Rat Pack’s Sammy Davis Jr. Miniseries:  He was one of Hollywood’s legends…the only Black member of Hollywood’s elite “Rat Pack” and now his life story will be told on the small screen. Entertainment site Shadow and Act reports “Lee Daniels is now setting his sights on Sammy Davis Jr.”  The site says Hollywood A-Lister Tom Hanks is also involved in the miniseries based on the life of one of Hollywood’s pioneers.  While some saw him as an uncle Tom, many saw Davis as a singer, dancer, actor who broke color barriers and bonded with heavyweights like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin to form the legendary Rat Pack. Davis hosted his own network TV show in the 1950’s–a rare feat for a Black entertainer in a country still dominated by Jim Crow laws.  The show was eventually canceled “due to racism.”(ShadowandAct).  No word on Daniels’ casting choices for the miniseries or when it’s slated to air.

Mahershala Ali Stars in”Solitary”  Fans wanting more of Ali after his award-winning performance in “Moonlight” and unforgettable portrayal in “Green Book”  are getting their wish.  Ali is set to star in Fox Searchlight’s “Solitary”.  In the lead role of Albert Woodfox, Ali tells the story of the man who spent 43 years in solitary confinement in a Louisiana prison. Woodfox was placed in solitary following his 1974 conviction of killing a prison guard.  That conviction was overturned in 2014 and Woodfox was released two years. The film will be based on Woodfox’s memoir “Solitary: Unbroken by Four Decades in Solitary Confinement, My Story of Transformation and Hope”.  Ali is also serving as executive producer on the project which already has a production team in place and is searching for a director and screenwriter.

Aja Naomi King Fights Police Brutality in “The 24th”  The “How to Get Away With Murder” co-star is stepping away from fighting in the courtroom to fighting on the front lines in the historical drama about the all-Black 24th infantry regiment during the Houston Riot.  In 1017, more than 150 African Americans soldiers declared war on the city’s police brutality.  The uprising lasted a single night and ended in the deaths of 16 people including four of the soldiers who started it. Joining King in the cast is “Empire’s” Trai Byers and Thomas Haden Church.  “The 24th” is currently shooting in North Carolina.

For this week’s look at what some of your favorite Black Hollywood stars are up to, that’s a wrap!