VHI’s Hip Hop Film “The Breaks” To Become A Series For Late 2016Posted by Wilson Morales
February 16, 2016
Source: Deadline
Having achieving strong ratings from its January 4 premiere, VH1 will make its original movie “The Breaks,” into a series for 2016.
The cast stars Mack Wilds, Afton Williamson, David Call, Wood Harris, and Antoine Harris. Also featured in the film are Evan Handler, Russell Hornsby, J. Bernard Calloway, Cliff “Method Man” Smith, Annalaina Marks, De’Adre Aziza, William Jackson Harper and AFRO.
The film was written, directed and executive produced by Seith Mann (“The Wire,” “The Walking Dead,” “Homeland”).
Inspired by journalist Dan Charnas‘ book “The Big Payback,” a narrative history of the hip-hop business, “The Breaks” will chronicle the journey of Nikki (Afton Williamson), David (David Call) and DeeVee (Mack Wilds), three friends united by their love of hip-hop, as they work to make their big mark in the music industry. The film will travel viewers back to the summer of 1990 in New York City where the music industry’s artists and hustlers intersect in the dance clubs and the street corners of the still crime-ridden city. Nikki Jones is a brilliant recent grad who abandoned a scholarship to law school to pursue her dream of becoming a record exec. Her boyfriend, David Aaron (Call), is the scrappy son of a legendary music producer (Evan Handler) who is unwilling to rest on his father’s laurels and notorious reputation. DeeVee is an aspiring producer on the hunt to find the next big rapper on the come-up.
Nikki fast talks her way into an internship at the premier hip-hop company, Fouray Entertainment and catches the eye of the label’s infamous founder, Barry Fouray (Wood Harris) while David struggles at the city’s top R&B radio station whose celebrity DJ refuses to program real hip-hop. Meanwhile, DeeVee returns to his roots in the Fort Greene projects to scout for talent and runs into Ahm (Antoine Harris), a drug dealer with a lyrical gift whose talent could bring them all to the next level. But they will soon discover lives can be broken as fast as legends can be born.
Seith Mann is the writer, director and executive producer for “The Breaks”. Dan Charnas will also serve as executive producer and co-wrote the story for the script. VH1 executive producers are Susan Levison, Bill Flanagan and Maggie Malina.
The Breaks ranks as the #2 cable original movie of 2016 among adults 18-49, adults 18-34, women 18-49 and women 18-34, according to VH1 and Nielsen. Its January 4 premiere ranked as the #1 cable program among adults 18-34 in its 9-11 PM time period. When combined with its 11 pm encore, it pulled in a total 2.6 million total viewers that evening. The film also helped fuel VH1’s +42% leap in primetime ratings among adults 18-49 in January, the network says.
Extended Preview
Mack Wilds and Method Man Look Back At Their Shared History
