Naturi Naughton and Tanyell Quian will headline the upcoming Lifetime movie, “Abducted at an HBCU: A Black Girl Missing Movie,” premiering on July 20.
This film continues the narrative from last year’s critically acclaimed “Black Girl Missing,” produced by and starring Garcelle Beauvais, and focuses on the growing issue of missing Black women and girls from disadvantaged communities.
Abducted at an HBCU is Lifetime’s Second of Three Black Girl Missing Movies Executive Produced by Garcelle Beauvais under her current partnership with the network.
“Abducted at an HBCU” follows Shannon (Tanyell Quian), a determined college student struggling with tuition. When Shannon suddenly stops attending classes, her college counselor, Ellen (Naturi Naughton), is the only one who notices. Ellen’s concerns are dismissed by everyone, including Shannon’s professors, campus administration, and her own boyfriend, with dismissive remarks about girls from underserved communities dropping out. Undeterred, Ellen’s search for Shannon reveals a trafficking ring preying on vulnerable students. Ellen must race against time to find Shannon and dismantle the ring.
Delmar Washington, who directed the first “Black Girl Missing” movie, returns to direct, with a script by Avery O’Williams. “Abducted at an HBCU: A Black Girl Missing Movie” is produced by Johnson Production Group in association with Motion Content Group. Alongside Beauvais, Tim Johnson, Stacy Mandelberg, Gordon Gilbertson, Jason Egenberg, Richard Foster, and Chet Fenster will executive produce.
Naturi Naughton is best known for her role in Starz’s hit series “Power,” executive produced by 50 Cent, and has won two NAACP “Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series” awards for her work on the show. Naughton has also starred in “Queens,” and her other credits include “88,” “Notorious,” “Fame,” “Lottery Ticket,” and Broadway’s “Hairspray.”
Tanyell Quian’s breakout role was as “Keke” in Ava Duvernay’s series “Queen Sugar.” She has also appeared in films alongside Octavia Spencer in “MA,” Cuba Gooding Jr. in “Bayou Caviar,” Lin Shaye in “Gothic Harvest,” and Ethan Hawke, Wyatt Russel, Sam Rockwell, and Kris Kristofferson in “Blaze.” Quian currently has a recurring role in AMC’s “The Driver/Parish” opposite Giancarlo Esposito.
Garcelle Beauvais, a Haitian-born actress and executive producer, has been a favorite across diverse audiences, starring in “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “The Jamie Foxx Show,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” “Coming to America (1&2),” and “White House Down.” She co-hosted on Fox’s “The Real,” and recently launched Garcelle Productions, released her memoir “Love Me as I Am,” and joined Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” as the first Black cast member.