Sanaa Lathan has been tapped to star in the Netflix original film Nappily Ever After, with Wadjda helm Haifaa Al-Mansour attached to direct. Ernie Hudson also has been cast of the pic, which is based on the book by Trisha R. Thomas. Tina Chism drafted the script with rewrites from Lisa Loomer, Adam Brooks and most recently filmmaker Gina Prince-Bythewood.
Nappily Ever After centers on Violet Jones (Lathan), who has a seemingly flawless life until an accident at the hair dresser causes things in her life to unravel and she begins to realize that she was living the life she thought she was supposed to live, not the one that she really wanted. She starts to put the pieces back together with a little help from a soulful barber and his young daughter. Violet finds the courage to cast off some of the things that she didnt really need, starting with the perfectly straightened hair, and find a life that has real meaning.
Hudson portrays Lathans father, Richard Johnson, who makes big change in his life to become a male model.
Tracey Bing, Marc Platt, Jared Leboff and Lathan are producing the film, which will begin shooting this month in Atlanta. Exec producers are Benedict Carver, Vincent Cirrincione and Mark Moran.
The pic marks a reunion for Prince-Bythewood and Lathan, as the two recently worked together on the Fox miniseries Shots Fired and Lathan starred in Prince-Bythewoods 2000 sports drama Love & Basketball. She next will been seen in CBS Films Michael Cuesta-helmed American Assassin, with Dylan OBrien, Michael Keaton and Taylor Kitsch. Lathan is repped by ICM and attorney Stephen Barnes.
