Film & TV
‘Beyond the Gates’ Brings Must-see Drama, Romance, and Black Excellence To Daytime Television
CBS premiered its brand new show, Beyond the Gates, marking a significant milestone in television history as the first new daytime soap opera to debut on a major American broadcast network in over 25 years. The last time viewers welcomed a daytime soap was in 1999 with NBC’s Passions. Beyond the Gates, however, brings a different kind of groundbreaking energy to the genre through its addictive plot and a brilliant cast comprised of Black veteran actors and newcomers.
The Duprees are a prominent, multi-generational family living in the gated community of Fairmont Crest in Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C. Storylines have nothing to do with the current political climate but instead with internal family turmoil that slowly begins to taint the image of the Duprees to the outside world.
Tony Award nominee and Broadway powerhouse Clifton Davis (Vernon Dupree) is the head of this family unit alongside Law and Order SVU star Tamara Tunie (Anita Dupree). Daphne Duplaix and Karla Mosley co-star as the couple’s daughters (Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson and Dani Dupree Hamilton).
Vernon is the patriarch and a retired senator who played a key role in the Civil Rights movement. His wife, Anita, is a Chicago native and a former singer who gave birth to Nicole and Dani shortly after the two got married.
Viewers can immediately witness the power of the Duprees within their community during the first few minutes of episode one. The initial scene shows a radiant Anita driving into Fairmont Crest’s Country Club in a limousine and exiting the vehicle, revealing an eye-catching shiny trouser suit.
The Dupree matriarch meets with daughters Nicole and Dani, who struggles following her divorce from Bill Hamilton. Later in the episode, Dani is seen at a club with Hayley, Bill’s Fiancee, who had an affair with him during their marriage. To Dani’s surprise, Hayley is there to retrieve the keys to the house on Marigold Road (the same land on which her grandfather built the Fairmont Crest Community). This turn of events is one of many unexpected moments from the series’ first hour.
The first Black female executive producers in all of daytime drama – Sheila Ducksworth and Val Jean – spoke about the significance of ‘Beyond The Gates’.
” I’d say it’s been a couple of decades in the making that I’ve wanted to actually produce and make a soap opera,” Ducksworth told CBS Mornings. “But what I felt was missing was one that centered on the Black experience.”
“I just wanted to see people that looked like me,” Jean told CBS Mornings. “I didn’t want downtrodden Black people. I wanted rich, messy Black people that carry the stories.”
To make the show more realistic of the black experience, a crew of more than 200 people worked around the clock to bring the show to life, including seasoned professionals in Black Hair and makeup.
Fans can discover how the Duprees navigate their new realities by streaming the soap opera on Paramount+ or watching it live on CBS.
Viola Davis made a grand entrance at the world premiere of her new Prime Video movie, G20, which will be available for streaming on April 10. Watch the exclusive video below.
The official logline reads, “When the G20 summit comes under siege, U.S. President Danielle Sutton (Davis) becomes the number one target. After evading capture by the attackers, she must outsmart the enemy to protect her family, defend her country, and safeguard world leaders in this action-packed thrill ride.”
Directed by Patricia Riggen (The School For Good and Evil), the high-stakes action thriller also stars Anthony Anderson, Marsai Martin, Ramón Rodríguez, Douglas Hodge, Elizabeth Marvel, Sabrina Impacciatore, Christopher Farrar, and Antony Starr.
Film & TV
Garcelle Beauvais Exits The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills After 5 Seasons: What’s Next for the Bravo Star?
After five seasons, Garcelle Beauvais announced her departure from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (RHOBH). The 58-year-old actress, who made history as the franchise’s first Black Housewife in 2020, shared the news via an emotional Instagram video. Her exit was announced just hours before the Season 14 finale aired. But why is she leaving, and what’s next for this Hollywood veteran?
Garcelle Beauvais’ RHOBH Journey
Beauvais joined the Bravo series in Season 10, instantly becoming a fan favorite with her authenticity, sharp wit, and unapologetic voice. As the first Black cast member in the show’s history, she brought much-needed diversity to the 90210 zip code, navigating high-stakes drama gracefully and resiliently. Over five seasons, Beauvais clashed with heavyweights like Kyle Richards, Dorit Kemsley, and Erika Jayne, championed underdogs like Sutton Stracke, and shared heartfelt moments about her life as a single working mother to sons Oliver, Jax, and Jaid.
Her tenure wasn’t without challenges. In Season 12, Beauvais faced a harrowing ordeal when her then-14-year-old son Jax was targeted by racist online bots, prompting her to defend her family fiercely. Despite the hardships, she remained a beacon of strength, earning praise for rising above the fray. “It’s been a wild ride,” Beauvais said in her farewell video. “Some amazing things have happened, and some hard things have also happened, but it’s been a ride nevertheless.”
Why Is Garcelle Beauvais Leaving RHOBH?
Beauvais cited two primary reasons for leaving her diamond behind: family and career. “One of the reasons why I’m leaving is my family, my boys,” she explained. Her twin sons, Jax and Jaid, are entering their final year of high school in 2026, a milestone she’s determined to be present for. Additionally, Jaid is launching a modeling career—highlighted by his runway debut in Season 14 at Sutton Stracke’s fashion show—and Beauvais wants to support his journey. As a devoted mom and grandmother of two (via son Oliver), family has always been her anchor.
The second driving force behind her departure is her thriving career. “I have the most exciting projects that I am developing, producing, and acting in,” Beauvais teased, keeping details under wraps but promising fans will “know soon.” Since joining RHOBH, she’s leveraged her platform to secure a first-look deal with NBCUniversal in 2022 and has been a powerhouse at Lifetime, starring in and executive producing films like Black Girl Missing and Caught in His Web.
Warner Bros. Pictures released the official Final Destination: Bloodlines trailer earlier today. This sixth installment, set to hit theaters on May 16, 2025, promises to deliver the gruesome, fate-defying thrills that made the series a cultural phenomenon. But beyond the elaborate death sequences and supernatural suspense, the trailer carries a bittersweet weight as it marks the final on-screen performance of horror legend Tony Todd, who passed away in November 2024. He returns as William Bludworth, Todd’s enigmatic mortician, who has been a cornerstone of the Final Destination saga.
A Glimpse into ‘Final Destination: Bloodlines’
The trailer opens with an eerie sense of inevitability, a hallmark of the franchise. It introduces college student Stefanie (Kaitlyn Santa Juana), plagued by violent recurring nightmares that foretell her family’s gruesome demise. As she races home to break the cycle, the footage teases a dual-timeline narrative, hinting at a grandmother’s past evasion of death in the 1960s that now haunts her descendants. Directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein lean into the series’ signature Rube Goldberg-style kills, with a chilling teaser clip showing a bartender unwittingly serving a drink laced with a glass shard. The trailer’s tagline, “If you screw with Death’s plans, things can get very messy,” sets the tone for a blood-soaked return to form.
The cast, including rising stars like Brec Bassinger, Teo Briones, and Richard Harmon, brings fresh energy to the franchise, but Tony Todd’s presence anchors the film in its legacy.
Written by Guy Busick and Lori Evans Taylor, with a story co-developed by Jon Watts, Bloodlines promises to explore new layers of the Final Destination mythology—potentially diving into Bludworth’s mysterious backstory—while delivering the visceral thrills fans crave.
Tony Todd’s Final Bow as William Bludworth
Tony Todd, who succumbed to stomach cancer at age 69, leaves behind an indelible mark on horror cinema with over 240 credits, including iconic roles in Candyman and The Crow. In Final Destination, his portrayal of William Bludworth—a cryptic figure who dispenses ominous warnings about Death’s design—has been a fan favorite since the 2000 original. Todd reprised the role in Final Destination 2 and 5 (with a voice cameo in 3), and Warner Bros. confirmed his return in Bloodlines after he completed filming in Vancouver from March to May 2024, months before his passing.
The trailer offers brief but powerful glimpses of Todd, his deep voice and commanding presence as haunting as ever. Reports suggest this installment will peel back the curtain on Bludworth’s origins, which has fans speculating about his connection to Death. His final performance is predicted to be a poignant farewell, blending nostalgia with the promise of fresh revelations and unearthed secrets.
Viola Davis Makes a Grand Entrance At The World Premiere Of ‘G20’ (video)
Garcelle Beauvais Exits The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills After 5 Seasons: What’s Next for the Bravo Star?
‘Final Destination: Bloodlines’ Trailer: A Farewell to Tony Todd
Taylour Paige Is Pregnant! Expecting First Baby with Husband Rivington Angulo
