Black collaboration powers ‘Back on the Strip’ to big screen: Raunchy comedy premiers in theatres August 18 nationwide
By Kenneth Miller, Publisher, Inglewood Today
As the picket lines for actors and writers continue to grow, crippling an industry that booms during this time of year, a rare collaboration of a growing Black entertainment company and Black distribution company is the inspiration behind the release of “Back on the Strip,” a raunchy star-studded comedy that hits select theatres nationwide on Aug. 18.
The directional film debut of Los Angeles native Chris Spencer (writer of Don’t Be a Menace in South Central) “Back on the Strip” stars Spence Moore II, Wesley Snipes, Tiffany Haddish, Kevin Hart and J.B. Smoove among others in a hilarious fiction of a Black male stripper crew’s revival.
The plot steams when Merlin (Spence II) loses the woman of his dreams, then moves to Las Vegas to pursue work as a magician, only to get hired as the front man in a revival of the notorious Black male stripper crew, the Chocolate Chips. Led by Luther (Snipes) — now broke and broken — the old, domesticated, out-of-shape Chips put aside former conflicts and reunite to save the hotel they used to perform in while helping Merlin win back his girl.
The film is backed by 5120 Entertainment, a Black owned Los Angeles-based production company that specializes in film, television, and live events.
Founded by Eugene Parker, the company vows to change the production culture, granting more opportunities to people of color. Providing high-quality content and supporting diverse talent coins the company as a valuable player in the live entertainment space having just produced the Fall Back in Love Comedy Tour. The inclusion in the culture of entertainment production and distribution, 5120 is currently building exceptional partnerships and content to empower creators and viewers on all platforms.
It is their first collaboration with GVN Releasing, owned by Geno Taylor, a fast-growing distribution company, providing movies at a high level in the film industry for domestic and international audiences across traditional, digital media, theatrical, television and emerging platforms.
GVN offers quality entertainment and multicultural narratives from emerging & established filmmakers with global commercial market appeal through GVN Releasing.
There is a lot of things you will find in Hollywood, but a film directed, produced and released by Blacks is not a frequent occurrence.
Perhaps, 5120 Entertainment and GVN Releasing could become the start of a revolutionary trend in an industry that does not favor people of color in power positions.
