ATLANTA – Production began last month in Atlanta on GMC’s original World Premiere feature film In The Meantime, starring Kali Hawk (Bridesmaids, Couples Retreat), Darrin Dewitt Henson (The Express, “Soul Food”), Terri J. Vaughn (Friday, Daddy’s Little Girls, “Sugar Mommas”), Thomas Mikal Ford (“Martin”), Rodney Perry (Madea’s Big Happy Family), David Mann (Madea’s Big Happy Family, “Meet the Browns”), Tamela Mann (Sparkle, Madea’s Big Happy Family, “Meet the Browns”) and Grammy© -nominated artist Musiq Soulchild in his film debut. In The Meantime is directed and produced by former Tyler Perry Studios executive Roger M. Bobb of (Raising Izzie, For Colored Girls, “The Rickey Smiley Show”) and will make its world television premiere on GMC TV in July.
The screenplay is written by Nzinga Kadalie Kemp and was the grand-prize winner of the second GMC Faith and Family Screenplay Competition presented at the American Black Film Festival in 2012. The competition’s first winning screenplay was the NAACP Image Award nominated Raising Izzie which was written by David Martyn Conley and was also directed and produced by Bobb.
Jazmin “Jazz” Welles (Kali Hawk) and her long-time artist fiancé “Blac” (Musiq Soulchild) are on their way to wedded bliss. Or, are they? With their relationship in a slump before marriage, the vow “’til death do you part” begins to weigh heavily on Blac’s mind. He convinces Jazz to take six months off to discover themselves and decide if what they have is really true love. After Jazz loses her job, her sister (Terri J. Vaughn) recruits her to teach for an adult literary program at a local community center where she meets Kwame Davis (Darrin Dewitt Henson), a litigator focused on career advancement, who reluctantly volunteers his Saturdays to teach adults to read in an effort to please his boss. As Jazz and Kwame reach into the community and find new and creative ways to engage their students, guiding them toward individual success, they find themselves drawn into an unlikely friendship that surprisingly blossoms. With her six months relationship break set to expire, and her walk down the aisle imminent, Jazz finds her life changing in unforeseen ways.
“Jazz thinks she knows true love,” said Roger Bobb. “However when she expands her definition of what love truly is, through helping others and rekindling her love of community, family, and her faith, she discovers the strength and the foundation needed to change her life. I feel blessed to be a part of the creative team and to be once again working with GMC to bring this wonderful story to life.”
“We are excited about the depth of talent and the incredible stories we have been able to develop and share with our viewers,” said Brad Siegel, vice-chairman of GMC. “This film is the second winner of our GMC Faith and Family Screenplay Competition which provides an outlet for us to find our unique selection of contemporary and entertaining faith-friendly films. The viewer response to Raising Izzie was a ratings success for us and we believe In The Meantime’s exploration of love, faith and family is a story our viewers will embrace as wholeheartedly as we have.”
Bobb formerly served as executive vice president of Tyler Perry Studios where he produced the acclaimed feature drama For Colored Girls as well as the hit comedy Madea’s Big Happy Family. His numerous feature co-producing credits include Why Did I Get Married Too?, I Can Do Bad All By Myself, Why Did I Get Married? and Madea’s Family Reunion. On the small screen, he serves as executive producer and director of “The Rickey Smiley Show,” he executive produced and directed numerous episodes of the hit television series “Meet the Browns” and served as supervising producer and director of select episodes of the long-running sitcom “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne.” Bobb has won six NAACP Image Awards and he is the only two-time winner of the Best Film Award at Film Life’s American Black Film Festival.
GMC TV presents a BobbCat Films production. In The Meantime starring Kali Hawk, Darrin Dewitt Henson, Terri J. Vaughn, Thomas Mikal Ford, David Mann, Tamela Mann, Demetria McKinney Rodney Perry and Musiq Soulchild. Directed and executive produced by Roger M. Bobb and produced by Angi Bones. Casting by George Pierre. Director of Photography is Ross Sebek. Screenplay by Nzinga Kadalie Kemp.
