Sanaa Lathan Talks Directorial Debut with 'On The Come Up'

Actress Sanaa Lathan (Photo by Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic)

*We caught up with veteran actress Sanaa Lathan to dish about her feature film directorial debut with “On the Come Up.”

Based on the New York Times #1 best-selling novel by Angie Thomas (The Hate U Give), “On The Come Up,” per press release, stars newcomer Jamila C. Gray, and centers on Bri, a gifted 16-year-old rapper, who attempts to take the battle rap scene by storm in order to lift up her family and do right by the legacy of her father – a local hip hop legend whose career was cut short by gang violence. But when her first hit song goes viral for all the wrong reasons, she finds herself torn between the authenticity that got her this far and the false persona that the industry wants to impose upon her.

Lathan co-stars in this coming-of-age film along with Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Lil Yachty, Mike Epps, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Justin Martin, Titus Makin, Michael Cooper Jr., GaTa, and Cliff “Method Man” Smith.

Check out the trailer below.

We reported earlier that “On The Come Up” is produced by the Paramount Pictures Players label, Temple Hill and State Street Pictures, and will stream on Paramount+ later this month.

“We are thrilled to bring a truly inspiring film about fighting for your dreams to the service this fall,” Tanya Giles, chief programming officer at Paramount+, previously said in a statement. “On the Come Up is a moving love letter to hip hop and an entertaining film for all ages.”

George Tillman Jr. and his longtime producing partner Robert Teitel serve as producers on the project.

EUR’s Ny MaGee chatted with Sanna about how this struggling artist’s tale parallels her own journey coming up as an actress in Hollywood. Check out what she had to say in the clip below.

I also chatted with the film’s star Jamila, as well as Michael and Miles about their respective roles and what they hope viewers take away from the film’s timely message. Watch our conversation via the clips below.

“On the Come Up” premieres Sept. 23, exclusively on Paramount+.