EXCLUSIVE: Elie Samaha, Missy Valdez, Geno Taylor and Daniel Diamond’s newly launched Luminosity Entertainment have set their first movie, the comedy Back on the Strip, starring Wesley Snipes and Tiffany Haddish.
Luminosity will finance, produce and distribute feature films theatrically in the U.S. and handle foreign sales.
Back on the Strip reps the theatrical directorial debut of Chris Spencer, the creator and EP of Real Husbands of Hollywood and EP and scribe of Grown-ish. It follows a young man, Merlin (Spence Moore II), who moves to Las Vegas to pursue his dream of becoming a magician after losing the woman of his dreams. But when a costume malfunction reveals his physical “gifts,” he is recruited to become the frontman of an infamous male revue group. The comedy chronicles a series of escapades as Merlin tries to achieve magician success, pursuing his dream girl and finding family in the process.
The pic also stars JB Smoove (Spider-Man: No Way Home, Curb Your Enthusiasm), Faizon Love (Couples Retreat, Elf), Bill Bellamy (Self Made, How to Be a Player), Gary Owen (Ride Along, Think Like a Man 1&2, Meet The Blacks 1&2), Raigan Harris (Grown-ish) and Piper Curda (American Pie Presents: Girls’ Rules, Youth & Consequences) and Moore II (All American, HBO’s Who We Are).
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“We have assembled an amazing cast with the industry’s greatest comedic talent. It is a privilege to direct this film, one I co-wrote that has a cast of this caliber for my first feature film,” said Spencer.
The project was spearheaded by producers Taylor and Valdez; Snipes also serves as a producer with Haddish. Eric Daniel and Spencer co-wrote the film.
