Exclusive: Brittany Kahan Ward and Graciella Sanchez are leaving Echo Lake Entertainment after a decade as partners to join Tfc Management where they also will be partners.
The high-profile arrival of Ward and Sanchez — who launched and built Echo Lake’s talent management division, with Sanchez also serving as the Co-President — marks an expansion into on-camera talent representation for Tfc, founded in 2020 by UTA and WME partners Ben Jacobson and David Stone with initial focus on literary clients, including creators, showrunners, novelists, producers, and filmmakers.
Ward and Sanchez’s formidable roster of clients include Dakota Fanning, Elle Fanning, Liz Hannah, Jd Pardo, Shira Haas, Ivana Milicevic, Marguerite Moreau, Phoebe Tonkin, Greg Smith, Alisha Wainwright, Momona Tamada, Golden Brooks, Colton Ryan, Marlo Kelly, Jordan Gavaris, Nadia Tereszkiewicz, Jamila Gray, Maria Dragus, Lina El-Arabi, Tarryn Wyngaard and Floria Sigismondi. The majority of them are expected to follow them to Tfc.
During their stint at Echo Lake,...
The high-profile arrival of Ward and Sanchez — who launched and built Echo Lake’s talent management division, with Sanchez also serving as the Co-President — marks an expansion into on-camera talent representation for Tfc, founded in 2020 by UTA and WME partners Ben Jacobson and David Stone with initial focus on literary clients, including creators, showrunners, novelists, producers, and filmmakers.
Ward and Sanchez’s formidable roster of clients include Dakota Fanning, Elle Fanning, Liz Hannah, Jd Pardo, Shira Haas, Ivana Milicevic, Marguerite Moreau, Phoebe Tonkin, Greg Smith, Alisha Wainwright, Momona Tamada, Golden Brooks, Colton Ryan, Marlo Kelly, Jordan Gavaris, Nadia Tereszkiewicz, Jamila Gray, Maria Dragus, Lina El-Arabi, Tarryn Wyngaard and Floria Sigismondi. The majority of them are expected to follow them to Tfc.
During their stint at Echo Lake,...
- 11/9/2023
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Sony has rounded out the cast for its untitled, R-rated rom-com, led by Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, with the addition of actor and rapper GaTa (Dave).
Details as to the plot of the film currently being shot in Australia and GaTa’s role in it are under wraps. But Will Gluck is directing from a script by Ilana Wolpert, which he rewrote.
Related Story ‘Ted Lasso’s Hannah Waddingham Joins ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 2’ Related Story Sydney Sweeney And Julianne Moore To Star In Apple Original Films' 'Echo Valley' Related Story 'Scream VI' Stabbing At Franchise-Best $50M+ Global Opening – Box Office Preview
Dermot Mulroney, Rachel Griffiths, Michelle Hurd, Bryan Brown, Darren Barnet and Hadley Robinson also star in the pic which Joe Roth, Jeff Kirschenbaum and Gluck are producing. Sweeney is exec producing for Fifty-Fifty Films, along with Natalie Sellers and Alyssa Altman for Rk Films,...
Details as to the plot of the film currently being shot in Australia and GaTa’s role in it are under wraps. But Will Gluck is directing from a script by Ilana Wolpert, which he rewrote.
Related Story ‘Ted Lasso’s Hannah Waddingham Joins ‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 2’ Related Story Sydney Sweeney And Julianne Moore To Star In Apple Original Films' 'Echo Valley' Related Story 'Scream VI' Stabbing At Franchise-Best $50M+ Global Opening – Box Office Preview
Dermot Mulroney, Rachel Griffiths, Michelle Hurd, Bryan Brown, Darren Barnet and Hadley Robinson also star in the pic which Joe Roth, Jeff Kirschenbaum and Gluck are producing. Sweeney is exec producing for Fifty-Fifty Films, along with Natalie Sellers and Alyssa Altman for Rk Films,...
- 3/10/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
On the Come Up follows the story of 16-year-old Bri who dreams of becoming one the greatest rappers ever. It becomes more than a dream when she has no choice but to succeed to help her family avoid eviction.
Jamila Gray, who plays Bri, recently sat for an exclusive with uInterview founder Erik Meers to discuss how her musical background helped her on screen.
“I have dabbled in music quite a bit. I had a very musical childhood,” Gray said. “My dad actually makes music. I’ve recorded a song or two and I have one out. I’m actually a DJ on the weekends, so I DJ a lot of hip-hop shows in my area. I have a heavy music background.”
Gray also revealed how she got ready to play Bri.
“Most of the prep came emotionally and just trying to understand Bri’s pain and portray that accurately,...
Jamila Gray, who plays Bri, recently sat for an exclusive with uInterview founder Erik Meers to discuss how her musical background helped her on screen.
“I have dabbled in music quite a bit. I had a very musical childhood,” Gray said. “My dad actually makes music. I’ve recorded a song or two and I have one out. I’m actually a DJ on the weekends, so I DJ a lot of hip-hop shows in my area. I have a heavy music background.”
Gray also revealed how she got ready to play Bri.
“Most of the prep came emotionally and just trying to understand Bri’s pain and portray that accurately,...
- 9/27/2022
- by Rose Carter
- Uinterview
Actress Sanaa Lathan makes her directorial debut with the teen drama “On the Come Up,” centering on teenager Brianna ‘Bri’ Jackson (Jamila C. Gray), who is striving to make her mark as a rapper, initially through rap battles. Because her father, Lawless Jackson, is a legend who not only won battles but also got to record prior to being killed, Bri has huge shoes to fill.
Making it as a rapper is not Bri’s primary challenge, however. When her mother Jay (Lathan), a recovering drug addict, loses her job, the family faces even greater financial pressure. To help make ends meet, Bri is already selling candy, but that stops when she is frighteningly manhandled by school security, bringing a racial-justice story into the fold. Her family’s need for money makes her even more determined to achieve success.
While rap-battling offers her that opportunity, the potential an even bigger...
Making it as a rapper is not Bri’s primary challenge, however. When her mother Jay (Lathan), a recovering drug addict, loses her job, the family faces even greater financial pressure. To help make ends meet, Bri is already selling candy, but that stops when she is frighteningly manhandled by school security, bringing a racial-justice story into the fold. Her family’s need for money makes her even more determined to achieve success.
While rap-battling offers her that opportunity, the potential an even bigger...
- 9/23/2022
- by Ronda Racha Penrice
- The Wrap
Sanaa Lathan came out swinging with her directorial debut, "On the Come Up," which finally made its way to streaming and select theaters on Sept. 23. The veteran actor brought Angie Thomas's bestselling 2019 novel of the same name to life with a hip-hop coming-of-age tale - which premiered at this year's Toronto Film Festival - starring herself, Jamila C. Gray, Method Man, Lil Yachty, Mike Epps, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, GaTa, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Titus Makin Jr., and Michael Anthony Cooper Jr.
"['On the Come Up'] is really a coming-of-age story, and the hip-hop part of it is part of what gets her to step into her power."
While "On the Come Up" marks Lathan's first time behind the camera for a film, she's no stranger to telling music-inspired stories. The actor's many credits include "Love & Basketball," the Best Man franchise, and Rick Famuyiwa's hip-hop rom-com "Brown Sugar," in...
"['On the Come Up'] is really a coming-of-age story, and the hip-hop part of it is part of what gets her to step into her power."
While "On the Come Up" marks Lathan's first time behind the camera for a film, she's no stranger to telling music-inspired stories. The actor's many credits include "Love & Basketball," the Best Man franchise, and Rick Famuyiwa's hip-hop rom-com "Brown Sugar," in...
- 9/23/2022
- by Njera Perkins
- Popsugar.com
Image Source: Getty / Marla Aufmuth
From a bestselling novel to the big screen, "On the Come Up" tells a vibrant hip-hop tale that feels all too real - mainly because it stems from reality. The Sanaa Lathan-directed film based on Angie Thomas's bestselling novel of the same name premiered on Sept. 23. Newcomer Jamila C. Gray stars as the film's leading lady, Bri, a high school student and battle rapper who has dreams of taking the music world by storm. Joining her in the movie are Lathan, Method Man, Lil Yachty, Mike Epps, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, GaTa, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Titus Makin Jr., and Michael Anthony Cooper Jr.
"I also hope that it makes them look at the real Bris out here who are doing their thing and give them a little more homage and respect."
The film, which is billed as a "love letter to hip-hop," follows after Thomas's previous book-to-movie offering,...
From a bestselling novel to the big screen, "On the Come Up" tells a vibrant hip-hop tale that feels all too real - mainly because it stems from reality. The Sanaa Lathan-directed film based on Angie Thomas's bestselling novel of the same name premiered on Sept. 23. Newcomer Jamila C. Gray stars as the film's leading lady, Bri, a high school student and battle rapper who has dreams of taking the music world by storm. Joining her in the movie are Lathan, Method Man, Lil Yachty, Mike Epps, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, GaTa, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Titus Makin Jr., and Michael Anthony Cooper Jr.
"I also hope that it makes them look at the real Bris out here who are doing their thing and give them a little more homage and respect."
The film, which is billed as a "love letter to hip-hop," follows after Thomas's previous book-to-movie offering,...
- 9/23/2022
- by Njera Perkins
- Popsugar.com
It’s fitting that Emmy-nominated actress Sanaa Lathan is making her feature directorial debut with a drama about the power of legacy. The veteran performer is the child of both another actress (Eleanor McCoy) and another filmmaker (Stan Lathan). She is likely well-acquainted with the pressures and pleasures of having great things expected of her because of her name and lineage. She doesn’t need to worry, because
Based on the best-selling YA novel by Angie Thomas, “On the Come Up” follows a rising rap star intent on making a name for herself while honoring her late father. “On the Come Up” embraces its fairy-tale feeling early on, opening with a title card that tells us it’s set “somewhere in America,” before zooming in on the fictional, mostly Black community of Garden Heights. But this fairy tale doesn’t have a happy start, as we meet young Bri (played...
Based on the best-selling YA novel by Angie Thomas, “On the Come Up” follows a rising rap star intent on making a name for herself while honoring her late father. “On the Come Up” embraces its fairy-tale feeling early on, opening with a title card that tells us it’s set “somewhere in America,” before zooming in on the fictional, mostly Black community of Garden Heights. But this fairy tale doesn’t have a happy start, as we meet young Bri (played...
- 9/11/2022
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
IndieWire celebrated “On the Come Up,” the directorial debut of “Love and Basketball” icon Sanaa Lathan, on Friday, September 9 at the Toronto International Film Festival. The dinner, presented by Canada Goose and held at Vela in downtown Toronto, brought out the cast, crew, and friends of this coming-of-age story about 16-year-old Bri (Jamila Gray) who takes the battle rap scene by storm in the fictional Garden Heights.
Lathan’s film is based on the novel by “The Hate U Give” author Angie Thomas, who attended the event along with Lathan, Gray, and fellow cast members Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, and Michael Cooper Jr., plus musicians Rapsody and Lady London.
“The process of making a movie is a constant unfolding. It was a two-year process. I got ready with my collaborators. I had a very clear vision. I was very lucky to surround myself with people who just wanted to fulfill that and uplift it,...
Lathan’s film is based on the novel by “The Hate U Give” author Angie Thomas, who attended the event along with Lathan, Gray, and fellow cast members Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, and Michael Cooper Jr., plus musicians Rapsody and Lady London.
“The process of making a movie is a constant unfolding. It was a two-year process. I got ready with my collaborators. I had a very clear vision. I was very lucky to surround myself with people who just wanted to fulfill that and uplift it,...
- 9/10/2022
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
On the Come Up, directed by actress-turned-director Sanaa Lathan and written by Zora Howard (Premature) and Kay Oyegun, is based on the book by acclaimed author Angie Thomas (The Hate U Give). The film explores the many facets of Black girlhood through hip-hop music and the general music industry. The novel is 464 pages, and the movie tries to cram all that information into two hours, which sometimes overshadows the messaging. But what works is that it speaks to a demographic that is often ignored and the culture of rap that is seldom explored from a woman’s perspective.
The film starts with Bri (Jamila Gray) being abandoned by her drug-addicted mother Jay (Lathan). The memory traumatizes her throughout her adolescence until the point she’s introduced as a 16-year old She’s also mourning the death of her father, a former rapper called Law from the Garden Heights. She wants...
The film starts with Bri (Jamila Gray) being abandoned by her drug-addicted mother Jay (Lathan). The memory traumatizes her throughout her adolescence until the point she’s introduced as a 16-year old She’s also mourning the death of her father, a former rapper called Law from the Garden Heights. She wants...
- 9/9/2022
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
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