Anthony Anderson To Star In Netflix’s Chicago Hip-Hop Pic ‘Beats’

EXCLUSIVE: Black-ish star Anthony Anderson has come aboard to star in Netflix’s Beats, a coming-of-age drama set in Chicago’s South Side hip-hop scene. The pic, from Global Road Entertainment and 51 Minds Entertainment, just began filming with The New Edition Story director Chris Robinson helming Miles Orion Feldsott’s original script. A 2019 release is planned.

Khalil Everage, a 17-year-old newcomer from the South Side, stars as a musical prodigy with borderline agoraphobia whose path collides with a former music manager (Anderson) who has fallen from grace. The unlikely duo must come together to free each other from the demons of their pasts. The pic will also feature established and rising Chicago-based hip-hop producers and artists, including original music from Young Chop. Orange Is the New Black‘s Uzo Aduba, Emayatzy Corinealdi, Paul Walter Hauser and hip-hop artists Dave East and Dreezy co-star.

Bob Teitel, Christian Sarabia, Glendon Palmer are producers, with Feldsott a co-producer. Anderson, Carrie Holt de Lama, Mitch Smith and E. Brian Dobbins are executive producers.

Anderson, who returns to ABC’s Black-ish this fall for the comedy’s Season 5, is repped by UTA and Artists First. Emmy winner Aduba is repped by UTA and Management 360.

Corinealdi, who broke out in Ava DuVernay’s debut feature Middle of Nowhere and next stars in CBS’ new DuVernay-Greg Berlanti drama series Red Line, is repped by ICM Partners, Primary Wave and Del, Shaw, Moonves.

Hauser is repped by CAA, Artists First & Schreck Rose.

Feldsott is with CAA, Artists First and Robby Koch.