Omarion To Star In AllBlk Series ‘Involved’, Based On Pop Star’s Life, With Casting Call Set For Co-Lead
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
EXCLUSIVE: Omarion, who was part of Bump, Bump, Bump boybanders B2K before breaking out with his own records such as Sex Playlist, is getting his own scripted TV series.
AMC Networks streamer AllBlk has ordered Involved, a scripted dramedy loosely based on his life.
More from Deadline
Omarion, otherwise known as Omari Ishmael Grandberry, is a co-creator of the series and will star and exec produce Involved.
The streamer is also holding a national casting call for the series co-lead, with the call taking place at the 27th Annual American Black Film Festival.
Involved follows OB Sharp who has been a boyband superstar since childhood. Now on the verge of a worldwide tour, he secretly wants to leave the group to be a more present dad and have a better co-parenting relationship with his child’s mother, who lives in his guesthouse with her new boyfriend. The only person who has always understood him and his lifestyle is his best friend, Maya, who is openly Bi. They’ve always had an intimate connection without being physical; however, all that changes when they meet Edy, an eclectic flower shop owner with a free spirit and fluid lifestyle. Suddenly, OB’s love life gets an extreme makeover, and together, they discover their new normal as a throuple. Faced with a multitude of changes in a short timeframe, OB Sharp is adjusting to new normals within himself, relationship and family dynamics and new business ventures.
Omarion competed in season five of The Masked Singer, was part of the cast of Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood and has starred in movies such as Somebody Help Me and The Proud Family Movie.
He will exec produce the series alongside co-creators Tommy Morgan Jr., Kevin G. Boyd and Deji LaRay. The pilot is being written by Kevin G. Boyd and directed by Bentley Kyle Evans, who will serve as co-showrunners. Michelle Le Fleur will also exec produce alongside AllBlk’s General Manager Brett Dismuke, and SVP of Development & Production Nikki Love.
The casting call, which will take place between June 14-18 in Miami Beach, is being launched for the character of 31-year old Shayla Williams. OB slid into Shayla’s DM after seeing her at Usher’s birthday party in Atlanta. They hooked up, the chemistry was crazy, and two years later, Cammy was born. Now, years later, the relationship is a wrap and, for Cammy’s sake, Shayla lives in OB’s guest house. The problem is, she’s still a little bitter and she knows how to push O’s buttons. The latest was to move her struggling rapper boyfriend in without OB knowing. Lance Gross (House of Payne) will serve as the celebrity reader for the casting call.
“Just like multi hyphenated entertainers Jamie Foxx, Martin Lawrence and Will Smith who all have influenced and inspired me and a whole culture, Involved is intended to inspire, shift and impact the culture of American society’s thinking and understanding of special family dynamics. There is no better way for us to learn about and observe these cultural diversities than through the medium of entertainment,” said Omarion.
“Omarion is an expert storyteller across multiple mediums, and we could not be more excited to further our partnership by helping him bring this story to life on AllBlk. As a leader in programming by and for Black voices, we know our audience will appreciate such an intriguing and compelling story,” added Dismuke.
Best of Deadline
Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
