Sterling Hampton IV’s coming-of-age dramedy Inauguration Day is expanding its ensemble, with Terry Crews and Lexi Underwood among six newly announced cast members joining the project.
The new additions also include Bart Johnson, Sean Lew, Grace Wethor, and Karly Rothenberg. They join a previously announced ensemble that includes Jermaine Harris, Tim Johnson Jr., Israel Johnson, Victoria Ogbonna, Tevin Johnson, and writer-actress Sabrina Lassegue.
Set on January 20, 2009 — the day Barack Obama was sworn in as the first Black president of the United States — the film takes place inside a predominantly white high school where a celebration of the historic moment begins to unravel, exposing deeper tensions around identity, belonging, and perception among the students.
Harris stars as Frederick, a student navigating crushes, friendships, and the complicated question of where he fits in as the school marks the historic inauguration. Crews plays Frederick’s father, Anthony, a larger-than-life presence whose involvement turns up the heat on the already tense situation unfolding at the school.
The story draws from Hampton’s own experiences attending a predominantly white school during Obama’s inauguration, exploring the contrast between the national sense of progress and the personal realities many young Black students were still navigating in those spaces.
Inauguration Day marks the feature directorial debut of Hampton, a Sundance alum known for his work across documentary and commercial projects. He directs from a script written by Lassegue, based on a story he developed reflecting on the cultural and emotional complexity of that moment in American history.
Hampton produces under his banner Clash of the Artistic Minds alongside Lassegue through her company Extinguished Youth, with Nina Childs and Daniel Sollinger also producing. Harris, Tim Johnson Jr., and Bart Johnson are credited as associate producers. The film is executive produced by Grammy-winning artist and entrepreneur will.i.am.
Production is currently underway in Los Angeles, with Inauguration Day expected to make its festival debut in 2026. Additional casting and production announcements are expected as the project continues filming.