release from MTV] ACADEMY AWARD(R) AND GOLDEN GLOBE(R) NOMINEE MARY J. BLIGE TO APPEAR IN MTV'S "SCREAM"
REIMAGINED LIMITED SERIES USHERS IN NEW CELEBRITY TALENT ROSTER AND STORYLINE
Three-Night, Six Hour Event Also Stars Previously Announced Keke Palmer, Tyler Posey, Tyga, Giorgia Whigham, Jessica Sula, RJ Cyler, C.J. Wallace and Giullian Yao Gioiello
NEW YORK, NY (August 16, 2018) - MTV, together with Queen Latifah's Flavor Unit Entertainment, today announced that Academy Award and Golden Globe nominee, Grammy Award(R)-winning artist and philanthropist, Mary J. Blige, will appear in MTV's "Scream" later this year. She joins the previously announced all-star cast including Keke Palmer, Tyler Posey, Tyga, Giorgia Whigham, Jessica Sula, RJ Cyler, C.J. Wallace and Giullian Yao Gioiello. The news comes as the network just closed four consecutive quarters of YoY prime ratings growth - its best streak in seven years- and ranks as the fastest growing network in prime among Top 40 networks across all of television.
Set against the vibrant backdrop of Atlanta, "Scream" features a brand-new cast of characters destined to fall prey to the mysterious killer known as "Ghostface." The series centers on Deion Elliot, a local star football running back, whose tragic past comes back to haunt him and threaten his hard-earned plans for the future... and the lives of his unlikely group of friends. Blige plays Deion's mother, Sherry Elliot.
For more information and exclusive content, visit Scream.MTV.com and follow @MTVScream on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
MTV's "Scream" is executive produced by Queen Latifah, Shakim Compere and Yaneley Arty for Flavor Unit Entertainment. Brett Matthews ("Legacies," "Vampire Diaries" and "Supernatural") will serve as Showrunner and Executive Producer. Additional Executive Producers are Wes Craven, Tony DiSanto, Liz Gateley, Marianne Maddalena and Cathy Konrad. Matthew Signer & Keith Levine are Producers. Maggie Malina and Dana Gotlieb-Carter are Executive Producers for MTV.
About Mary J. Blige:
Mary J. Blige is a figure of inspiration, transformation and empowerment making her one of the defining voices of the contemporary music era. With a track record of eight multi-platinum albums, nine Grammy Awards (plus a staggering 32 nominations), two Academy Award nominations, two Golden Globe nominations, and a SAG nomination, among many other accolades, Blige has cemented herself as a global superstar. And in the ensuing years, the singer/songwriter has attracted an intensely loyal fan base - responsible for propelling worldwide sales of more than 50 million albums. Blige toured with Maxwell on The King and Queen of Hearts World Tour in 2016 and released her 14th album titled Strength of a Woman on April 28, 2017. Her single, "Thick of It," held the number 1 spot on the Urban AC Chart for 16 consecutive weeks after its release in November. Blige also scored her latest #1 single off this album with "U + Me (Love Lesson)." In May 2017, VH1 premiered a documentary from Blige titled STRENGTH OF A WOMAN: AN ALBUM DOCUMENTARY. The film gives fans a close and intimate look at the making of her album, with studio footage and exclusive interviews with Blige, as well as the inspiration behind the writing and direction. Most recently, Blige starred as Florence Jackson in the 2017 Netflix breakout film Mudbound, to which she has received critical acclaim. Next up, Blige will star in the upcoming Netflix original series The Umbrella Academy that is due to premiere in 2019 on the streaming service. This will mark Blige's first regular role on a TV series, having previously appeared in guest roles on numerous shows such as ABC's How to Get Away with Murder and Black-ish as well as the FOX musical drama Empire. It was recently announced that Blige will star alongside Nat Wolff in the Paramount film Body Cam, which is currently in pre-production.
About MTV:
MTV is the leading youth media brand inspired by music, in nearly 180 countries and 450 million homes around the world, connecting with over 350 million fans across all social media platforms. A unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), MTV operations span cable and mobile networks, live events, and the new MTV Studios unit which produces original and reimagined content for SVOD and linear networks based on MTV's library of over 200+ youth titles and franchises.
About Flavor Unit Entertainment:
Flavor Unit Entertainment is a production company owned and operated by Queen Latifah and her partner, Shakim Compere and is quickly establishing itself as one of the most important production companies in the film industry. They began by executive producing Disney's box office # 1 hit "Bringing Down the House" and then continued with Beauty Shop for MGM and "The Perfect Holiday" for Paramount. They have also produced "The Cookout" with Lionsgate, as well as the film "Just Wright" with Fox Searchlight. On the small screen, they executive produced HBO's critically acclaimed film "Life Support" which garnered a number of awards including an Emmy nomination and Golden Globe win for Queen Latifah. Flavor Unit also co�-produced HBO's original movie "Bessie," which premiered in May 2016. Most recently, they produced "The Real MVP: The Wanda Pratt Story," "The Best Place to Be," "Curvy Style with Timothy Snell," and "The Perfect Match." Flavor Unit also recently produced VH1's one-hour special event "Dear Mama" which premiered on Mother's Day, shining the spotlight on mothers. VH1 recently renewed "Dear Mama" as an annual special.
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Source: Nielsen; L3/P18-34 unless noted; ranking based on 000s, growth based on cvg rtgs; July '17-June '17
