SZA to Make Acting Debut in Untitled Buddy Comedy at TriStar Pictures

SZA is set to star alongside Keke Palmer in an untitled buddy comedy movie for TriStar Pictures.

Lawrence Lamont (“Rap Sh!t”) is tapped to direct from a screenplay written by “Rap Sh!t” showrunner Syreeta Singleton.

HOORAE’s Issa Rae and Sara Diya Rastogi, ColorCreative’s Deniese Davis, and MACRO Film Studios’ Charles D. King, James Lopez, and Poppy Hanks are producing. Singleton is co-producing. 

Big Boss’ Palmer and Sharon Palmer are executive producing. MACRO Film Studios is coming on board to co-finance and produce. The project came together from the CoCre lab at Sony Pictures. 

The lab was a previous pact between ColorCreative and Columbia Pictures to source and incubate emerging, diverse screenwriters to develop and write their first studio feature based on original ideas.

SZA and Palmer first teamed up for “Saturday Night Live” in December 2022, when Palmer hosted and SZA was the musical guest.

(L-R) Keke Palmer, SZA and Issa Rae

Lamont has directed music videos for some of the music industry’s biggest artists including J. Cole, Big Sean, Kanye West, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Jhene Aiko, Nas, and Snoop Dogg.

Palmer is an Emmy-winning actress, singer, producer and television host, who first rose to prominence through her breakout role in “Akeelah and the Bee” and has gone on to star in movies such as Jordan Peele’s acclaimed “Nope.” She recently made history as the first Black woman to win Outstanding Game Show Host at the 2023 Emmys for her work hosting NBC’s reboot of “Password.”

SZA, who will make her acting debut in the project, is an Academy Award nominee and four-time Grammy-winning recording artist. She was named Variety’s Hitmaker of the Year in 2023.