The still-untitledKeke Palmer/SZAbuddy comedyjust filled out its supporting cast. Among the actors joining theIssa Rae-produced film areLil Rel Howery,Maude Apatow, andJanelle James.Deadline reportsthat the Tristar Pictures film’s plot and character details are being kept under wraps for now.
In addition to Howery, Apatow, and James, the film also addedVanessa Bell Calloway(Coming to America),Keyla Monterroso Mejia(Curb Your Enthusiasm),Katt Williams(Atlanta),Joshua Neal(A Black Lady Sketch Show),Aziza Scott(Home Before Dark), andPatrick Cage(Mayor of Kingstown). Palmer is coming off heracclaimed performanceinJordan Peele’sNope; she is next slated to star inAziz Ansari’s directorial debutGood Fortune, and theEddie Murphy/Pete Davidsonheist comedyThe Pickup. The film will be chart-topping musician SZA’s feature acting debut; she previously guest-starred on an episode of Rae’s HBO seriesInsecure.
Who Are Lil Rel Howery, Maude Apatow, and Janelle James?
Stand-up comedian Lil Rel Howery broke out playing Bobby onThe Carmichael Show, and had a scene-stealing supporting role inGet Out. Since then, he has appeared in a variety of projects, includingGood Boys,Judas and the Black Messiah,Free Guy, andVacation Friends. He also had his own short-lived sitcom,Rel. He will next be seen in the family comedyHarold and the Purple Crayon, the live action/animated road movieAnimal Friends, and the action comedyCode 3. The daughter ofJudd ApatowandLeslie Mann, Maude Apatow made her big-screen debut in the Judd-directedKnocked Up, playing Mann’s daughter. She made appearances in a number of her father’s subsequent films, includingFunny People,This is 40, andThe King of Staten Island. She currently stars on HBO’sEuphoria, which is about to film itslong-delayed third season, and will also star in the upcoming holiday comedyOh. What. Fun.James began her career as a stand-up comedian, and wrote forBlack Monday, which she also had a recurring role on; she has also appeared onCrashing,Corporate, andStar Trek: Lower Decks. She currently stars asPrincipal Ava Colemanon ABC’sAbbott Elementary, which will enter its fourth season this fall.
Making his feature directorial debut,Lawrence Lamont(Rap Sh!t) will helm the film, from a screenplay bySyreeta Singleton(Central Park). Producing the film are Hoorae’s Rae andSara Diya Rastogi, ColorCreative’sDeniese Davis, and Macro Film Studios’Charles D. King,James Lopez, andPoppy Hanks. Singleton will co-produce, while star Keke Palmer and her mother,Sharon Palmer, will executive produce for Big Boss.
The untitled Keke Palmer/SZA comedy is in production;no release date has yet been announced. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.
