BET+ Legal Thriller “SACRIFICE” Starring Paula Patton Picked Up to Series

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BET announced that legal thriller “SACRIFICE” starring Paula Patton (“Precious,” “Traffik”) has been picked up to series. The movie, which served as a back-door pilot, launched on BET+ in December 2019 and was the first original film on the streaming service. “SACRIFICE” takes place in Los Angeles following Daniella Hernandez (Patton), a highly sought-after entertainment lawyer, as she navigates the nefarious lives of her rich and famous clients. Patton will resume her role in the 10-episode series, accompanied by returning cast members Marques Houston, James Trevena Brown, Veronika Bozeman, Altonio Jackson, Liliana Montenegro, Michael Toland, and Nelson Bonilla. “SACRIFICE” marks the first film made to series from executive producers Chris Stokes and Marques Houston for Footage Films.

“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 Paula Patton. “It is a wonderful experience to work with our cast and crew to create characters and stories that entertain and move people.”

“We’re thrilled to expand our hit movie, Sacrifice, into a compelling new original series,” said Traci Blackwell, Executive Vice President, Scripted Programming, BET. "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.”

“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 Chris Stokes, Chairman, Footage Films. “When I created the show, the only woman I could see playing the role of Daniella was Paula Patton. Sacrifice’s big cliffhangers, coupled with incredible acting, is sure to keep viewers completely locked in!”

The series will delve deeper into Daniella’s complicated personal life. She is a recovering alcoholic who compensates for her suppressed addiction with men and the adrenaline of defending the worst in the entertainment world against an over-zealous D.A. sworn to bring them all to justice. Daniella’s unimpeachable clients need her help, wisdom and resourcefulness – as do all the corrupt ones. She is the classic conundrum of doing good for bad reasons and doing bad for good reasons. Maybe it’s luck, maybe it’s skill, maybe it’s because she’s beautiful, but Daniella gets away with it… so far.

Patton is an award-winning actress and producer. She is known for her roles in blockbuster feature films such as “Mission Impossible,” “Baggage Claim,” “Warcraft,” and opposite Denzel Washington in “Déjà Vu” and “2 Guns.” Some of her most notable work includes her role in the award-winning film “Precious” which earned her a nomination from the Screen Actors Guild. Her latest films include “Traffik” and the recently released “Four Kids and It.” Paula is represented by ICM Partners, Management Production Entertainment and Ziffren Brittenham.

The “SACRIFICE” movie was executive produced, written, and directed by Chris Stokes. Marques Houston also served as the film’s co-executive producer for Footage Films. For the series, Kevin Arkadie will join them as executive producer and showrunner while Patton will serve as co-executive producer.

For more information about “SACRIFICE” visit BET.com. Also, join the conversation on all social platforms using hashtags: #SacrificeFilm.

About BET

BET, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc. (NASDAQ: VIACA, VIAC), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African American audience. The primary BET channel is in 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, sub-Saharan Africa and France. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions including BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET HER, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.

ABOUT FOOTAGE FILMS:

Footage Films is passionately founded on the principle that "life is the length of a plethora of scenes," a mantra strongly believed by Chris Stokes. Footage Films was founded in 2015, by Chris Stokes, to pursue stories objectively, entertain viewers, tell diverse stories and execute the highest possible standards artistically, creatively and technically. Its mission is to deliver high-quality, multi-cultural, fiction/non-fiction programming and production for digital audio/visual media, theatrical, and broadcast television. The company's content creation takes many forms, from motion pictures to broadcast entertainment, producing content to creative programming, scoring to emerging platforms. Our work's common thread is a firm commitment to the choreography of emotions and ideas on film. Footage Films movies are life documented. Netflix is currently streaming several movies released by Footage Films and directed by Chris Stokes amongst them, the romantic comedy "Boy Bye," and the dramatic thrillers "We Belong Together" and "Running Out Of Time," starring Tasha Smith. Other projects currently in the Footage Films pipeline include "Always and Forever," starring Wood Harris, Lauren London, and Loretta Devine. Also joining the roster of productions are, "Howard High," an Urban Musical/Drama with the feel of a modern-day "Fame" meets "Glee," "Triggered" and the heartfelt drama "Wake Up William." http://www.footage-films.com