VANCOUVER/LOS ANGELES – Nickelodeon and Awesomeness announced the start of production on a brand-new live-action musical, The J Team, starring and executive produced by pop star and social media sensation JoJo Siwa. The 90-minute feature-length film follows a young girl who is kicked out of her dance troupe and forced to rediscover what dance and friendship mean to her while finding her true “sparkle” in the process. The J Team marks the first production under Awesomeness and Nickelodeon Live-Action Film Studio head, Syrinthia Studer.
Additional cast members of The J Team include NAACP Image Awards(R) nominee Tisha Campbell-Martin (Martin, Empire), Laura Soltis (Hiccups), Julia Marley (Dead to Me), Kerrynton Jones (Little Fires Everywhere) and Kiara T. Romero (The Prom). Production begins this month in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Directed by Emmy(R) Award-winner Michael Lembeck (The Santa Clause 2, Tooth Fairy), The J Team is written by Eydie Faye (Fuller House) and produced by Ron French (Five Star Christmas). Don Dunn (To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before) is executive producer.
Said Siwa, “I am so excited to be filming The J Team! It has so much singing and dancing! I can’t wait for everyone to hear all of my new music in the movie and see the big ending!”
Added Studer, “JoJo is a big part of our family and the perfect superstar partner to kick off our Nickelodeon and Awesomeness Films slate. As we continue to grow our live-action film studio business, we can’t wait to bring JoJo fans old and new a special story that’s inspirational, aspirational and full of heart. There will be something for everyone in this film.”
The J Team follows a young girl named JoJo (Siwa) whose life is turned upside down when her beloved dance coach Val (Soltis) decides to retire and is replaced by a sparkle-hating instructor named Poppy (Campbell-Martin). Wanting to stay in the running for an upcoming dance competition, JoJo and her best friends, The Rubies (Jones, Romero), must try their hardest to abide by Poppy’s new, harsh rules. Realizing she cannot hide her sparkle or bow anymore, JoJo is kicked out of her dance troupe and must rediscover what dancing means to her.
Timed to the release of the movie will be an original soundtrack featuring six new songs from Siwa and more.
Nickelodeon superstar JoJo Siwa is a YouTube sensation, pop star, dancer, entrepreneur, social media influencer, and The New York Times bestselling author. Siwa connects with her fans through many channels: via social media, she has over 12.1 million subscribers with over 3.5 billion views on YouTube, she has over 10.4 million followers on Instagram, over 596,200 Twitter followers, over 31.9 million followers on TikTok, and over 696,000 followers on Facebook; through her SIWANATORZ club, which stands against negativity and bullying; through her global reach of consumer products including her signature bows, accessories, apparel, arts and crafts, cosmetics, home goods and party supplies; and with her hugely popular singles, “Boomerang,” which has been viewed over 934 million times and RIAA certified multi-platinum, “Kid in a Candy Store,” which is RIAA certified gold, “Hold The Drama”, and “D.R.E.A.M”.
Siwa recently won her third Kids’ Choice Award for “Favorite Social Music Star.” Her previous Choice Awards include “Favorite Viral Music Artist” in 2017 and “Favorite Musical YouTube Creator” in 2018. She also performed at Kids’ Choice Mexico 2018. In November 2018, Siwa released her first EP, D.R.E.A.M. The Music, featuring four new songs: “D.R.E.A.M,” “My Story,” “Everyday Popstars” and “Only Getting Better.” The music video for “D.R.E.A.M.” was released on Siwa’s YouTube channel and to date has garnered over 131 million views. Due to the success of D.R.E.A.M. The Music, Siwa released a second EP, Celebrate, in April featuring an additional four new songs: “It’s Time To Celebrate,” “#1U,” “Worldwide Party,” and “Bop!” The accompanying music videos for “Bop!” and “It’s Time To Celebrate” have accumulated over 24 million views and 15 million views respectively on her YouTube channel.
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