Oscar-winning filmmaker Matthew A. Cherry is directing comedy heist, The Come Up, a feature film for New Line.
Jermaine Fowler created the movie, and Michael Starrbury penned the screenplay, which is like a Friday meets Oceans 11.
“I am super honored to be working with Jermaine Fowler, Michael Starrbury, John Rickard, and New Line on The Come Up,” said Cherry. “Jermaine and Michael are two of the most exciting young creatives working today, and I can’t wait to start working with them.”
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Lil Rel Howery and Keith Lucas and Kenneth Lucas are starring in the project along with Fowler, who is also executive producing the project.
When speaking of the project, Fowler said:
I feel soooo damn lucky to have Matthew Cherry on board to helm this film. He’s a brilliant filmmaker whose vibes are genuinely reminiscent of the people that inspired the original concept of the project. I know he will let everyone involved shine and execute a hilarious comedy with a profound message. Plus, he promised that I could hold his Oscar one day.
Rampage and Horrible Bosses franchise producer John Rickard is producing.
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Cherry won the Academy Award in February for his animated short Hair Love, which he wrote, produced, and co-directed. He raised over $280,000 on Kickstarter for Hair Love, the most any short film, animated or not, had ever achieved on the funding platform at the time.
Hair Love was adapted into a picture book for Penguin Random House in May 2019 and immediately became a New York Times bestseller and earned nominations for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work for Children and the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Picture Book.
Originally read about comedy heist The Come Up on Deadline.