Wed Oct 29 06:20:00 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary:

Lena Waithe, known for her work on “The Chi” and other projects, reveals her favorite books and a new project with Issa Rae in a recent interview. Waithe shares insights into the books that inspire her, including Erika J. Simpson’s “This Is Your Mother,” Nicole Avant’s “Think You’ll Be Happy,” Cebo Campbell’s “Sky Full of Elephants,” and Sammy Davis Jr.’s autobiography “Yes I Can”. She’s also working on a film with Issa Rae based on a “friendship breakup” between thinly veiled versions of themselves. Additionally, she is adapting her Sammy Davis Jr. biopic into a stage play.

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Lena Waithe and Issa Rae Teaming Up for New Film Project

NEW YORK, NY – Lena Waithe, the writer, producer, and actress behind hits like “The Chi,” has announced a new film project with fellow multi-hyphenate Issa Rae. In a recent interview at The Blond in 11 Howard, Waithe revealed the details of the upcoming collaboration, describing it as a “really cool idea about us being friends and having a bit of a friendship breakup.”

Waithe, currently juggling the final season of “The Chi,” her podcast “Legacy Talk,” and multiple theater projects, said the film will be a funny and lighthearted take on friendship, with characters loosely based on herself and Rae. “I’m being lazy — the characters’ names [are] Lena and Issa, I’m not even being that imaginative about it. They’re thinly-veiled versions of ourselves,” she shared.

When asked if she and Rae plan to star in the movie, Waithe excitedly confirmed their intentions. “Yeah, we want to,” she said. “So this is definitely an exclusive. Issa’s going to be like, ‘Oh sh*t, well now we got to do it.’”

The interview also delved into Waithe’s literary influences, revealing her favorite books: Erika J. Simpson’s “This Is Your Mother,” Nicole Avant’s “Think You’ll Be Happy,” Cebo Campbell’s “Sky Full of Elephants,” and Sammy Davis Jr.’s autobiography “Yes I Can”. Waithe discussed the themes of family, grief, racial reckoning, and artistic legacy found within these works. She is also adapting her Sammy Davis Jr. biopic into a stage play.

Further details on the Waithe-Rae project, including a release date, are still forthcoming. Stay tuned for updates.

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