Some stories are meant to be told through dialogue. Others demand movement. With Paramount Pictures’ upcoming dance drama Get Lite, movement becomes the language. One rooted in Harlem culture, self-discovery, family expectations, and the freedom that comes with finding your own rhythm. Adding even more star power to the highly anticipated project, Leslie Odom Jr. and Oscar nominee Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor have officially joined the cast, further elevating a film that already boasts an impressive lineup of talent.
For Teyana Taylor, Get Lite represents an especially significant milestone. The multi-hyphenate entertainer is making her directorial debut with the project, bringing her long-established understanding of music, performance, choreography, fashion, and Black cultural expression into a new creative arena. And if her artistic history is any indication, Get Lite could be a debut with plenty of rhythm.
A New Generation Finds Its Rhythm
Led by Storm Reid and former NFL player Ceyair Wright, Get Lite follows Saunders, a headstrong Bronx teenager whose passion for Litefeet clashes with his father’s expectations that he pursue a more traditional future as an engineer.
Wright takes on the role of Saunders, a talented but sheltered dance student whose world begins to expand after discovering the New York City subway system. What begins as a trip outside of his familiar surroundings introduces him to new people, new experiences, and a side of New York he has never encountered.
Reid plays the young woman who helps Saunders navigate that unfamiliar world, opening the door to experiences that challenge his perspective and encourage him to see life beyond the boundaries placed around him. At the center of it all is Litefeet.
Born in Harlem, Litefeet is a high-energy street-dance style recognized for its explosive footwork, intricate movement, and expressive performance. Its inclusion in Get Lite gives the film an opportunity to spotlight a dance culture that has become an important part of New York City’s creative identity while introducing its energy to audiences on a much larger stage.
A Cast With Serious Dramatic Range
The addition of Leslie Odom Jr. and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor brings another layer of depth to the project.
Odom Jr. enters Get Lite with an accomplished career spanning Broadway, film, television, and music. A Tony Award winner and Academy Award-nominated performer, his résumé includes the cultural phenomenon Hamilton as well as One Night in Miami…., demonstrating his ability to move seamlessly between commanding theatrical performances and nuanced cinematic storytelling.
Ellis-Taylor brings equally formidable credentials. The Academy Award nominee earned her recognition for portraying Oracene Price in King Richard, while her body of work has continued to showcase her ability to bring emotional complexity and authenticity to every role.
Their additions join an already eclectic ensemble featuring Woody McClain, Khayr Bullock, and Tylil James. Asante Blackk and Jodie Turner-Smith are also reportedly in advanced talks for major roles, signaling that Get Lite continues to build a cast capable of matching the scale of its story.
Teyana Taylor Steps Behind the Camera
While the cast alone is enough to command attention, perhaps the most intriguing element of Get Lite is the person calling the shots. Taylor’s transition into directing feels less like a career detour and more like a natural evolution. As an artist who has spent years operating at the intersection of music, dance, fashion, choreography, acting, and visual storytelling, Taylor has already developed the creative vocabulary necessary to understand what it means to make movement feel cinematic.
Now, she’s bringing that perspective behind the camera. Taylor is directing and producing the film alongside Courtney “Coco” Gilbert under their production banner, The Aunties. Storm Reid is also among the project’s producers, alongside Bill Karesh, Robyn Simpson, Kenya Barris, Anni Weisband, and Solome Williams.
That combination of young talent, established Hollywood voices, and creators with deep ties to music and culture positions Get Lite as more than another coming-of-age dance movie. It has the potential to become a cultural time capsule.
When Dance Becomes A Form Of Freedom
At its core, Get Lite appears set to explore a familiar coming-of-age conflict. What happens when the life you envision for yourself doesn’t align with the life someone else has planned for you?
For Saunders, engineering represents the future his father believes will provide stability. Litefeet represents something entirely different. The freedom to create, express, connect, and discover himself.
That tension gives the film a foundation that extends beyond dance. The subway becomes more than a backdrop and instead becomes a gateway into another world. Harlem becomes part of the story’s cultural heartbeat. And dance is a means of communication. With Teyana Taylor making her directorial debut, Get Lite has an opportunity to capture that energy from someone who understands the relationship between movement and identity firsthand.
Paramount Is Getting Ready To Get Lite
With its Harlem-rooted storyline, rising stars, heavyweight supporting cast, and Taylor’s first feature behind the camera, Get Lite is shaping up to be one of Paramount’s more intriguing upcoming projects.
The film is doing more than putting dance on screen. It’s placing a specific piece of New York culture at the center of a story about identity, family, ambition, and finding the courage to follow your own rhythm.
And with Taylor leading the creative charge, audiences may be in for a directorial debut that moves far beyond the dance floor. Get Lite is currently scheduled to arrive in theaters August 20th, 2027. The countdown has officially begun.
