Issa Rae and La La Anthony want to scare the living daylights out of you and make you laugh at the same time with the film titled Juju.
The Insecure and Power vets are executive producing the upcoming horror comedy for Universal Pictures. In the early stages, there are not a lot of plot specifics. However, it will be based on an original concept by Angelica Nwandu, founder of Instagram-based info hub The Shade Room and a Sundance fellow, who will write the script.
Juju will be the studio feature directorial debut for Thembi Banks, who has been a director on Rae’s Insecure, Frankie Shaw’s SMILF, and a Sundance alum herself. Earlier this year, Banks was in the midst of helming Young, Wild, Free for Macro, SK Global, and Baron Davis, but that feature project was put on pause due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Longtime Rae partner Deniese Davis will also produce Juju, with HooRae’s SVP Development Sara Rastogi overseeing for the busy banner. Universal’s Senior EVP Production Erik Baiers will be the studio’s point person on the genre hybrid project.
A seasoned producer with credits including the BET documentary Killer Curves and the Tony-nominated Eclipsed starring Lupita Nyong’o, Anthony stewarded Juju from almost from its incarnation to its studio perch, I hear.
Rae is repped by UTA, 3 Arts Entertainment and Hansen, Jacobson. Anthony is represented by UTA, Untitled Entertainment and lawyer Renee Farrell. Banks is also represented by UTA as well as Rain Management Group and Gang, Tyre.
The multi-platform maverick Nwandu, who co-penned the drama Night Comes On that the NEXT Innovator Award at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, is repped by WME and attorney Poya Ghasri.
Source: Deadline
