Queen Latifah is set to executive produce a new teen comedy called “Paper Chase” along with Gunpowder & Sky’s Van Toffler, Gunpowder & Sky announced Monday.
Latifah will produce on behalf of her production company Flavor Unit, and she will also make an appearance in the film to be directed by Angela Tucker. Tucker co-wrote the film with Lauren Domino, who will also produce. Loretha Jones is also set as an executive producer.
“Paper Chase” is a teen comedy that follows Alicia, an ideal driven, well-meaning New Orleans teenager ready to reinvent herself at the fictional college, Kensington University in Atlanta. When Alicia can’t pay her tuition fees, she and her cash-strapped mom must find a way to get the funds. With help from her best friend, Alicia plans to throw a rager to raise the money to keep her college dream alive.
“Shakim and I have known Van forever and we’re thrilled to collaborate with him and his team,” Latifah said in a statement. speaking of Flavor Unit’s co-founder Shakim Compere. “This film is exactly what we love to do, make fun and energetic projects that audiences have a blast going to see. Lauren Domino and Angela Tucker are such great talents and we can’t wait to get started.”
“I’m looking forward to getting the old MTV Films crew back together and continuing the tradition of exposing new breakthrough talent like Lauren and Angela,” Toffler said in a statement. “And, getting the opportunity to work with Queen Latifah and Shakim is an opportunity you don’t pass up.”
David Harris, Gunpowder & Sky’s SVP of Development, along with Tara Billik, VP of Development and Production, will manage the project.
Latifah currently stars on the series in Fox’s Lee Daniels-produced musical-drama, “Star,” and she’s also producing and starring in the comedy “The Trap.”