EXCLUSIVE: Universal Pictures has rounded out the musician-heavy cast for its film Praise This, starring Grown-ish‘s Chloe Bailey, with Anjelika Washington, Quavo, Druski, Koryn Hawthorne, Tristan Mack Wilds and Jekalyn Carr among those signing on for roles. Other new cast members include newcomers Kiara Iman Heffner and Ilario Grant, Birgundi Baker, Loren Lott, Crystal Renee Hayslett, Cocoa Brown, Vanessa Fraction and Kountry Wayne.
Praise This is a music-competition feature comedy set in the world of youth choirs, announced earlier this year as one of three Universal films coming to Peacock in 2023. Tina Gordon (Little) is directing, having penned the latest draft of the script, which was based off an original idea by The Story Company. Earlier drafts were written by Camilla Blackett (Little, New Girl) and Brandon Broussard, Hudson Obayuwana and Jana Savage—the trio otherwise known as Murder Ink.
The film falls under Will Packer Productions’ first-look deal with Universal, which has produced such hits as Night School, Girls Trip, the Ride Along films and Little. WPP’s founder and CEO Will Packer (The Photograph, Little) is producing alongside The Story Company’s co-founder and CEO Tim Story, with WPP EVP Johanna Byer exec producing. Senior Executive Vice President of Production Erik Baiers and Director of Production Development Tony Ducret are overseeing the project on behalf of Universal. Production kicked off in Atlanta in June.
Washington plays Beth Chapel aka Dr. Mid-Nite in The CW’s DC series Stargirl, and has been seen in such films as Love & Gelato, Tall Girl and its sequel and the Amy Poehler-directed Moxie.
Quavo is a rapper, singer-songwriter and record producer best known as the co-founder and frontman of the hip-hop group Migos. He’s previously appeared on series like Black-ish and Narcos: Mexico and will next be seen in Randall Emmett’s thriller Wash Me in the River.
Druski is a comedian who has opened for Jack Harlow, also collaborating with Lil Yachty and Drake, hosting J. Cole’s nationwide tour and securing a series of major brand deals with the likes of Anheuser-Busch.
Hawthorne is a Billboard Music Award-winning and twice Grammy-nominated singer of contemporary Christian and gospel music who was a finalist on the eighth season of NBC’s The Voice, also previously appearing on OWN’s Greenleaf.
Wilds currently stars in the Apple TV+ series Swagger. Past credits include the Spike Lee miniseries Miracle’s Boys, the critically-acclaimed HBO series The Wire, the award-winning feature Half Nelson, The Secret Life of Bees and George Lucas’ Red Tails.
Carr is a Stellar Award-winning and Grammy-nominated recording artist who has previously appeared on Greenleaf and in the Indies Traceless and Never Heard.
Baker is a series regular on Showtime’s The Chi and can currently be seen in the BET+ Original Movie, Block Party.
Lott’s credits include the BET+ drama series The Porter and long-running soap opera The Young and the Restless.
Hayslett’s credits include BET’s Sistas and Trey Haley’s indie The Choir Director.
Brown currently boasts recurring roles on the series Never Have I Ever and 9-1-1, as well as Apple TV+’s upcoming The Big Door Prize.
Fraction can be seen in Tales, Barbershop 2: Back in Business, Mann and Wife, and currently, on Fox’s Dish Nation.
Wayne can be seen sharing co-hosting duties with Kym Whitley on BET+’s I Love Us and in the comedy Holiday Heartbreak, and recently wrapped his Straight Out the Mud stand-up tour.
Washington is represented by Haven Entertainment, TalentWorks and Barnes Morris Yorn; Quavo by SB Projects and Crossover Entertainment; Druski by UTA; Hawthorne by Inspire Entertainment; Wilds by UTA, attorney John Meigs at Hansen Jacobson and The Ninety-Five Percent; Carr by Pantheon Talent Group; Heffner by Gill Talent Group; Grant by Pantheon Talent Group; Baker by Authentic Talent and Literary Management, Gray Talent Group and Myman Greenspan; Lott by Clear Talent Group, Crackerjack Management and Kreativ Media Partners; Hayslett by Bodega7; Brown by Innovative Artists and Hess Entertainment; Fraction by Innovative Artists and Cohen & Gardner; and Wayne by CAA, Hansen Jacobson and Fourth Wall Management.