Issa Rae to Produce Keke Palmer and SZA Buddy Comedy

Samantha Bergeson
·2 min read
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Isaa Rae has a buzzy new buddy comedy in the works starring Keke Palmer and Grammy winner SZA, IndieWire has confirmed.

Rae is set to produce the untitled feature for TriStar Pictures. Rae’s “Rap Sh!t” director Lawrence Lamont will direct the film using a screenplay by “Rap Sh!t” showrunner Syreeta Singleton. The project hailed from the ColorCreative’s lab at Sony Pictures as part of a program between ColorCreative and Columbia Pictures to foster emerging diverse screenwriters’ first studio features.

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Palmer will executive produce through her Big Boss banner along with Sharon Palmer. Rae and Sara Diya Rastogi will produce through Rae’s banner Hoorae; ColorCreative’s Deniese Davis and Charles D. King and MACRO Film Studios’ James Lopez and Poppy Hanks also produce. Singleton is co-producing.

Palmer and SZA did a December 2022 “Saturday Night Life” together — Palmer as host and SZA as her musical guest.

The project marks SZA’s acting debut, though she has performed in cinematic music videos. She collaborated with Kendrick Lamar for “All the Stars” from the “Black Panther” soundtrack in 2018.

Lamont also has a background in music videos, having collaborated with J. Cole, Big Sean, Kanye West, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Jhene Aiko, Nas, and Snoop Dogg.

Emmy winner Rae recently spoke out about the cancellation of “Rap Sh!t” at Max after two seasons, telling Net-a-Porter that seeing TV executives cancel diverse series proves that stories from Black filmmakers are “less of a priority.”

“You’re seeing so many Black shows get canceled, you’re seeing so many executives — especially on the DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion] side — get canned,” Rae said. “You’re seeing very clearly now that our stories are less of a priority.”

She added of the industry as a whole, “I am pessimistic, because there’s no one holding anybody accountable — and I can, sure, but also at what cost? I can’t force you to make my stuff. It’s made me take more steps to try to be independent down the line if I have to.”

Rae later said to Time magazine that Hollywood is “scared and clueless” while being “at the mercy of Wall Street.”

“Now these conglomerate leaders are also making the decisions about Hollywood. Y’all aren’t creative people. Stick to the money. The people that are taking chances are on platforms like TikTok: that’s what’s getting the eyeballs of the youth. So you’re killing your own industry,” Rae said. The filmmaker has an overall deal with WarnerMedia through 2026.

Deadline first reported the news.

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