Beauty Shop actress has her hands full with a whole new slate of projects> Send to a friend

LOCATION: Hip-Hollywood THE SKINNY: Queen Latifah loves a challenge. A woman of all seasons, Latifah has been a success in every side of show business. A pioneer in the Hip Hop world, her brassy singing voice lead to an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actress in the film version of CHICAGO. This lead to a comedic turn alongside Steve Martin in the hit BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE. Recently Queen Latifah not only starred but produced her most recent box office hit BEAUTY SHOP. “I need to be challenged,” demands Queen Latifah, “In order for me to be inspired, I have to do things that test me, you know, that challenge me, sharpen me up.” And the Queen rises to every challenge put before her. Latifah doesn’t sit around waiting for projects to be offered to her by the studios. A hands-on producer, Queen Latifah likes to develop her own material. “There’s a bunch of stuff sitting in front of me now, it is really a question of what I feel like doing.” One of those projects is a female version of cop actioner BAD BOYS, aptly titled BAD GIRLS and is in talks to be partnered opposite Jada Pinkett Smith. “That is probably going to go in the next few months, and that'll be a big action movie, big giant set pieces,” says Latifah. “It's kind of like a spin off of BAD BOYS, you know, it's that same thing.” The actress is also attached to a remake of the 2001 Korean comedy MY WIFE IS A GANGSTER. “This project is on hold,” says Latifah. “It needs a mean rewrite, and it needs a good director.” Recently, Latifah finished lensing a modern retelling of the classic 1950 Alec Guinness film LAST HOLIDAY, where she plays a woman with three weeks to live. “It’s kind of a dramedy,” she says. “My character finds out she has three weeks to live, and she's all humble and meek and all that, but then she decides to go live life. But, playing that kind of character was challenging. I need to be challenged. Whatever it is, you know, I like having fun, so I can do the big comedies, but I can't just take big ass checks and be content with that. Like, maybe some people can, but I get bored.” And don’t be holding your breath for a BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE sequel either – Latifah says that project is currently D.O.A. “It just didn't happen,” says Latifah. “I don't think they wanted to pay us that much money. They can't see themselves writing a check that big.”

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