BET has ordered a TV series based on the TV film Sacrifice starring Paula Patton (Jumping the Broom, Deja Vu), via Deadline. Sacrifice was an original film that debuted on BET’s streaming platform, BET+, in 2019. The order is for a 10-episode season.
According to Deadline, the series has tapped Kevin Arkadie (New York Undercover, The Shield) as its showrunner with Chris Stokes (You Got Served, Til Death Do Us Part) and Marques Houston (Sister Sister, Battlefield America) executive producing through Footage Films. Patton will serve as a co-executive producer. Written and directed by Stokes, the movie followed Patton as Daniella Hernandez, an entertainment lawyer whose vices complicated her full-time drama of defending Hollywood’s most notorious clients. The series will continue this story as Hernandez goes to great lengths to seek justice — whether her clients are innocent or not. You can view the film trailer below.
“I am excited to reprise the role of Daniella Hernandez, her strength and ability to overcome incredible challenges is inspiring, and I am grateful for the opportunity to continue working with BET,” said Patton, via Deadline. “It is wonderful experience to work with our cast and crew to create characters and stories that entertain and move people,” Patton said via Deadline.
Deadline reports many of the film’s cast will reprise their roles for the series including Houston, James Trevena Brown (The Shannara Chronicles, Charlie Says), and Veronika Bozeman (Empire). Altonio Jackson (Oldboy, Body Cam), Liliana Montenegro (Saving Faith), Michael Toland (God’s Country, Will to Love), and Nelson Bonilla (Black and Blue, Let’s Be Cops) warp up the supporting cast. Several actors – including Erica Ash (Survivor’s Remorse, In Contempt), Juan Antonio (Pride & Prejudice: Atlanta), and Josué Ramon Guiterrez (Tales, Bloodline) – will not appear in the TV series. Deadline reports there is no knowledge as of yet whether these characters will be recast, or appear in the series at all.
“Sacrifice takes an in-depth look at the entertainment business in a way that no television show ever has, by capturing the glamorous yet mysterious sides of the music industry from the perspective of an entertainment attorney. The suspense and excitement will have you on the edge of your seat in every episode,” said Stokes, via Deadline.
“We’re thrilled to expand our hit movie, Sacrifice, into a compelling new original series,” Traci Blackwell, EVP Scripted Programming for BET, said via Deadline. “We look forward to working with Footage Films, Paula, and the talented multicultural cast again and joining forces with acclaimed executive producer Kevin Arkadie, in providing viewers with more of the fresh and engaging storytelling they expect from our brand,” Blackwell stated via Deadline.
According to Deadline, BET has had former success with the movie-to-series format. Gabrielle Union (Bring It On, LA’s Finest) starred in the TV series Being Mary Jane, which originated as a TV feature film on the network. There is currently no decision whether Sacrifice will be a BET+ exclusive, or air on the main network.