Excitement is building for Whitney Springs, the highly anticipated film from Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free, set to debut on Paramount+ on July 11. New details emerged on Wednesday (March 5), confirming Chloe East and Celeste Octavia as the film’s lead stars.
Produced in collaboration with South Park creators Matt Parker and Trey Stone, the live-action comedy explores racial history through a provocative lens. Stone and Parker will direct the film, which follows a Black intern at a history museum who portrays an enslaved person—only to uncover that his white girlfriend’s ancestors once enslaved his own.
Will Kendrick Lamar Appear in the Film?
A circulating social media poster hints that the HUMBLE. rapper—who made a brief acting debut in Power—might headline the film. However, no official confirmation has been made.
A Unique, Comedy-Driven Take on History
Chloe East, known for Heretic and The Fabelmans, will take on a key role alongside Celeste Octavia, a rising talent with experience doubling for Madonna and appearing in music videos for Oasis and Depeche Mode.
Lamar was previously spotted filming in Pomona, California, adding to speculation about his involvement. Last year, Paramount Pictures CEO Brian Robbins praised the script as both hilarious and refreshingly original, predicting the film would generate major buzz.
Deepfake Transformations & A Creative Collaboration
The South Park team also experimented with deepfake effects, turning Kendrick into various figures, including Kobe Bryant, Will Smith, and O.J. Simpson. In a recent New York Times Magazine interview, Stone revealed they even tested deepfake versions of 2Pac, Kanye West, and Eminem, though some were ultimately left out of the final cut.
With an intriguing premise, high-profile collaborators, and Kendrick Lamar’s creative vision at the helm, Whitney Springs is shaping up to be one of the most talked-about films of the year.
