BET+ has officially set the premiere date for The Family Business: New Orleans, a spinoff of Carl Weber’s crime drama series The Family Business. The series is set to debut on January 23, 2025, exclusively on the streaming platform.
The spinoff stars Brandon T. Jackson, Lela Rochon, Ben Stephens, Pooch Hall, Quincy Brown, David Banner, Yvette Nicole Brown, Orlando Jones, Nicole Galicia, Erica Hubbard, Sarah Carter, Stan Shaw, Bern Nadette Stanis, Nayirah Teshali, Sacaiah Shaw, Jenson Atwood, AzMarie Livingston, Deric Augustine, Kayla Nicole, and Nicholas Turturro.
Building on the legacy of the original series, which follows the Duncan family’s dual lives as luxury car dealers by day and power players in the criminal underworld by night, The Family Business: New Orleans introduces a fresh and vibrant setting steeped in Southern charm and danger. The narrative centers on Midnight Blues, a legendary underground casino and jazz club located between Old Town New Orleans and the elite Parrish of Gator Lake. The establishment has been a cultural and social hub for over a century, attracting jazz aficionados, tourists, and locals seeking an authentic taste of New Orleans nightlife.
At the heart of the spinoff is Big Shirley Duncan, played by Lela Rochon, who owns Midnight Blues alongside her younger brother Floyd (Pooch Hall) and her son Marquis (Brandon T. Jackson). The Duncans, descended from the plantation’s original owner and his slave mistress, find themselves in a high-stakes battle for control of their territory against a rising underworld figure, Jean LeBlanc (David Banner). Tensions boil over when LeBlanc’s brother dies under mysterious circumstances at Midnight Blues, prompting Shirley to send Marquis to New York for help from the original Duncan family.
Marquis bypasses Houston and heads directly to New York, where he seeks assistance from Vegas Duncan (Michael Jai White) and the rest of the family. With the stakes escalating, family enforcers Curtis Duncan (Ben Stephens) and assassin Lauren Duncan (Nayirah Teshali) are dispatched to New Orleans to protect the family’s interests and uphold the Duncan legacy.
The spinoff also highlights a strong behind-the-scenes team, with showrunner Nikaya D. Brown Jones and executive producers Carl Weber and Trey Haley ensuring the series stays true to its roots. Haley is also the lead director of the show with Veronica Nichols on-board to direct an episode. Produced by Tri Destined Studios and Urban Books Media, the show promises to deliver the same high-intensity drama and layered storytelling fans of The Family Business have come to expect.
Notably, several cast members, including Ben Stephens, Bern Nadette Stanis, Stan Shaw, Nayirah Teshali, and Sacaiah Shaw, previously made guest appearances in season four of the original series. Additionally, Lela Rochon and Brandon T. Jackson are stepping into the roles of Associate Producers for the spinoff, further shaping its vision.
Mark your calendars for January 23, 2025, as The Family Business: New Orleans brings a new chapter of the Duncan saga to life, blending the allure of New Orleans with the intrigue and intensity of Weber’s crime drama universe.