While we impatiently await the arrival of the final season of Insecure, Issa Rae plans to keep us busy with a brand new original series. HBO Max original Sweet Life: Los Angeles will explore the young, Black entrepreneurial scene on the west coast, introducing the world to a group of hyper-focused creatives looking to make their mark on the world.
HBO Max shared a first look at the new project on Tuesday, August 10 with a dramatic, flashy trailer. Set in L.A., Sweet Life zeroes in on the highs and low of a well-dressed squad hustling to make their professional aspirations come true. Though they're all chasing unique dreams — we've got public relations professionals, fashion designers, music mavens, and sports marketing experts in the mix — the one thing that unites them is their nonstop hustle.
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Unfortunately, that drive is also a source of major conflict among the friends, who find themselves clashing with each other even as they try to collaborate. Tempers do run high among this group simply because of the level of passion everyone has, but at the end of the day, it's all love.
For those of us who have been around long enough, Sweet Life's focus on the up-and-comers of L.A. is very reminiscent of the vibe of one Baldwin Hills. The BET series, on air from 2007 to 2009, followed a close-knit group of teenagers growing up in the neighbourhood often described as the "Black Beverly Hills" and saw them navigate life and love over the years. Low rise Baby Phat jeans and all, Baldwin Hills was a staple of American Black culture, and Sweet Life feels like a continuation of that narrative — same generation, new era. (And no oversized jorts.)
That similar thread may be pulled from Rae's observed interest in telling stories rooted in the Black community, especially about dynamic Black friendship circles. And now that Insecure is really coming to an end, we're going to need our weekly dose of TV friendship and drama.
Sweet Life — originally pitched as an hour-long drama series — is just one of the new projects that are coming out her eight-figure TV and film and deal with WarnerMedia announced earlier this year. The five-year contract worth $40 million signs over Hoorae's exclusive TV rights to HBO, HBO Max and Warner Bros., and guarantees Rae a lofty first-look film deal across WarnerMedia brands. Other upcoming works include hip hop comedy Rap Sh *t, a Set It Off reboot, and Seen & Heard, a documentary about the unique nature of the Black TV space.
The first three episodes of Sweet Life will be available to stream starting August 19, only on HBO Max and Crave in Canada.
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