Bentley Kyle Evans Directs Supernatural Romantic Comedy 'Boo'd Up' for Harvest Studios, Filming in Los Angeles This June

A supernatural romantic comedy with a distinctly Black American sensibility is heading to Los Angeles next summer, and crews should start paying attention now. Harvest Studios is currently in pre-production on "Boo'd Up," a series about a divorced man named Reggie who falls for a widowed mother named Zoe, only to find out her late husband, a former NBA star named Jake, never quite moved on to the other side. The ghost comedy genre has seen renewed appetite from audiences in recent years, and this project pairs that hook with a romantic comedy format and a cast of recognizable faces that signals a production aiming squarely at an underserved audience. With a June 2026 production start confirmed in Los Angeles, the hiring window for department heads and senior crew is effectively open right now.

At the helm is director Bentley Kyle Evans, a veteran of Black American television comedy with a resume that spans some of the most beloved sitcoms of the 1990s and 2000s. Evans directed extensively on "Martin," one of the defining comedies of that era, and has credits across "The Jamie Foxx Show," "Moesha," and "The Game," among many others. His fluency with ensemble comedy performance and his deep relationships within this specific creative community are evident in the cast assembled here. Joining him is a lineup that will feel immediately familiar to fans of that golden era of Black sitcom television. Duane Martin, known for his roles in "All of Us" and a long run on "Getting Personal," leads as Reggie. Carl Anthony Payne, beloved as Cockroach on "The Cosby Show" and a mainstay of "Martin," is also attached. Apryl Jones, the reality television personality and media figure, rounds out the cast alongside Vanessa Bell Calloway, a character actress with deep roots in film and television whose credits include "Coming to America," "Daybreak," and "Shameless." Calloway in particular is a seasoned screen presence whose attachment adds dramatic credibility to a project that will need to balance its comedy with genuine emotional stakes. Producer Trenten Gumbs is overseeing the project for Harvest Studios.

Harvest Studios is the production company shepherding "Boo'd Up" through development and into production. While not among the major legacy studios or streaming conglomerates, independent production companies of this profile frequently operate in the mid-budget cable and streaming space, developing projects with established creative relationships and targeting distribution through platforms with appetite for Black-led comedies. The supernatural romantic comedy format has found real traction on streaming services in recent years, and a finished series with this cast and a director of Evans's pedigree would have clear pathways to market. A network or streaming platform attachment has not yet been confirmed in the available data, which is not unusual for a production still several months from its cameras-up date. That detail will be worth monitoring as the project moves through pre-production.

Production is set to base in Los Angeles, California, beginning June 1, 2026. For crew, LA is as infrastructure-rich as it gets. The city offers unparalleled access to soundstage space, an enormous local union talent pool across every department, and established vendor relationships that benefit productions at every budget level. IATSE Local 80, Local 600, Local 728, Local 44, and the other major Los Angeles craft locals will all be relevant here. Because this is a Los Angeles-based production, there is no tax incentive relocation calculus to consider in the way there would be for a production choosing Georgia or New Mexico. The choice to film in LA almost certainly reflects the creative team's home base and the production's existing relationships rather than a financial incentive play. That said, California's Film & Television Tax Credit Program 3.0 remains active and competitive for qualifying productions, so it is possible the production intends to apply depending on budget thresholds and eligibility. Local crew should absolutely be pursuing this one.

As a single-camera or multi-camera comedy series, the specific format of "Boo'd Up" will have real implications for crew composition, and that detail is worth watching for as it becomes clearer. A multi-camera format, which would suit the sitcom sensibility Evans is known for, typically means a different lighting package, a different camera department structure, and a live audience or laugh-track workflow that shapes the entire production calendar. A single-camera approach opens up more cinematic production design possibilities, especially given the supernatural element, which will require some VFX work for the ghost character's appearances. Either way, the production design and art department will have interesting challenges in building a world that can hold both the grounded romantic comedy beats and the more heightened supernatural sequences. Costume, hair, and makeup departments should also note the cast's profile, as productions anchored by talent of this caliber tend to have well-developed looks and specific creative expectations on that front.

With filming still roughly eleven months out, "Boo'd Up" is at exactly the stage where the most important crew conversations are beginning to happen. Department heads are typically the first to be approached at this phase, and production coordinators and UPMs are often being identified in parallel. For crew members in Los Angeles who have experience in comedy production, supernatural or genre-adjacent projects, or who have worked with Bentley Kyle Evans's team before, this is the moment to make contact. The full production listing for "Boo'd Up," including production office contact information, crew list updates, and scheduling details as they are confirmed, is available now on ProductionList.com. Bookmark it, check back regularly, and get your materials in front of the right people before the seats fill up.

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