Justin Simien's debut feature Dear White People has been one of the most talked about movies of the year, beginning with its premiere at Sundance. The controversial satire on race relations has earned him a couple of Indie Spirit Awards nominations along with other honors, and has afforded a chance to step up to his first studio comedy with an big time star.
Simien is attached to direct Anthony Mackie in the Paramount comedy, Make A Wish, based on a Black List screenplay by Zach Frankel. Mackie plays Butchie Jones, a star football player trying to fulfill the dying wish of a 14-year-old cancer patient. Problems arise when he learns the boy's wish is to lose his virginity.
There was a great deal of Simien's own personal story in Dear White People, and it will be interesting to see how he handles a for-hire gig like this.
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