Mike Colter and Joanna “JoJo” Levesque are joining forces for The Very Thought of You, a music-driven romantic drama that will explore love, healing, and redemption through the lens of Los Angeles’ jazz culture. The pair will not only headline the feature but will also serve as executive producers.
Penned and produced by John Zaring, the story follows Emmy Davis, a once-promising singing sensation whose ‘ife unraveled at 16 after sexual abuse at the hands of a powerful music producer. More than a decade later, Emmy has traded the spotlight for a quiet life, working as a barista while caring for her grandmother and avoiding the memories that changed her future.
Everything shifts when she crosses paths with a talented jazz pianist and university professor navigating challenges of his own. Widowed and raising a young daughter, he has lost touch with the passion that once defined him. Drawn together by music, the two develop a connection that forces them to reckon with their pasts and consider the possibility of a future neither thought was still within reach.
Set in the Eagle Rock community of Los Angeles, the film blends romance with a rich musical backdrop, using jazz as both a storytelling device and a reflection of its characters’ emotional journeys.
The project is being produced by Zaring and Van Scott Folger, with Bianca Cioffi and Charles Vignola joining Colter and Levesque on the executive-producing team. Production will move into principal photography in Los Angeles in November 2026 under the Zaring/Cioffi Entertainment banner, alongside Colter Productions.
The film adds another high-profile title to Colter’s growing schedule, which includes CBS’s forthcoming legal drama Cupertino and his highly anticipated return to the Marvel universe as Luke Cage. For Levesque, the project marks another step in a career that has successfully bridged music and acting, from chart-topping hits to performances on stage and screen.