News

The True to the Game film series brings the drama and romance of Teri Woods' novels to life on the big screen and has become a successful independent franchise. The sequels built upon the positive aspects of the original film and expanded the universe, despite mixed reviews and budgetary limitations. True to the Game, as the premiere film in the trilogy, delivered gripping drama with social commentary and strong performances while working within its budgetary limitations.

The True to the Game film series brings all the drama and romantic intrigue of the Teri Woods novels to life on the big screen, and has grown into a bona fide film franchise. Starting with 2017's True to the Game, the movies concern drug kingpin Quadir Richards (Columbus Short) as he tries to leave behind his criminal past and start a new life with Gena (Erica Peeples). Despite being independent productions, the movies...

Like its predecessors, True to the Game 3 has a talented cast that helps bring to life the characters originally found in Teri Woods's best-selling novel. Directed by David Wolfgang, the third installment of the trilogy was released in December 2021 and follows the narrative from where it left off in True to the Game 2, with Gena waking up to discover that her life was saved by Quadir. True to the Game 3 spans 72 crucial hours as Gena must return to Philadelphia to inform Bria and Gah-Git of her plans to escape an ugly fate with the presumed-to-be-dead Quadir.

True to the Game 3 is heralded by a brilliant cast, led by Columbus Short and Erica Peeples, who both received Septimius Award nominations for their performances. Director David Wolfgang also received a Septimius nomination for Best American Film while Manny Halley was recognized in the Best Soundtrack category. The...

“Citadel,” Amazon Studios’ new spy thriller starring Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, doesn’t premiere until April 28 on Prime Video, but plans for its second season are already heating up — this time in California. The Russo Brothers-produced series will move production from the U.K., becoming California’s highest-spending relocating TV series to date with an estimated $119 million in qualified expenditures, the California Film Commission announced on Monday. The show will benefit from $25 million in tax credits.

Russo Brothers’ Agbo executive produce, along with Josh Applebaum, André Nemec, Jeff Pinkner, and Scott Rosenberg of Midnight Radio.

HBO’s “Wondermill,” which is relocating from Oregon, also qualifies for the state’s latest round of film and television tax credits, as do five new TV projects: “Forever” from Netflix Productions; BET drama “True to the Game” (based on the film trilogy of the same name); “Paradise City” from Twentieth Century Fox...

After a busy Thanksgiving weekend which saw a solid-for-2021 $142 million five-day gross, things are taking a bit of a breather this weekend. The only new wide release is Focus’ specialty film Wolf, which is unlikely to displace any of last week’s box office winners. Expect a repeat of last weekend with Encanto, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and House of Gucci remaining in the top three, and we’ll see how well they hold as we await some of the year’s most anticipated films in the coming weeks. West Side Story, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Nightmare Alley, The Matrix Resurrections, and other big ticket holiday and award season films are just around the corner and will hopefully bring the pandemic-era box office to new heights.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Encanto will duke it out for the top spot this weekend. Encanto was in the lead last weekend, with $40.5 million compared to Ghostbusters’ $35 million for the five-day,...

Golden Globes winner Jacqueline Bisset (Dancing on the Edge) has joined the cast of Birds of Paradise from Amazon Studios and Anonymous Content. Sarah Adina Smith wrote and is directing the film, which is based on the novel, Bright Burning Stars, by A.K. Small. The pic, starring Kristine Froseth and Diana Silvers, is set at a prestigious ballet school in Paris, where the new girl (Silvers) befriends a grieving dance prodigy (Froseth) as the dancers compete for the school’s ultimate prize: to receive a contract to join the Parisian Opera’s ballet company. As the pressure mounts and the girls are pushed to their physical and emotional limits, their bond is tested and they’re forced to ask themselves just how far they are willing to go to win. Anonymous’ Trevor Adley and Dara Gordon and Everything is Everything’s Jonako Donley are producing the film, which is currently shooting in Budapest.

In today’s film news roundup, Sabrina Carpenter’s “The Short History of the Long Road” gets a home, comedian Jo Koy’s life will become a movie, “True to the Game” is getting a sequel and Apa promotes Chris Ridenhour.

Acquisition

FilmRise has acquired Sabrina Carpenter’s coming-of-age drama “The Short History of the Long Road” and is planning a May 15 theatrical release.

The film, written and directed by Ani Simon-Kennedy, won a special jury mention for screenplay at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival. “The Short History of the Long Road” also stars Maggie Siff, Steven Ogg and Danny Trejo.

Carpenter portrays a teenager who grew up living out of a van with her beloved father. When tragedy strikes, she is confronted by the reality that life as an outsider may not be her only choice.

The film is produced by Darren Dean, Bettina Kadoorie, Kishori Rajan, Eddie Rubin, Ani Simon-Kennedy,...

Manny Halley, CEO of Imani Media Group, has signed a first-look development deal with NBC’s Wilshire Studios, Variety has learned.

Under the pact, Imani Media Group will develop and produce scripted and unscripted content for the NBCUniversal portfolio of networks including Bravo, E!, USA, and Oxygen as well as for outside buyers. Dawn Olmstead is the president of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment production unit.

Halley has worked in the music industry for more than two decades with recording artists including Nicki Minaj, Young Thug, and Keyshia Cole. Halley’s first foray into television production began with producing and executive producing the reality series, “Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is” for Bet and the spinoff, “Frankie and Neffe.”

Halley’s Faith Media Distribution company moved into the feature film business with “True to the Game,” starring Columbus Short and Erica Peeples. The movie, an adaptation of the New York Times bestseller by Teri Woods,...

"There's nothing that he has that we can't take." Imani Motion Pictures has debuted a trailer for a crime drama titled True to the Game, based on the novel of the same name written by Teri Woods. The film is about a charismatic drug lord, played by Columbus Short, who falls for a young girl from Philadelphia. He begins planning a way out of the crime world with his love for her, but tragedy strikes just as he is about to start his new life. The entire cast includes Vivica A. Fox, Andra Fuller, Nelson Ellis, Draya Michele, Jennifer Freeman, and Starletta DuPois, plus introducing Erica Peeples as Gena Hollins. This trailer looks solid, with some promise in the performances more than anything else. Might be worth a quick look. Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for Preston A. Whitmore's True to the Game, from YouTube: Based on the Teri Woods best selling novel,...