American streaming platform Paramount Plus in honour of Black History Month released a film documentary titled “Becoming King” on David Oyelowo’s seven-year adventure and journey to play Martin Luther King Jr. in the 2014 movie “Selma”.
Released on February 19, 2024, the docu-film is directed by Jessica Oyelowo and was executed as a collaboration between Yoruba Saxon and MTV Entertainment Studios, with David and Jessica Oyelowo serving as the producers of the project.
In an exclusive interview announcing the film’s presence on Paramount Plus, Jessica Oyelowo said, “More than ten years ago, I picked up a camera and I started documenting David preparing to play Dr. King in the film Selma before the film even had its greenlight. He went on a seven-year adventure with this film. It was a lot of ups and a lot of downs, a lot of highs and a lot of lows and Becoming King is a documentary that shows us his story”
The project features behind-the-scenes footage, intimate home videos and interviews with friends and mentors like Ava DuVernay, Lee Daniels, George Lucas and Oprah Winfrey.
Mavin Records rapper and songwriter Ladipoe has released the music video for “Shut It Down,” featuring Chocobantis, and directed by Peter Famosa a.k.a Earthboi. Watch the video…
<img src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/montreal-metro-almost-empty-after-non-essential-businesses-shutdown-by-the-government.jpg?id=60158631&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=45%2C0%2C45%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>If you've ever looked around your local <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/tag/stm-montreal" target="_blank">Montreal metro station</a> and thought, "this place could use some love," you're not alone. And now there's data to back it up.</p><p>A new report from Quebec's <a href="https://www.transports.gouv.qc.ca/en/Pages/Home.aspx" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable</a> reveals that over 30 <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/tag/stm-montreal" target="_blank">STM</a> metro stations are currently considered in poor or very poor condition. That includes 26 stations rated "D" (bad shape) and five rated "E" (very bad shape) — the lowest possible score.</p><p>The findings come from the <a href="https://cdn-contenu.quebec.ca/cdn-contenu/adm/min/secretariat-du-conseil-du-tresor/publications-adm/budgets/2025-2026/8_Plans_annuels_gestion_investissements.pdf" target="_blank">2025–2026 public infrastructure investment plan</a> and mark a sharp rise compared to previous years. For example, in 2024, only nine stations were flagged as being in worrying condition, but a new assessment method revealed much more widespread deterioration.</p><p>According to data obtained by MTL Blog, the STM also indicates that 40% of metro assets are currently in poor or very poor condition (grades D and E), and that 36% of tunnels also show significant signs of deterioration. Despite this, the STM insists the network remains safe, though it admits the degradation is impacting service reliability and could lead to more unplanned closures, like the recent shutdown at Saint-Michel.</p><p>Here are the stations currently ranked D (poor condition):</p><p><strong>Green Line:</strong><br/> Angrignon, LaSalle, Place-des-Arts, Papineau, Frontenac, Cadillac</p><p><strong>Orange Line:</strong><br/> Côte-Vertu, Plamondon, Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Villa-Maria, Lucien-L’Allier, Square-Victoria–OACI, Place-d’Armes, Sherbrooke, Jean-Talon, Sauvé, Henri-Bourassa</p><p><strong>Blue Line:</strong><br/> Snowdon, Jean-Talon, Côte-des-Neiges, Université-de-Montréal, Édouard-Montpetit, Acadie, Parc, D’Iberville</p><p><strong>Yellow Line:</strong><br/> Jean-Drapeau, Longueuil–Université-de-Sherbrooke</p><p>And here are the five stations ranked E (very poor condition):</p><ul><li> De l’Église</li><li>Peel</li><li>Champ-de-Mars</li><li>Fabre</li><li>Saint-Michel</li></ul><p>The STM, which published a <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/stm-montreal-safety" target="_blank">February memo that cited a sharp rise in disorder, drug use, and safety concerns</a>, says repairs are coming, but warns that passengers can expect more disruptions ahead.</p><p><em>Love this? Check out our <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/notices/" target="_blank">MTL Blog noticeboard</a> for details on jobs, benefits, travel info and more!</em></p>
<p><em>AI tools may have been used to support the creation or distribution of this content; however, it has been carefully edited and fact-checked by a member of MTL Blog's Editorial team. For more information on our use of AI, please visit our <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/editorial-standards" target="_blank">Editorial Standards page</a>.</em></p>
<p><br/></p>
