Lena Waithe and Issa Rae are channeling their complicated history into a comedy film for the two of them to star.
Waithe explained on Bustle’s One Nightstand podcast that the concept stems from their own dynamic. “I’m working on this movie for myself and Issa Rae,” Waithe said, Hip Hop Wired reports.
“I’m working on this movie for myself and Issa Rae,” Waithe said. “It’s a really cool idea about us being friends and having a bit of a friendship breakup, and it’s really funny and silly. I was supposed to be writing beats for her, but I ultimately just started writing the script.”
Waithe added, “She and I [were] Zooming and talking and figuring out how it could be.”
“The characters’ names [are] Lena and Issa, I’m not even being that imaginative about it.”
The Chi creator said she and Rae “want to” play themselves in the film. “Issa’s going to be like, ‘Oh s***, well now we got to do it,’” said Waithe.
Black storytelling
Both Issa Rae and Lena Waithe have built careers that showcase the complexities of platonic and romantic relationships. Issa Rae, known for hit show Insecure, has produced over 30 films with The Photograph, Lovebirds, and First centering a similar subject. Rae is also coming off 2023’s box office hit Barbie and the critically acclaimed American Fiction.
Waithe, a Primetime Emmy winner, has always carved out space for dynamic black stories including The Chi, Queen and Slim, A Thousand and One.
This upcoming collaboration, which blends fiction and self-reflection, continues that legacy and this time by shining a light on the messy, beautiful humanity of sisterhood.