The South is about to feel Sunnyboy Entertainment in a whole new way. The Emmy-nominated production company, long established in Los Angeles, has opened a new office in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward and is staffing up with serious talent to match the ambition.
Jay Allen is coming in as VP of Unscripted, Nikki Byles as Director of Talent Acquisition and Development, and Tristan McClain, already part of the team, is stepping up to Head of Film Strategy and Development. Three moves, one clear signal: Sunnyboy is building something.
Allen and Byles are no strangers to each other or to Atlanta’s cultural footprint. The two co-created Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told for Hulu, the critically acclaimed documentary that premiered at SXSW 2024 and brought one of Atlanta’s most storied cultural moments back into the conversation. Allen also built TV One’s Uncensored into one of the network’s most successful series, pulling in 3.5 million viewers as showrunner and executive producer. He has delivered premium content for Hulu, Netflix, BET, Paramount and beyond. Byles brings a decade of experience as a film and talent producer with a track record of developing high-impact content across television, film and digital platforms.
The expansion is a natural next chapter for a company that has been in the business for over two decades, producing content for the largest studios and streamers in the world. Recent credits include Superman, A Minecraft Movie, Project Hail Mary and Marty Supreme. The studio also earned an Emmy nomination for Welcome to the A: 50 Years of Hip Hop in Atlanta, which premiered on Peacock during Black History Month and is now streaming on Tubi and Apple TV. That series was a preview of what the Atlanta office is being built to deliver.
“The future of unscripted belongs to stories that feel as cinematic and emotionally resonant as the very best scripted films and series,” Allen said. “SunnyBoy is creating a home for filmmakers who believe great nonfiction can entertain, preserve culture, and leave a lasting impact.”
A multi-project originals slate is coming soon, spearheaded out of the new Atlanta office. Founded by Emmy-nominated writers Harold Hayes Jr. and Craig S. Phillips, Sunnyboy Entertainment is clearly not slowing down.