Producers are looking to tap into the world of male strippers once again in Chocolate City.
Producers are seeking to tap into the recent success of African American themed films at the box office with an urban take on stripping. Hey, if Channing Tatum can do it with Magic Mike anyone can.
The new movie will be directed by Jean-Claude LaMarre and will feature Michael Jai White and model turned actor Tyson Beckford.
The movie will center on a a young college student who is struggling to make ends meet who meets the owner of a male strip club who convinces him to give amateur night a try.
Tyson Beckford will play Adrian, the club’s former star attraction who finds his popularity starting to fade as the new kid starts to steal the spotlight.
The filmmaker has a deal with Eone’s non-theatrical urban features division but is hoping to shop it to a studio that can take Chocolate City to theaters in a strategic rollout to urban markets where women flock to black male strip clubs. Story also has a faith-themed subplot involving the protagonist’s struggle to balance his religious upbringing with his newfound career on the stripper stage (Deadline).
“This movie was in gestation for 2 1/2 years, but after Magic Mike it seemed a natural fit for the African-American female audience,” LaMarr told Deadline.
“I researched the male exotic club scene and it’s massive across the country, with clubs specifically targeting middle-aged African-American women.”
Chocolate City is set to start lensing in Los Angeles in June.
