The 'Now You See Me 2' star will play a young African-American woman coming of age during the 1980s.Lionsgate's Codeblack Films has tapped Sanaa Lathan to star in the movie adaptation of Omar Tyree's Flyy Girl trilogy.
Lathan, who will appear in the upcoming Now You See Me 2 and The Best Man Wedding, will play Tracy Ellison, a businesswoman obsessed with the material world, before falling into a cycle of gratuitous sex and heartbreak. Lathan's movie credits also include Brown Sugar and Love & Basketball.
"So many people have grown up on this series and I?m looking forward to bringing Tracy Ellison?s story to life through film," Lathan, who will also executive produce the project, said Tuesday in a statement. Dear White People producer Effie Brown is to produce the feature film adaptation of the popular book trilogy.
The Flyy Girl series has grossed more than $30 million worldwide through Simon & Schuster. Codeblack also named Geoffrey Fletcher (Precious) to write the script for the movie adaptation.
Robert Melnik, Lionsgate?s executive vp business & legal affairs, handled Lathan?s deal on behalf of Codeblack Films. Codeblack Films? executive vp and general manager Quincy Newell and Business Affairs Inc. attorney Greg Snodgrass handled the Fletcher deal.
CAA?s Chris Till represents Fletcher. Sanaa is represented by ICM and Stephen Barnes of Morris, Yorn, Barnes, Levine, Krintzman, Rubenstein, Kohner & Gellman law firm.
**NOW, I'M ALL FOR SANAA IN A LEADING ROLE, BUUUUUUUTTTTTTTT, A COMING OF AGE STORY?? SHE LOOKS YOUNGER THAN HER AGE, BUT NOT THAT DAMN YOUNG**
