Nick Cannon is dancing his way to YouTube.
The singer and actor’s Ncredible Productions has partnered with YouTube Red, the streamer’s $10-per-month subscription service, to release his musical drama King of the Dancehall later this year.
King of the Dancehall, which Cannon wrote, directed, executive produced and stars in, had its world premiere last year at the Toronto International Film Festival.
In the film, Cannon plays a Brooklynite who moves to Jamaica and falls for a local girl who introduces him to the world of Jamaican dancehall. Whoopi Goldberg, Busta Rhymes, Louis Gossett Jr., Kreesha Turner and newcomer Kimberly Patterson also star.
“Music and dance are universal themes, and I’m excited to partner with YouTube to bring a story about the world’s sexiest dance tradition to its massive audience,” Cannon said Monday in a statement. “This film invites viewers into a vibrant yet little-known world outside of the Caribbean — the Jamaican dancehall. We assembled an amazing cast, mixed documentary footage from real-life dancehall scenes, and collaborated with music legends to bring King of the Dancehall to life.”
Susanne Daniels, global head of original content at YouTube, has previously said that dance content performs especially well on the streamer. The acquisition of King of the Dancehall comes as the exec is prepping a series adaptation of cult dance film Step Up.
“We are excited to be in business with a multi-talented creative force like Nick Cannon,” said Daniels. “Whether he’s acting, producing or hosting, he has an undeniable ability to make a connection with the audience and keep them captivated. We know our audience, especially the millions of music and dance fans, will be excited to see him back in a lead role. This drama has all the right elements to be incredibly popular on YouTube.”
The deal was negotiated by ICM Partners and Loan Dang of Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein & Lezcano on behalf of Ncredible Productions.
