Pay TV channel BLACK STARZ will premiere Urban Entertainment's animated comedy series UNDERCOVER BROTHER. All 12 episodes will be presented consecutively beginning at 8 pm (ET/PT), Thursday, May 30, 2002 with additional air times throughout the month. The series will debut on the eve of Universal Pictures release of the feature film UNDERCOVER BROTHER, starring Eddie Griffin. The original online series provided the basis for the live-action feature film directed by Malcolm Lee. The film follows Undercover Brother (Griffin) as he trades in his Afro, shades and platforms for khakis, horn-rims and penny loafers to go undercover as preppy nerd Antoine Jackson at a multinational conglomerate to defeat The Man. But while he and his sassy partner Sistah Girl (Aunjanue Ellis) try to find out What's Going On, The Man's ruthless right arm Mr. Feather (Chris Kataan) discovers their deception and dispatches the conspiracy's sexy secret weapon (Denise Richards) to eliminate the intruders. The film will be in theaters May 31, 2002. The UNDERCOVER BROTHER series was originally created for Urban Entertainment's Website by writer John Ridley and sold to Universal in 2000, making it the first Internet-based project to get picked up by a major film studio. Urban Entertainment currently has four other projects in development based on original Web series.
Urban Entertainment creates contagious comedy and on-the-edge drama for the under-represented niche of African-American viewers. Lee Dannacher found that they also have strong crossover appeal.
