While Issa Rae reaches the conclusion of her five-year deal with HBO, the actress and entertainment mogul has admitted to having trouble coming up with the right title for upcoming projects.
Before she was honored with the Entertainment Entrepreneur Award at the Variety Power of Women event this week, Rae spoke to Entertainment Tonight, where she disclosed struggling to name her next releases under the HBO banner. Rae previously created and executive-produced comedy-dramas Insecure (which she starred in) and Rap Sh!t, the latter of which was cancelled after two seasons. Her next television project is a buddy-comedy series that revolves around the Las Vegas boxing world, which does not yet have a name.
After revealing that the show is currently in development and in the casting phase, Rae shared that HBO has “rejected” some of her proposed titles.
“I’ve got to come better,” she said. “It makes sense. I'm not mad at the rejections. … I'm writing like a male show, so I have to listen to the men.”
In August, Deadline reported that the series is currently under working title Untitled Male Friendship Show and centers boxers and best friends, Menzel and JB, who “navigate ambition, insecurity, loneliness, and the double-edged sword of success within the high-stakes world of professional boxing in Las Vegas.” Rae serves as show creator, writer and executive producer.
This year, Rae starred in one film, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and inked a three-year first-look film and television production deal with Paramount, per Variety.
