Exclusive: Producer Manny Halley Talks ‘True To The Game 2’ And Adapting Classic Urban Novels

Currently in theaters from the Imani Media Group is the urban action film the sequel True to the Game 2, directed by Jamal Hill from a script written by Preston A. Whitmore II. Executive produced by Manny Halley Productions and based on Teri Woods’ novel of the same name, the original film was released in 2017.

Here’s a link to the theaters where the film will play at truetothegame2.com/theaters/

Cast members from the original film coming back are Vivica A. Fox, Andra Fuller, Erica Peeples, Iyana Halley, and Jamaar Simon. New additions are Rotimi, Jeremy Meeks, Niatia ‘Lil Mama’ Kirkland, Faith Evans, Starletta DuPois, Tamar Braxton, Lisa Renee Pitts, Christian James, and Kevin Sizemore, Bernice Burgos, Juliet “Juju” Cee, London on Da Track, Paul Saucido and Waka Flocka Flame.

TRUE TO THE GAME II, picks up a year after the first installment of True to the Game, following the lives of the characters affected by Quadir’s (Columbus Short) murder. Separating herself from Philly’s dangerous scene, Gena (Erica Peeples) has reinvented herself as a journalist, living and working in NYC. Quickly growing in her company Gena is sent on assignment to LA for a career changing story. Though Gena is far from home, her life in Philly seems to always make an appearance. Someone from Quadir’s circle has avenged his death with a hit on Jerrell’s crew members, reigniting another war between the two crews. Jerrell (Andra Fuller) is determined to get paid by any means necessary and he’ll start with Gena.

For producer Manny Halley, who served as the executive producer to the series Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is and Frankie and Neffe, he seems to have found success adapting urban novels. Both True To The Game and Dutch were popular novels and have a huge fanbase. BlackFilmandTV.com recently caught up with Halley as he talks about bringing these novels to the big screen.

The first movie did well audiences. Was it meant to have a follow-up?

Manny Halley: Yes. True To The Game is based on a book, a trilogy. Book One, Two, and Three. Basically, after we did the first film, we always knew we would do 2 and 3. 

In the first film, the main character Quadir was killed but he’s still alive in the books. Did that change how the follow-ups would be played out?

Manny Halley: This is this is the action packed movie where things happen. You never know what's going to happen until you actually see the movie. What do you think people expect expected? Fun, drama, excitement? I think that's what we've given them. We gave it fun and excitement from beginning to the end.

The film centers heavily on Gena and Jerrell. Was that storyline part of the book?

Manny Halley: Everything is from the books. All of the characters are from the books. As the script was being written, sometimes some actors are coming off strong, so we go ahead and give them more scenes. We write more for them and give them more script pages, as we did to characters like Andra Fuller’s Jerrell. Andra did such a great job in True To The Game 1, and as we shot the second film, we beefed his role up as one of the stars of Part 2. We did the same thing with Vivica A. Fox, Starlet DuPois and Lil Mama. 

You also brought on some notable names in the film such as Jeremy Meeks, Bre-Z, Lil Mama and a few others. Did any of them auditioned for the film or did you go after them?

Manny Halley: Yes, most of them I went after because I love their work. I personally cast the movie myself. I used a lot of relationships and offer them the roles and mostly everybody accepted.

Your production design is quite impressive. What can you say about your director and cinematographer?

Manny Halley: My director, Jamal Hill, I love what he did to this movie. I loved how my DP lit the film. Those boys have a bright future. Jamal Hill did Brotherly Love and Deuces and a couple of movies. I felt that he had the street angle in terms of gangster street movies. I decided to hire him and he did an amazing job from the beginning to the end of the movie. I'm so impressed with his work. And the DP. Oh my god, he lit all the right things. From the outside, from the bedroom, everything about it, he was a great DP. His name is David Wolfgang.

How did Jeremy Meeks come to be cast in the movie?

Manny Halley: When Jeremy came on, I had seen what he was doing. I saw how focused, hungry and disciplined he was to being an actor. It showed me something in him. I like great work ethic and I see a bright future for him. Since I put him in his first movie, I’m going to do a five picture deal with him. And ever since then, he's been getting stronger. He's taking acting class, and I'm proud to have made that deal with him. I know everyone will love his role when they see it. 

Instead of playing in festivals, you chose to have this film play in theaters. With the pandemic still going on, and studios pushing their film to 2021 or going to streaming services, why did you choose to have this in theaters, especially around this time period?

Manny Halley: There's a couple of simple answers to that. So basically, I noticed some space that's open and has the COVID-19 Cinema space. So the ones that's open, I know some people want to go out, want to make some moves, and take the family out and do something different. I want to be one of those guys that takes a chance to get somebody with a mission, just to get some experience because they've been stuck in the house for months. It's only available to the space that’s open. The windows not open. We did not, you know did not send the movie here.

Why not go to a streaming platform, where there’s a bigger audience these days; especially with lots of folks staying at home?

Manny Halley: I want to help the theater chains out because I'm seeing that studios are pulling back. Regal Theaters has closed down, and others have filed for bankruptcy.  I want be one of those companies that try to help get the theater chains what they need, which is an audience. I want to give the fans what they need, which is experiences to the movie goers. To go out somewhere and watch a movie. The film is going to be on on demand in December, but we want to give everybody moviegoers to see it in theaters for a month.

When will the third film one out?

Manny Halley: The third one is completed and that it's in the can. We added a couple more actors to the franchise also, so if everything goes according to schedule, the third film will be out in Spring 2021.

You also have another film, Dutch, coming out. What’s the release date?

Manny Halley: It’s coming out on November 27, Black Friday, in theaters. We’re using the same model we did with True To The Game 2. 

Where does for the love for these urban books come from?

Manny Halley: People read books and they like to see characters come to life. Another reason is they have a built in audience from the one who read it. This gives the reader a renewed interest when they see the characters on the book played by actors. It gives them a vision outside of what they had in their minds. 

How have you learned from the success of your previous film? Would you go back and change anything?

Manny Halley: I think everything that I learned was the that first one was nothing but success for me as an individual, as a producer and as a distribution company because I learned how to self distribute my films. I learned that I can put my movie out theaters. I learned I can go to Netflix directly. I can go to VOD directly. I could put it out on DVD myself. I wouldn't want to change anything. In fact, in doing part one, it actually helped me be prepared for parts 2 and 3 and all the other movies and TV series we're doing.

When did you decide you wanted to self distribute? Was it always the game plan?

Manny Halley: It was always a game plan. A lot of studios wanted to partner with me for my first one. I like to own my stuff. I wanted ownership. I'm a entrepreneur by spirit. I wanted my own distribution company so that people out there that's making movies, independent filmmakers know what this distribution platform is like and they can look at me to educate them. They can be their own distribution platform.