Never content to let the grass grow under his feet, Omar Epps has moved from one project to the next and has signed on to join the cast of producer Will Packer’s upcoming film, A Meyers Christmas.
The comedy centers on an estranged family forced to come together for their first Christmas since the death of the family matriarch. Epps joins a cast that includes Gabrielle Union, Danny Glover, Mo’Nique, Kimberly Elise and Jessie T. Usher.
David E. Talbert will direct from his original screenplay. Recently, Talbert adapted the comedy Baggage Claim from his own best-selling book of the same name and directed the feature for Fox Searchlight. That film starred Paula Patton, Derek Luke, Taye Diggs and Jill Scott.
Packer is producing A Meyers Christmas through his Universal-based Will Packer Prods., which has a first-look deal with the studio. Talbert will exec produce alongside Lyn Sisson-Talbert, Preston Holmes, James F. Lopez (who heads motion pictures at Packer’s company), Union and Jeff Morrone.
Packer has been a cash cow for the studio, enjoying a number of hits, including Ride Along and Straight Outta Compton, two films that the studio marketed brilliantly and received a hefty box office. Ride Along, on what was a modest budget, was released on the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday and went onto to gross $153.9M worldwide. Packer’s next film, Ride Along 2, will come out on that same date next year.
Straight Outta Compton gave August a big box office boost this year. It has grossed over $200M worldwide for Universal.
Besides starring opposite Ryan Phillipe in Shooter, Epps has numerous film and television projects in various stages of development through his production company, Brooklyn Works Films. Those include The Delta, set up at eOne with Catherine Hardwicke directing; Caesar, a hip-hop drama with Russell Simmons; and Hustle, a drama about money laundering with Anonymous Content.
Epps was also an executive producer on the documentary Daddy Don’t Go, which premieres next week at DOC NYC.
A Meyers Christmas will open in theaters November 11, 2016.