Posted by | Ray Cornelius
CONGRATS to my Alpha Phi Alpha brother and Liquid Soul CEO Tirrell D. Whittley. He will serve as the Executive Producer for the upcoming Brian Banks biopic starring Aldis Hodge, Sherri Shepherd and Greg Kinnear.
As previously mentioned, the film tells the story of Brian Banks (Hodge), an All-American high school football player committed to USC by his Junior year whose life was upended in 2002 when he was falsely accused of rape. Despite maintaining his innocence, Banks was railroaded through the justice system and sentenced to a decade of prison and parole. Ultimately, with the help of the California Innocence Project, Banks’ conviction was overturned in 2012. He fulfilled his dream in 2013 when he played in the NFL pre-season with the Atlanta Falcons. Kinnear will portray Justin Brooks, the criminal defense attorney and Innocence Project co-founder. Shepherd will portray Banks’ mother, Leomia, who was the glue that kept Banks together during his trial.
“When I read the script for Brian Banks, I felt empowered,” Whittley said. “Banks’ resilience and fortitude to stay the course in pursuing his innocence is more than admirable.” He added, “As an entrepreneur and marketing executive, I see marketing, strategy, and storytelling through a different lens. In an Executive Producer role, I am interested in films that inspire, educate, motivate, and enlighten those that may be less familiar with a particular subject matter and those with an affinity for the same.”
As CEO of Liquid Soul, Whittley has been a Hollywood marketing and production staple for years, with a unique talent for developing campaigns that drive cultural audiences to targeted and general market films and TV shows. Liquid Soul has delivered successful campaigns for box office hits including Black Panther, War For The Planet Of The Apes, 42, Ride Along, as well as such TV hits as Empire, Power and Black-ish.
Whittley previously was the Executive Producer for the 2017 documentary Copwatch.
Stay tuned…