‘One of Them Days’ Sequel With Keke Palmer and SZA in the Works at TriStar (EXCLUSIVE)

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A sequel to the popular comedy featuring Keke Palmer and SZA, produced by Issa Rae, is currently being worked on at TriStar Pictures, marking another exciting day for fans.

Palmer and SZA, together with the movie’s initial creative crew, are likely to reappear in the upcoming film. However, specifics about the storyline are currently being tightly guarded.

Under Lawrence Lamont’s direction in his first full-length film and with Syreeta Singleton penning the script, “One of Them Days” made a splash at the box office following its January release, raking in more than $50 million globally. This is an impressive figure, especially for an R-rated mid-budget comedy. Critics widely praised the movie, giving it a 94% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Additionally, “One of Them Days” was a notable success on Netflix, where it held a spot on the platform’s top 10 list for three weeks.

The movie centers around friends and flatmates Dreux (Palmer) and Alyssa (SZA), who find themselves in a tight spot when they realize Alyssa’s boyfriend has squandered their rent money, the same day Dreux has a crucial job interview for her dream job. Set in South Los Angeles, this film shares similarities with classic comedies such as “Friday.” Alongside Lil Rel Howery, Janelle James, Keyla Monterroso Mejia, Maude Apatow, Katt Williams, Joshua Neal, Aziza Scott, Patrick Cage, Dewayne Perkins, Amin Joseph, Gabrielle Dennis and DomiNque Perry, they navigate the impending eviction.

As a passionate film enthusiast, I’m excited to share that “One of Them Days” was a collaborative effort between Rae’s Hoorae Media and Macro Film Studios. ColorCreative co-founder Deniese Davis, Sara Rastogi from Hoorae, James Lopez and Poppy Hanks from Macro all stepped in as producers for this project. Executive producers on this film included Palmer, Sharon Palmer, Charles D. King, and Jeff Valeri.

The project originated at Sony Picture’s CoCre lab, a partnership between ColorCreative and Sony Pictures established in 2018. This is where Singleton’s script, initially named “The Jungles” to reflect its South L.A. setting, underwent approximately seven years of development before hitting theaters. The lab aims to discover and nurture emerging, diverse screenwriters, providing them an opportunity to create and write their first studio feature based on original concepts.

Nicole Brown, president of TriStar Pictures, expressed much pride when she said that the CoCre lab is no ordinary achievement. Many production studios aim to discover fresh writing talent and amplify new voices, but unfortunately, most such initiatives have failed to sustain themselves.

Brown stated that despite this program being contemporary, it exhibits an outdated approach when it comes to fostering diverse perspectives. Instead of focusing on writers, it tends to adhere to traditional beliefs about talent, nurturing and backing talented individuals, and fostering long-term relationships. He believes that by displaying patience and investing in talent, exceptional work can be produced. However, we must provide them with the necessary time and support to grow. Brown hopes his words will encourage more production studios to invest in unique voices and allow them the opportunity to create remarkable works.

Rastogi devised the program together with her former Sony’s Columbia Pictures colleague Bryan Smiley. As she explained, “The path has been lengthy and unusual.” She added, “Earning a living is one of the major hurdles to overcome, and as we discussed it, we realized there’s a significant gap between the writer who can spend their time at a coffee shop and the one who actually has to work there.

Essentially, an essential aspect of the initiative was ensuring chosen authors received remuneration throughout the development phase. Rastogi elaborated, “Our goal is to create a platform where they can graduate with the potential for a WGA credit, a studio-backed project, and ideally, this project could mature into a complete feature film, navigating the studio system. This program served as a shortcut or ‘cheat code’.

Back in 2014, I found myself teaming up with Rae and Davis from ColorCreative, a company founded on the principle of amplifying underrepresented voices. They embarked on an initiative to provide three emerging writers with the opportunity to create their own pilot episodes, thereby gaining valuable experience as showrunners. Fast forward a few years, and I was one of those fortunate writers, which eventually led me to join Rae’s successful HBO series “Insecure” and later take the reins as showrunner for “Rap Sh!t” on Max. By the time Sony approached us, ColorCreative had already established partnerships with industry heavyweights like Project Greenlight and BET, enabling us to hone our skills in creating impactful content.

In most cases, developmental lab programs or pipelines are solely meant for the creation phase. This is a significant advantage, yet it seldom leads directly to employment or a tangible output,” Davis pointed out. “We’ve always believed that the pinnacle of success in someone’s career is when they can say they’ve produced something – not just developed it in secret. When it’s actually brought into production, then their accomplishments carry more weight.

Singleton’s script was chosen as one of the four projects to be developed, and the creative team spent several years perfecting it. Before this, Singleton had only been writing spec scripts without any specific expectations. However, he felt truly recognized, appreciated, at ease, and eager. It seemed as if his stories were in capable hands with people who genuinely valued what he was trying to achieve.

After a few years and multiple revisions of the script, I became part of this exciting project that could potentially become a stage play. Later, Lamont, who had collaborated with the team on HBO’s “Rap Sh!t,” was chosen to direct. But things really took off when SZA joined the team and the project shifted to TriStar Pictures.

Brown enthusiastically expressed his appreciation for fresh ideas and strong character voices when this script emerged as a top contender, prompting him to exclaim, “I’m smitten with these characters!” He recognized the chemistry and the magical essence, which alone was compelling enough to create a film. He felt there was a touch of enchantment present, and he was privileged to contribute to a project that resonated deeply with him on a personal level while also knowing how to facilitate it within the studio system.

Due to limited time in their schedules, pre-production started for Palmer and SZA’s project in April 2024, allowing filming to begin in July. The studio planned to release the movie at the start of 2025, which meant that they had to complete it within a year.

As a passionate movie enthusiast, I found myself involved in the production of an innovative comedy, penned by a novice screenwriter and directed by a newcomer to the film industry – it was also SZA’s debut on the big screen. We knew we needed to move quickly, before someone realized just how many ‘firsts’ were involved, so we knuckled down and got to work. I often say that if you want a movie made in Hollywood, you’ve got to be relentless. And that’s exactly what we did – we grinded this one out!

Davis commented: “This is nothing short of remarkable. Yet, it wasn’t just luck; there was deliberate development and strategic positioning to create this unique path, setting us apart from similar projects in other labs. It requires conviction. As they say, ‘The greatest risks in Hollywood often lead to the most significant successes.’ I find it surprising how hesitant people are to take risks in this industry. Everyone involved in this project was ready to embrace that risk.

For Singleton, the moment he stepped onto the set for his South L.A. buddy comedy was a long-cherished dream realized.

She reminisced, ‘It felt utterly unreal.’ She exclaimed, ‘Can you believe we got to film a movie in the jungles? That’s incredible!’ When my work transforms into an actual project, it never ceases to amaze me.

Singleton expressed: “I’m wishing and asking for this narrative to spark interest among studios for investing in similar stories once more. I have additional tales to share, and I’m hoping each time will become a bit simpler – less time-consuming. I pray that we all start recognizing the worth and need of such stories.

Evidently, TriStar saw was paying attention — and now they’re running it back for a sequel.

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2025-06-05 00:18