EXCLUSIVE: Power‘s Omari Hardwick has signed on to star in No Right Way, a new drama to be co-written and directed by Golden Globe, Emmy, and NAACP Image Award winner Anthony Hemingway (Red Tails).
Hemingway is teaming with Ashoka Thomas and Clay Ayers to adapt the screenplay, inspired by Terrence Gallman’s 2014 book Finding Me, which is based on the author’s life story. Anthony Hemingway Productions will produce, with Hardwick to exec produce through his Bravelife Productions. Alex Nagel will also serve as executive producer.
The project reunites Hemingway and Hardwick following their work together on the pilot for Starz’s hit series Power, which the former directed.
Anthony Hemingway Productions
A film moving from the streets to the boardroom on Wall Street, No Right Way chronicles the tumultuous life of a young man, Saleem, who faces incredible adversity from a tender age. Forced to take on the responsibility of supporting his extended family, while losing those who inspired him the most, he shoulders a tremendous burden that leaves a lasting impact on him. Just when he thinks he has overcome his challenges and achieved success, his newfound hubris threatens to destroy everything and everyone he loves. With nowhere to turn, he must confront his mistakes and make amends with little hope of redemption. In the crucible of prison and against all odds, Saleem discovers the true meaning of redemption and that it’s never too late to make things right.
“With themes of family, sacrifice, and age-old wounds woven throughout, No Right Way is an impactful and inspiring story that speaks to the human spirit and the capacity for growth and change,” Hemingway told Deadline. “The film will serve as a love letter to the culture and South Carolina (where the story is set). With its distinctive narrative, my aspiration for this film is to resonate broadly and commercially, capturing a universal appeal that underscores our shared human experiences of error and the power we hold to bridge the vast divides that separate us.”
Best known for his lead role of James “Ghost” St. Patrick on Starz’s crime drama Power, which has thus far spurred three spin-offs, Hardwick has also been seen starring in Netflix’s hit action thriller The Mother opposite Jennifer Lopez; Pieces of Her opposite Toni Collette; Zack Snyder’s zombie heist pic Army of the Dead; Boots Riley’s Sorry to Bother You; and Matthew Vaughn’s Kick-Ass. Next up, he’ll be seen starring opposite Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh in Star Trek: Section 31 for Paramount+.
Hemingway made his feature directorial debut with Red Tails, an acclaimed Fox drama on the Tuskegee Airmen, starring Terrence Howard and Cuba Gooding Jr. But he’s best known for his lauded work on the TV side, having most recently directed the pilot for and exec produced CBS’s True Lies. Prior to that directing and exec producing Genius: Aretha for National Geographic, he’s also known for his work on American Crime Story, The Newsroom, Empire, Underground, Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G., and numerous other high-profile series. Hemingway broke out as a director in the mid-to-late 2000s, while helming a pair of episodes for HBO’s The Wire.
Its creative output aside, Hemingway’s AHP is leading the charge to incorporate urban communities into the financial markets and deploy capital to underserved founders, businesses, and organizations. With No Right Way as the flagship opportunity in raising capital, the company has partnered with institutional investment leaders David Weild IV, (Chairman & CEO of Weild & Co., Inc., and former Vice Chairman of The NASDAQ), Jeffrey M. Zucker (Serial Investor, Entrepreneur & Film Producer), Dr. Lisa L. Smith (Investment Banking), and Jocelyn Pearson (Investment Marketing Executive).
“AHP stands as a cultural beacon, a sanctuary for innovative and provocative content that champions voices and narratives within the underrepresented BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and DISABILITY communities,” said Hemingway. “I also have a deep passion for criminal justice reform because of personal experiences, but largely because I’ve always felt led and motivated to help people and I believe the rate of recidivism in this country can decrease substantially by providing opportunities in the many capacities of the filming process (whether technical, administrative, or creative). I’ve always lived by a motto that proves: “when you change yourself, you can change the world.””
Creatively, AHP’s mission is to be an innovator and a champion for change, telling stories, spanning genres and themes, that resonate with the zeitgeist and have something to say about the pressing issues of our time.
Hemingway and AHP are represented by UTA, M88, and attorney Tom Hoberman. Hardwick is repped by UTA, and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern.
