Wanuri Kahiu to Direct Angie Thomas Adaptation ‘On the Come Up’

New York Times Bestselling author of The Hate U Give, Angie Thomas, is getting feature film adaptation of her second novel On the Come Up. The Paramount Player‘s film will be directed by Kenyan filmmaker Wanuri Kahiu. 

The story centers around 16-year-old Bri, the daughter of an underground hip-hop legend who died right before he hit big. Now, she aspires to become one of the greatest rappers of all time, but it’s hard to get your come up when you’re looked down on at school, your fridge at home is empty, and your mom loses her job. So Bri pours her anger and frustration into her first song, which ends up going viral for all the wrong reasons. 

Thomas’ The Hate U Give, sold close to 1 million copies and was turned into a feature film in 2018. The film, which tackled relevant issues like violence, identity and injustice, received a 97% certified fresh critic score with 220 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Director of The Hate U Give, George Tillman Jr., Was originally attached to direct On the Come Up when it was first setup at Fox 2000 last February, but now director of the 2018 Cannes Film Festival premiere Rafiki is stepping in. 

Kahiu’s Rafiki follows two girls who fall in love with each other in Nairobi despite the watchful eye of the neighborhood. The film was nominated for the Queer Palme at Cannes in 2018.