Deadline is reporting that Black-ish star Anthony Anderson has come aboard to star in Netflix’s Beats, a coming-of-age drama set in Chicago’s South Side hip-hop scene. The pic, from Global Road Entertainment and 51 Minds Entertainment, just began filming with The New Edition Story director Chris Robinson helming Miles Orion Feldsott’s original script. A 2019 release is planned.
Anderson joins South Side newcomer, 17-year-old Khalil Everage, repped by Gil Talent in Chicago. He plays a musical prodigy with borderline agoraphobia whose path collides with a former music manager (Anderson) who has fallen from grace. The unlikely duo must come together to free each other from the demons of their pasts. The pic will also feature established and rising Chicago-based hip-hop producers and artists, including original music from Young Chop. Orange Is the New Black‘s Uzo Aduba, Emayatzy Corinealdi, Paul Walter Hauser and hip-hop artists Dave East and Dreezy co-star.
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Bob Teitel, Christian Sarabia, Glendon Palmer are producers, with Feldsott a co-producer. Anderson, Carrie Holt de Lama, Mitch Smith and E. Brian Dobbins are executive producers.
Anderson, who returns to ABC’s Black-ish this fall for the comedy’s Season 5, is repped by UTA and Artists First. Feldsott is with CAA, Artists First and Robby Koch. Hauser is repped by CAA, Artists First & Schreck Rose. Corinealdi is repped by ICM Partners, Primary Wave and Del, Shaw, Moonves. Stay tuned to Reel Chicago as we keep you in the loop about this new TV film.
Contact Colin Costello at colin@reelchicago.com or follow him on Twitter @colincostello10.
