Award-winning entertainer Teyana Taylor is stepping behind the camera for her feature directorial debut, with a high-profile cast assembled for Paramount’s upcoming dance drama, Get Lite.
The film will star Storm Reid and NFL rookie-turned-actor Ceyair Wright, while Tony winner and Oscar nominee Leslie Odom Jr. and Oscar nominee Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor have joined the ensemble.
Get Lite centres on a talented but sheltered young dance student whose life takes an unexpected turn after he discovers inspiration, romance and a sense of family in the New York City subway system.
Wright, known for his role in Space Jam: A New Legacy, will portray the student caught between two very different worlds, while Reid, whose credits include The Last of Us and Euphoria, will play the young woman who introduces him to new possibilities.
At the heart of the film is Litefeet, an energetic dance style that originated in Harlem, Taylor’s hometown. The inclusion of the street-dance culture is expected to give the project a strong connection to New York’s dance and hip-hop traditions.
Production begins this month
Production on Get Lite is scheduled to begin this month in New York City, with Paramount planning a wide theatrical release on August 20, 2027.
Taylor is directing the film from a screenplay by Maurice Williams, based on an original spec script by Eric Gross that was featured on the Black List in 2020.
The project marks a new phase in Taylor’s career, which has increasingly expanded beyond music and performance into acting and filmmaking. She is also coming off an acclaimed performance in One Battle After Another.
The film's cast has continued to grow, with independent hip-hop artist Khayr Bullock, Twitch streamer Tylil James and actor Woody McClain also confirmed to appear.
Jodie Turner-Smith and Asante Blackk are reportedly in negotiations for key roles.
Reid joins production team
Reid is taking on responsibilities beyond acting, joining the film as a producer.
She will produce alongside Kenya Barris and Anni Weisband for Barris’ Khalabo Ink Society; Robyn Simpson for A Seed & Wings Productions, Reid’s production banner; and Bill Karesh for Offbrnd.
Taylor will also produce through The Aunties, her production company with Courtney “Coco” Gilbert.
The combination of an established studio, a young ensemble and experienced producers places Get Lite among the more closely watched upcoming projects centred on contemporary dance culture.
The film’s focus on Litefeet also gives Taylor an opportunity to bring a dance form rooted in Harlem to a mainstream theatrical audience while exploring themes of identity, family, friendship, love and personal freedom.
With production due to start in New York, the project is now moving from development into filming ahead of its scheduled 2027 cinema release.