Harsh Vardhan
After getting scrapped over two years ago, Thembi Banks’ ‘Assisted Living’ has received a second life. The feature film is back in the works at Paramount Pictures. The filming of the movie will begin in New York and New Jersey on an undisclosed date. Kay Oyegun penned the screenplay.
The plot revolves around Amber, a low-level criminal thrust into chaos when a robbery takes an unexpected turn. While fleeing from both law enforcement and her former crew, she struggles to find a place to hide. As she runs out of options, Amber disguises herself as an elderly woman and seeks refuge where no one is expected to look for her — within the walls of her estranged grandmother’s nursing home.
Banks made her feature film debut as a director with the drama ‘Young. Wild. Free.,’ which centers on a teenager whose life takes an unexpected turn when confronted by the girl of his dreams at gunpoint. She also directed an episode of ‘The Sex Lives of College Girls,’ a series exploring the lives of four freshmen roommates at Essex College. Her varied portfolio extends to episodes of popular shows like ‘Love Life,’ ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine,’ and ‘Insecure.’ Additionally, the filmmaker helmed two episodes of ‘Work in Progress,’ a comedy series that follows Abby, a 45-year-old queer woman whose life journey leads her to a transformative relationship.
Oyegun’s recent credits include the drama series ‘The Queen,’ which delves into the lives of Ates, a renowned basketball player, and his wife Deniz, whose world is rocked by a scandal involving her husband. Additionally, she co-wrote ‘On the Come Up,’ a film that revolves around 16-year-old Bri’s aspirations to become a legendary rapper while navigating challenges such as a family eviction and controversy. Oyegun was also involved in the writing of over forty episodes of the popular series ‘This Is Us‘ as a writer or story editor, contributing to the heartfelt narrative that follows a set of triplets and their loving parents.
The project was originally announced in 2021 with a $30 million budget and Cardi B on board to play Amber. However, the actress exited the feature film the following year, forcing Paramount Players to drop the project.
New York and New Jersey have jointly hosted the shooting of several high-profile projects released in recent times, including ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire‘ and Prime Video’s ‘Fallout.’
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