Jussie Smollett’s directorial debut to air on BET+
Smollett directed the film 'B-Boy Blues' for BET+, his first project following his conviction.
Jussie Smollett will be making his directorial debut on BET+. Following his conviction for making a false report about a hate crime, the actor/singer will be helming B-Boy Blues for the streaming service.
B-Boy Blues will premiere on June 9, according to Variety. It’s based on the novel of the same name by James Earl Hardy, who wrote the screenplay along with Smollett. The film is described as “a clash of class and culture when Mitchell Crawford, a college-educated journalist from Brooklyn, and Raheim Rivers, a bike messenger from Harlem, fall in love.”
Hardy also executive produces the film via his It’s All Jood Productions company, along with Mona Scott-Young and Stephanie Gayle for Monami Entertainment. Scott-Young, the reality show maven, is also a producer on the film and helped close the deal with BET+.
“Through our content slate, we are intentional about representing the fullness of the Black experience, including that of the LGBTQ+ community,” said BET+ exec VP/GM Devin Griffin. “‘B-Boy Blues is an artful, heart-rending film about the complexity of love – something we all can relate to.”
B-Boy Blues stars Ledisi, Timothy Richardson, Brandee Evans, Heather B, Marquise Vilson, Jabari Redd, Broderick Hunter, and Thomas Mackie. It premiered at the 2021 American Black Film Festival, where it won the Narrative Feature Fan Favorite Award.
Smollett is working his way back into show business after his conviction on five counts of disorderly conduct. The former Empire actor claimed he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack in Chicago in January 2019. He was sentenced to 150 days in jail, along with 30 months of felony probation, and was fined.
Despite his conviction, Smollett was released from jail days into his sentencing after he was granted bond pending an appeal filed by his legal team.
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