With its global premiere at the current Toronto International Film Festival, Emmy-winning actress Sana Lathan’s directorial first feature, On the Come Up, has received overwhelmingly positive reviews. In light of the film’s successful reception, Paramount Pictures has decided to give it a limited theatrical distribution in select cities. On the Come Up, which was set to debut on streaming services alone, will now get a limited theatrical distribution beginning on September 23. On the same day, the film will also be made available to stream on Paramount+. The film will debut in select cinemas on September 22, with a wider release to the 50 largest markets the following day.
Initially, the film will be available to stream to viewers in the United States, Canada, and Italy, with further expansions planned for other international markets. On the Come Up, a biopic about a young rapper named Bri (Jamila C. Gray) who is the daughter of a famous rapper and is determined to prove that “the fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree,” is being called a “love letter to hip hop” for its focus on the music and culture of hip hop.
Bri’s journey to hip-hop glory will be fraught with challenges, such as when her first hit song becomes a phenomenon for reasons other than her natural skill. The Hate U Give (2018), also a New York Times best-seller, was successfully translated to the big screen, and now Angie Thomas’s novel On the Come Up is getting the same treatment. If the rave reviews from TIFF are any indication, Thomas has pulled it off once again. Chris Aronson, president of domestic distribution for Paramount Pictures, had this to say about the movie’s success: We can’t wait for people all across the world to see this stunning adaptation of Angie Thomas’s heartfelt novel.
Viewers will witness what we already know: that this is an amazing picture, not to be missed, thanks to the visionary directing of Sanaa Lathan and the remarkable talent of Jamila C. Gray and the rest of the ensemble. We appreciate State Street and Temple Hill so much for working with us. On September 23rd, we will finally be able to introduce the world to ON THE COME UP. Gray is joined in the cast by newcomers Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Mike Epps, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Justin Martin, Titus Makin, Michael Cooper Jr., GaTa, and Lathan, as well as rap artists Lil Yachty and Cliff “Method Man” Smith. The film was directed by Lathan and based on a script written by Kay Oyegun. State Street Pictures and Temple Hill Production were the companies responsible for the work.
Thomas, George Tillman Jr., Robert Teitel, Wyck Godfrey, Marty Bowen, Isaac Klausner, and Timothy M. Bourne served as producers, while John Fischer oversaw the project as an executive producer.
Synopsis
In the film “On the Come Up,” we follow the journey of Bri, a talented 16-year-old rapper who wants to make a name for herself in the battle rap scene so that she may provide for her family and honour the memory of her father, a local hip hop hero whose career was cut short by gang violence. She’s caught between being true to the personality that brought her this far and adopting the fake character the music industry wants to impose on her when her first hit song goes viral for all the wrong reasons.