Omarion is working with ALLBLK to produce and star in a new scripted dramedy, and he’s looking for a lead actor.
ALLBLK announced that Omarion is bringing the network Involved, a dramedy loosely based on his life. Along with starring, he will also serve as co-creator and executive producer. His executive producing team also includes Tommy Morgan Jr., Kevin G. Boyd, Deji LaRay and Michelle LeFleur. Boyd, who will also serve as co-showrunner, will write the script, while fellow co-showrunner Bentley Kyle Evans directs.
What’s most exciting is that a national casting call for the lead role will be held at the American Black Film Festival’s “Shoot Your Shot” event this June. Lance Gross will participate in the casting call as the celebrity reader, acting opposite against the competitors. The casting call is for an African American woman between the ages of 25 and 40 to play a character in her early to mid-30s, named Shayla Williams. The character description is as follows:
Shayla Williams, 31
OB slid into Shayla’s DM after seeing her at Usher’s birthday party in Atlanta. They hooked up, the chemistry was crazy, and two years later, Cammy was born. Now, years later, the relationship is a wrap and, for Cammy’s sake, Shayla lives in OB’s guest house. The problem is, she’s still a little bitter and she knows how to push O’s buttons. The latest was to move her struggling rapper boyfriend in without OB knowing.
Submissions can be sent it between now and April 28 at allblk.tv.
Involved will follow a man who has been part of a boy band his entire career, but is now ready to strike out on his own. According to the description:
Involved follows OB Sharp who has been a boyband superstar since childhood. Now on the verge of a worldwide tour, he secretly wants to leave the group to be a more present dad and have a better co-parenting relationship with his child’s mother, who lives in his guesthouse with her new boyfriend. The only person who has always understood him and his lifestyle is his best friend, Maya, who is openly Bi. They’ve always had an intimate connection without being physical; however, all that changes when they meet Edy, an eclectic flower shop owner with a free spirit and fluid lifestyle. Suddenly, OB’s “love life” gets an extreme makeover, and together, they discover their new normal as a throuple. Faced with a multitude of changes in a short timeframe, OB Sharp is adjusting to new normals within himself, relationship and family dynamics and new business ventures.
“When it comes to forming new ideas, establishing new norms and shaping our thinking, nothing affects us more than the images and concepts delivered into our lives on a daily basis by television and film. It is with great passion and pleasure that I get Involved with you,” said Omarion about joining ALLBLK. “Just like multi hyphenated entertainers Jamie Foxx, Martin Lawrence and Will Smith who all have influenced and inspired me and a whole culture, Involved is intended to inspire, shift and impact the culture of American society’s thinking and understanding of special family dynamics. There is no better way for us to learn about and observe these cultural diversities than through the medium of entertainment. I’m not only excited to be in such good company, I’m jubilant to be back on your TV screen!…Involved is a big vibe. Get ready.”
“Omarion is an expert storyteller across multiple mediums, and we could not be more excited to further our partnership by helping him bring this story to life on ALLBLK,” said ALLBLK General Manager Brett Dismuke. “As a leader in programming by and for Black voices, we know our audience will appreciate such an intriguing and compelling story. And we’re elated to return to ABFF with ‘Shoot Your Shot’ this year. We’ve found great success with this unique opportunity that allows actors from around the world to audition for a premium TV series, and for ALLBLK to further connect with the community. We encourage everyone to ‘shoot their shot’! Thank you to Jeff and Nicole Friday and the entire ABFF team for their continued support.”
Nicole Friday, ABFF President and COO, added, “The American Black Film Festival is dedicated to providing exposure and advancing the careers of emerging artists in the television and film industry. We are thrilled to partner with Brett Dismuke and the ALLBLK team to bring “Shoot your Shot” to ABFF for the 4th year in a row as a part of our talent discovery programs. We look forward to unveiling the winner of this amazing casting opportunity in front of our festival audience.”
