Wisconsin Native to Star in LeBron James-Produced Comedy in 2023

There's a good chance you remember the House Party series from the 1990s. Exuberant, colorful, and stylish, the comedy series exuded all the charms and hallmarks of the decade, from loud fashion to bouncy hip-hop, and dudes just trying to have fun and get lucky. The rap duo Kid 'n Play starred in four of the five films in the series, with the lone exception being House Party 4 (the less said about that one, the better).

Well, like almost every piece of intellectual property these days, House Party is seeing a remake hit theaters next year. The film, simply titled House Party, is a product of SpringHill Company, which movie nerds like myself know is the production company founded by NBA superstar LeBron James and his agent, Maverick Carter.

While it remains to be seen if Kid 'n Play will make a cameo appearance in the upcoming remake, House Party does have a local boy as one of the headliners. Rising young star Jacob Latimore is set to star in the film alongside Tosin Cole (The Cut). A Milwaukee native, the 26-year-old Latimore made a name for himself in the film adaptation of The Maze Runner several years ago.

He also starred in a dramatic thriller called Sleight, which was a low-key yet sneaky good story about a street magician with superpowers. Latimore has also appeared in the movie Detroit, Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022), and an episode of the TV series The Chi.

House Party's path to a release has been a little funky. It was original slated to be released on HBO Max in July 2022, but Warner Bros. Discovery pulled the plug on that entirely amid management changes. With a returning focus on theatrical entertainment, it was announced that the LeBron James-produced remake would be released in theaters on January 13, 2023.

The film is directed by Calmatic, a California-based director. He famously directed the music video for Lil Nas X's viral sensation "Old Town Road" in 2019, and is also in line to direct the upcoming remake of White Men Can't Jump starring Jack Harlow in his feature debut.

This is an exciting development for Milwaukee native Jacob Latimore. I'm a little skeptical on how House Party will live up to the original, not to mention how it will perform in theaters (January is a dormant month for new movies, and comedies have recently struggled at the box office). No less, there's a crop of young talent involved, so it's an opportunity for the new generation to make a statement the way Kid 'n Play and company did back in 1990.

House Party is set to be released in theaters on January 13, 2023.