Lil Rel and Francis Agyapong Join Forces Again for The Don
By Phillip Gladkov
April 20th 2022 10:18am PST
April 20th 2022 10:18am PST
Left Lil Rel and right Francis Agyapong, Jr.
As lovers of film we all know the story.
It was 2022 - the coronavirus pandemic was waging in its third year; climate change and US apartheid in full effect with soulless algorithmic content the lay of the land. It was a cynical time.
Meanwhile, an ambitious director set out to make earnest pictures in the face of incessant nihilistic dread. The innominate writer/director launched a production company by the name of Nun-Prophet Sinema in direct jest of dogmatism of all sorts, and in encouragement of a less critical, more analytical world.
The company reached out to Lil Rel with a proposition …
A package of 20 short films for a combined budget of $250k to be featured exclusively on kweliTV with Lil Rel serving as Executive Producer on the slate. “We sent him this fake article asking for money and he completely left me on read.” I ran into him on the street at Noname’s Radical Hood Library and he was like … you’re buggin, more or less.” Agyapong relayed at the screening of The Don with Howery cracking up beside him.
“I saw him on the street, it was definitely strange behavior on my part but he was all love: a very very understanding guy. I exploited that kindness and pitched him Meander on the spot.” Meander’s the 2023 film directed by Agyapong and directing partner Phillip Gladkov of @™ ; the film was written by the pair alongside frequent collaborator and Flint show-runner, Chike Robinson.
“Sometimes you gotta exploit good people, but for good purposes. We don’t always see the vision on the spot, but I promised Rel he’d be placing a bid on a winner.” - Agyapong
The film brought the comedic blockbuster to the forefront again, harkening to the recent days of Judd Apatow, yet this film was earnest, more mature and featured humorous working-class people of color in love and in a sci-fi magical realist thriller talking about things that pertained to the complexities of their reality. It was a smash, breaking streaming records on Netflix only two years after the frenzy that was the violence of Squid Games. Howery invested that $250k in Meander, serving as Executive Producer on the project with a Spirit Award win for Best Feature Film.
“We really just wanted to make a film that made adults feel like kids again, but in that way where you feel like you can do good things and save the world in a real way by just being thoughtful and nice.”
- Agyapong on Meander
The partnership didn’t end there. “Can you believe my man asked me for more money the following year? He did it during awards season too; we was getting the nominations so I couldn’t say no.” The following year Agyapong shared his vision for Nun-Prophet with Rel: to make a yearly slate of microbudget feature films in the six-figure range. Howery, inspired by the proclamation, set up a meeting between himself, kweliTV CEO DeShuna Spencer, Agyapong and MACRO studiohead Charles D.King.
micro, the modern-day hit factory was born.
“We’re very interested in exploring the interpersonal and highlighting visions of moral judgment, character, good will and integrity amongst our films’ subjects. So, micro, besides other brilliant reasons
was the perfect name.” - Charles D. King
Now, they’re merging on their most ambitious project yet. “Fran and I have been talking about this since 2020 now.” said Robinson. The film, The Don directed by Agyapong and co-written with Robinson stars Howery as an unscrupulous boxing promoter who puts a hit out on an associate during a heavyweight boxing match in Central Africa.
That scene in Judas and The Black Messiah. What a powerful cameo; I swear it happens for three seconds and my lord the feeling it leaves you with.” I was like, Rel could play a grimeyass motherfucker. There’s an intensity in him; he’s like one of us, “the good crazy.” - Agyapong
We’re into the Howie Ratner type characters; everybody knows how much I love the Safdie Brothers. Like why can’t we have these characters.” said Robinson. The Don was produced by Francis Agyapong, Jr., Chike Robinson, and Phillip Gladkov under Make Belief films; Executive Produced by Charles D. King, Lil Rel Howery, and DeShuna Spencer under micro.
It was 2022 - the coronavirus pandemic was waging in its third year; climate change and US apartheid in full effect with soulless algorithmic content the lay of the land. It was a cynical time.
Meanwhile, an ambitious director set out to make earnest pictures in the face of incessant nihilistic dread. The innominate writer/director launched a production company by the name of Nun-Prophet Sinema in direct jest of dogmatism of all sorts, and in encouragement of a less critical, more analytical world.
The company reached out to Lil Rel with a proposition …
A package of 20 short films for a combined budget of $250k to be featured exclusively on kweliTV with Lil Rel serving as Executive Producer on the slate. “We sent him this fake article asking for money and he completely left me on read.” I ran into him on the street at Noname’s Radical Hood Library and he was like … you’re buggin, more or less.” Agyapong relayed at the screening of The Don with Howery cracking up beside him.
“I saw him on the street, it was definitely strange behavior on my part but he was all love: a very very understanding guy. I exploited that kindness and pitched him Meander on the spot.” Meander’s the 2023 film directed by Agyapong and directing partner Phillip Gladkov of @™ ; the film was written by the pair alongside frequent collaborator and Flint show-runner, Chike Robinson.
“Sometimes you gotta exploit good people, but for good purposes. We don’t always see the vision on the spot, but I promised Rel he’d be placing a bid on a winner.” - Agyapong
The film brought the comedic blockbuster to the forefront again, harkening to the recent days of Judd Apatow, yet this film was earnest, more mature and featured humorous working-class people of color in love and in a sci-fi magical realist thriller talking about things that pertained to the complexities of their reality. It was a smash, breaking streaming records on Netflix only two years after the frenzy that was the violence of Squid Games. Howery invested that $250k in Meander, serving as Executive Producer on the project with a Spirit Award win for Best Feature Film.
“We really just wanted to make a film that made adults feel like kids again, but in that way where you feel like you can do good things and save the world in a real way by just being thoughtful and nice.”
- Agyapong on Meander
The partnership didn’t end there. “Can you believe my man asked me for more money the following year? He did it during awards season too; we was getting the nominations so I couldn’t say no.” The following year Agyapong shared his vision for Nun-Prophet with Rel: to make a yearly slate of microbudget feature films in the six-figure range. Howery, inspired by the proclamation, set up a meeting between himself, kweliTV CEO DeShuna Spencer, Agyapong and MACRO studiohead Charles D.King.
micro, the modern-day hit factory was born.
“We’re very interested in exploring the interpersonal and highlighting visions of moral judgment, character, good will and integrity amongst our films’ subjects. So, micro, besides other brilliant reasons
was the perfect name.” - Charles D. King
Now, they’re merging on their most ambitious project yet. “Fran and I have been talking about this since 2020 now.” said Robinson. The film, The Don directed by Agyapong and co-written with Robinson stars Howery as an unscrupulous boxing promoter who puts a hit out on an associate during a heavyweight boxing match in Central Africa.
That scene in Judas and The Black Messiah. What a powerful cameo; I swear it happens for three seconds and my lord the feeling it leaves you with.” I was like, Rel could play a grimeyass motherfucker. There’s an intensity in him; he’s like one of us, “the good crazy.” - Agyapong
We’re into the Howie Ratner type characters; everybody knows how much I love the Safdie Brothers. Like why can’t we have these characters.” said Robinson. The Don was produced by Francis Agyapong, Jr., Chike Robinson, and Phillip Gladkov under Make Belief films; Executive Produced by Charles D. King, Lil Rel Howery, and DeShuna Spencer under micro.
This is satire, please don't sue us @Variety