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Synopsis
Imani and Ben are different. She’s a dedicated elementary school teacher, while Ben’s a pushover on the corporate ladder.
Their first meeting at a park is BAD. Just when they think they’ll never see each other again, they both get free passes to an escape room. Stuck in the same room, they bicker through the challenge until they face the FORTUNE TELLER GENIE MACHINE. The genie spits out fortunes; Ben and Imani grab them… Sadly, the prophetic Bible verse on the fortunes, “Love others as you do yourself,” is lost on these two.
Bad turns to worse the next morning when Imani wakes up to her horrifying new reality- she’s turned into BEN, a WHITE man she barely knows! Ben’s plight is no different, he also wakes up to discover he’s not in his own body, but IMANI’S!
Imani and Ben manage to track each other down and meet up. Soon it hits them, keeping their jobs means Ben teaching Imani’s class, while Imani goes to Ben’s office. Hilarity ensues as Ben tries to School of Rock Imani’s students, who are so confused by Imani’s laissez faire behavior. While Imani, adds some backbone to Ben’s body creating a dynamic shift in the office. All on their first day.
But how long can they keep this up? Tracking down the genie is the only answer, and that means: ROAD TRIP!
The time together sparks an awareness and opens the door to trust. The more Imani sees the real Ben, a clumsy White dude with a soft heart hidden under an endearing buffoonery, she learns to trust him and soon, love him. While Ben learns Imani’s rigid exterior comes from a need for self-preservation, his feelings go from admiration to love of the caring woman inside.
Throughout this film, Ben and Imani will experience a dose of each other’s lives. The beauty and the difficulties. In the end, Ben and Imani change back to their original forms, but the love they propagated endures. Their story is one of different people with different views, cultures, and races, getting to what’s most human about the other, which happens to be the place where love waits.
Creators
Characters
Imani Davis
(late 20s, lead)
Imani is the teacher you wish you had, funny, insightful, and deeply motivated. On the outside Imani is gorgeous, sweet, and approachable. It’s when she’s faced with injustice that Imani turns on her inner warrior and stands her ground. It’s her way of dealing with the world, and it’s not because she’s a Black woman, it’s because calling out what’s wrong is the right thing to do.
There’s also a vulnerability to her, a side she keeps safely secure and protected. We see it in her self-care through meditation and yoga. When Imani grows to trust Ben, she reveals this side of herself, the vulnerable side, and Ben can’t help but fall in love.
Ben Webb
(late 20s - early 30s, lead)
Ben first meets Imani by ramming into her at the park. He blames her for it and runs off. After all, he’s inspired by his favorite “bro-dude” podcaster who encourage Ben to be tough. But Ben at work is different, he puts up with a tiny office, accepts no recognition for his top sales numbers, and allows his suggestions to be ignored.
We realize Ben’s need to be tough comes from feelings of inadequacy, like his slick car, it’s meant to cover up his vulnerabilities. Just like Imani, Ben too has weaknesses he wants to mask, and sadly for him, the mask is keeping him from forming healthy relationships.
Bobbie Divine
(50s, Black, Female, Strong Supporting)
There’s no denying it, Bobbie is divine, she has special powers and a connection to God reserved for angels. It’s all hidden in the frame of a no-nonsense and unsmiling woman in sensible shoes. When Bobbie does crack a smile, you get the feeling she’s got all the answers to the Universe.
As the story progresses, we learn Bobbie is the mastermind who orchestrated the switch between Ben and Imani. Her goal is to bring people together via empathy… But in Bobbie’s world that means walking in someone else’s shoes, literally.
Prototypes: Alfre Woodard (personal connection), Viola Davis, Wanda Sykes
Cole
(late 20s - 30s, possibly older, White Male Strong Supporting)
One look at Cole and you’d be unimpressed. But you’d be wrong. Easily mistaken as vapid, Cole is anything but, his truth bombs are deep, really deep and what seem like bonehead statements are loaded with the wisdom of a sage.
As Ben’s lifelong best bud, and roommate, Cole is a free spirit who errs on the side of kindness and dutifully reminds Ben of the importance of being honorable.
Prototypes: Paul Walter Hauser (personal connection), Adam Devine (same home city of Omaha, NE), Sam Rockwell (loose personal connection), or Chris Kattan (personal connection).
Stan
(Late 40s-60s, White Male, Supporting)
Ben’s boss and CEO at Sync Insurance, Stan is a hardnosed and hard souled man. His short-sightedness leads him to forgo hiring D’Marcus for Chip, the entitled son of an industry leader. Stan isn’t one to learn a lesson, he’s too caught up in his erroneous view of the world to notice he’s a racist.
Prototypes: Sam Rockwell (loose personal connection), or Chris Kattan (personal connection), Kevin Bacon.
D'Marcus
(Late 20s - late 30s, Black Male, Supporting)
D’Marcus Williams is the perfect hire, he’s Ivy league educated, he’s strong and self-driven, he’s great at his job, and he so happens to be Black. Best of all, Ben wants to hire him on the spot.
But when Ben tells his boss, Stan, about the awesome hire, Stan takes issue D’Marcus’ name, a culturally Black name, and refuses to hire him. Ben makes a paltry effort to stand up for hiring D’Marcus, but just like all of Ben’s efforts, he lets it go.
Great men like D’Marcus don’t give up, instead he goes on to start his own Insurance firm with amazing success. Following the same advice he gave his own daughter Shona, who happens to be Imani’s student.
Prototypes: Randy J. Goodwin, Euseph Messiah, Aspen Kennedy, Okea Eme-Akwari
Jen
(mid 20s-30s, Asian, Female, Supporting)
Jen is Imani’s friend, roommate, and a fellow teacher at the same school. She’s funny, encouraging, and always has Imani’s back, except when Imani’s back is inhabited by Ben’s soul and well… it’s then Jen feels a distance from her friend.
After the switch between Ben and Imani, Jen knows something is up but this time, there is nothing Jen can do to help her friend.
Prototypes: Annie Jacob (friend), Janel Parrish (loose friends), Lana Condor
Shona
(8, Black, Female, Supporting)
D’Marcus’ daughter and Imani’s best student, Shona is wiser than her ten years. She loves learning and is one of Imani’s most engaged students. After Imani and Ben switch bodies, it’s Shona who picks up on the changes in her teacher and bemoans the setback on their studies.
Shona and Imani’s students are so inspired to learn, they’re competing in their school districts’ achievement award, and they are in line to win.
Prototypes: Aalyrah Caldwell, Faithe Herman
Comparables
Freaky Friday
Budget: $20 million
Gross: $161 million
Big
Budget: $18 million
Gross: $115 million
Hot Chick
Budget: $7.4 million
Gross: $55 million
Budget
Goals & Financing
Goals & Financing
Goal: Option 1) to secure financing to develop our feature film for theatrical and streaming release.
Option 2) to secure financing for a pilot episode for our concept to be developed into a series . We are approaching major studios and independent financiers for funding and/or distribution. Additionally, we’re reaching out to independent production companies and investors to present our film/pilot concept.
Location
Though the filming location is flexible, our aim is to film in Atlanta, Georgia. In addition to the stellar tax incentives offered to shoot in Atlanta, Alexis Louder and Bryan McClure have a vast network of talented, local cast and crew that could be involved in the project.
GA Tax Incentive Program
Below are some of the highlights of the Tax incentive program that provides a total of a 30% credit when meeting the requirements to film here. Here are some of the bulleted deal points:
- 20 percent base transferable tax credit
- 10 percent Georgia Entertainment Promotion (GEP) uplift can be earned by including an embedded Georgia logo on approved projects and a link to ExploreGeorgia.org/Film on the project’s landing page
- Both resident and non-resident workers’ payrolls and FICA, SUI, FUI qualify
- Production expenditures must be made in Georgia from a Georgia vendor to qualify
- No limits or caps on Georgia spend. No sunset clause
- No salary cap on individuals paid by 1099, personal service contract or loanout
- Payments made to a loanout company in 2021 will require 5.75 percent Georgia income tax withholding
- Post production of Georgia-filmed movies and television projects qualifies if post done in Georgia
- Development costs, promotion, marketing, story rights and most fees do not qualify
For a more detailed incentives overview, visit www.georgia.org/industries/film-entertainment/georgia-film-tv-production/production-incentives
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