On the Come Up (film)

Last updated
On the Come Up
On the Come Up movie poster.jpg
Official release poster
Directed by Sanaa Lathan
Written by Kay Oyegun
Based on On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyEric Branco
Edited by Steven Rosenblum
Music by Daniel Wohl
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • September 8, 2022 (2022-09-08)(TIFF)
  • September 23, 2022 (2022-09-23)(United States)
Running time
116 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$236,153 [1]

On the Come Up is a 2022 American musical drama film directed by Sanaa Lathan in her feature directorial debut. Based on the 2019 novel of the same name by Angie Thomas, it stars Jamila C. Gray, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Mike Epps, Lil Yachty, Lathan, and Method Man.

Contents

On the Come Up is produced by Paramount Players, Temple Hill Entertainment and State Street Pictures. The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2022, and was released both in limited theaters and on Paramount+ on September 23, 2022. It received positive reviews from critics.

Premise

The film follows 16-year-old Bri Jackson as she sets out to become a rap star. [2]

Cast

Production

On February 4, 2019, Fox 2000 Pictures acquired the rights to adapt Angie Thomas's 2019 novel On the Come Up , with George Tillman Jr. set to direct. [3] The film's producers include Thomas and Tillman, alongside Robert Teitel, Jay Marcus from State Street Pictures, and Marty Bowen, Isaac Klausner and John Fischer of Temple Hill Entertainment. [3] On December 11, 2019, after Disney 's acquisition of 21st Century Fox and closing of Fox 2000, Paramount Players acquired the film adaptation with Kay Oyegun hired to write the script and Tillman Jr. still attached to direct. [4] On October 19, 2020, Wanuri Kahiu replaced Tillman Jr. as director of the film. [5] On June 10, 2021, it was announced that Sanaa Lathan would make her directorial debut with the film, replacing Kahiu. [6] On October 21, 2021, it was announced that newcomer Jamila C. Gray had been cast to play the lead role in the film. [7] On November 8, 2021, Method Man, Mike Epps, and Da'Vine Joy Randolph were cast in the film. [8]

Music

Release

The film premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2022. [9] It was released on September 23, 2022, both in limited theaters and on the streaming service Paramount+. [10]

Reception

The film has an approval rating of 74% based on 31 professional reviews on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 6.2/10. [11] Tomris Laffly of The A.V. Club rated the film a B−, calling it "an upbeat and vibrant coming-of-age movie." [12] Beandrea July of The New York Times called the narrative arc "predictable" but concluded that "even with its flaws, the film, by bringing a character like Bri into the cadre of battle rap, is a welcome update to the male bravado types we're used to seeing dominate the mic." [13]

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References

  1. "On the Come Up (2022)". Box Office Mojo . IMDb . Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  2. Gyarkye, Lovia (September 8, 2022). "'On the Come Up' Review: Sanaa Lathan's Cool and Confident Directorial Debut". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  3. 1 2 N'Duka, Amanda (February 4, 2019). "Fox To Adapt 'The Hate U Give' Author Angie Thomas' Next Book 'On The Come Up'; George Tillman Jr. Directing". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  4. N'Duka, Amanda (December 11, 2019). "'This Is Us' Producer Kay Oyegun To Adapt Angie Thomas' Book 'On the Come Up' For Paramount". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  5. D'Alessandro, Anthony (October 19, 2020). "'On The Come Up': Wanuri Kahiu Set To Direct Feature Based On 'The Hate U Give' Author Angie Thomas' Book". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  6. D’Alessandro, Anthony (June 10, 2021). "Sanaa Lathan To Make Feature Directorial Debut With Paramount Players' 'On The Come Up'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  7. Angelique, Jackson (21 October 2021). "Newcomer Jamila C. Gray to Star in 'On the Come Up,' Directed by Sanaa Lathan". Variety. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  8. Kit, Borys (November 8, 2021). "Method Man, Mike Epps, Da'Vine Joy Randolph Join YA Rap Drama 'On the Come Up' (Exclusive)'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  9. "‘Succession’ actress Sanaa Lathan’s ‘On The Come Up’ to debut at TIFF". Toronto Star , July 13, 2022.
  10. D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 12, 2022). "'On The Come Up': Paramount Sets Theatrical Day & Date With Pic's Streaming Debut After TIFF Premiere – Update". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  11. "On the Come Up". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved October 20, 2022.
  12. Laffly, Tomris (22 September 2022). "Coming-of-age tale On The Come Up follows familiar but rewarding beats". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  13. July, Beandrea (22 September 2022). "'On the Come Up' Review: Battle Rap's Next Big Thing?". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 July 2023.