Kenya Barris #blackAF Mermaid Season 2 to benefit two Netflix films

When I don’t get to see more of Rashida Jones as Joya, there will be hell!

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In an extensive interview with the Hollywood Reporter Kenya Barris revealed that he and Netflix plan to make two stand-alone #blackAF Movies instead of continuing with Season 2 that the streamer had already picked up.

The films follow Barris and his television family, including his wife Rashida Jonesas they go on vacation, with the idea from the vacation Movies that National Lampoon popularized in the ’80s, and that Barris and Jones both loved.

What’s particularly interesting about the two vacation films is that they are expected to be set in Brazil and Mexico – both key areas for Netflix, which really has a global strategy when it comes to production. It’s unclear if Netflix executives approached Barris with this particular idea, but I suppose the more intriguing question is whether it was Barris’ idea to add #blackAF in the feature direction or the streamer’s (infamous) algorithm take. I often wonder if the streamer’s data can show that a TV show would work better than a movie and vice versa, since a 90-100 minute movie (or two in this case) and an eight episode show have very different mentalities Obligations are.

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Image via Netflix

RELATED: ‘#blackAF’ Review: Kenya Barris Creates His Own ‘Curb’ With Help From Rashida Jones

I happened to be reviewing #blackAF season 1 for Collider after it was released and comparing the show to it Control your enthusiasm, called it “a strange but entertaining mix of a traditional family sitcom and talking-head-style documentary The officeand cumbersome history lessons. ”Netflix viewers seemed mixed up on the show, which had a few high profile critics, including Charlemagne tha God, and part of me is wondering if the humor and ideas in #blackAF appeal to movie audiences more than those looking for another black-ish or adult-ish. This show is their own thing, and while I would have liked a season 2 on Netflix, a movie with a central plot could be the smarter way to go with the parts they already have here, including Iman Benson as Barris and Jones’ scene-stealing daughter.

The rest of the cast included Geneya Walton, Scarlet Spencer, Justin Claiborne, Ravi Cabot-Conyers and Richard Gardenhire Jr. included during guest stars Tyler Perry, Issa Rae, Ava DuVernay, Tim story, Will packer, Lena Waithe, Mike Epps, Nia Long and Colliders Young Talent Alumnus of the Month Melvin Gregg.

Before I let you go, the important thing to consider is that Barris recently closed a big deal he signed with Netflix and went to BET Studios where he has a stake. He claims he is still on good terms with the streamer, and I hope he does, for the sake of these two #blackAF films, and maybe the money Netflix saved on its deal with Barris became enticing used Steven SpielbergAmblin’s partner or landing Jerry Seinfeld‘s directorial debut. All I know is that Jones is fabulous as Joya on this show and she deserved some Emmy love last year. The fact that she has not yet been nominated as an actress is #whackAF for me because she has been comedy gold here, as has been for some time.

READ MORE: Juneteenth Movie Musical in the Works on Netflix by Kenya Barris, Pharrell Williams

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About the author

Jeff Sneider
(1764 articles published)

Jeff Sneider is a Senior Film Reporter at Collider, where he publishes film and television news and curates the Newcomer of the Month column. He also moderates the podcast “The Sneider Cut” and the award-winning series “For Your Consideration” with Scott Mantz and Perri Nemiroff. A graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Jeff began his career at Ain’t It Cool News before moving to Los Angeles to write for Variety and later for TheWrap and Mashable. Jeff was also the Editor-in-Chief of The Tracking Board and has contributed to the MTV Movies Blog, Hollywood Life Magazine, Washington Square News, and the Colorado Springs Independent. His Oscar selection appeared on the LA Times Envelope site, and he agrees with screenwriter William Goldman, who famously said of Hollywood, “Nobody knows.” Jeff is from Needham, Massachusetts and has never had a salad. He can be found on Twitter, Instagram, Cameo, and Blogspot by searching his name @TheInSneider.

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