SZA and Keke Palmer to Lead Sequel to “One of Them Days”

Black cinema has long carried the power to reflect and reimagine the lives we live. And every now and then, a film comes along that feels less like fiction and more like a mirror. That’s exactly what One of Them Days did when it debuted in early 2025—and now, fans have reason to celebrate.

Issa Rae’s production company HOORAE and TriStar Pictures have officially confirmed a sequel is in development, with Keke Palmer and SZA reprising their roles as two South LA women navigating friendship, betrayal, and professional rebirth in a world that never lets up.

The original film was a surprise hit, grossing over $50 million and earning a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics praised its unapologetic tone and fresh lens on Black womanhood—funny without being foolish, dramatic without trauma porn. The sequel is expected to build on this foundation, with screenwriter Syreeta Singleton and director Lawrence Lamont returning to helm the project.

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Plot details are under wraps, but early reports suggest the sequel will explore motherhood, money, and the emotional cost of ambition. In a media landscape that often reduces Black women to tropes, One of Them Days carved space for multidimensional, complex characters—and fans are ready for more.

Culturally, this announcement is bigger than box office numbers. It signifies that Black women’s stories, especially those written and directed by Black creatives, have market power. It affirms that our laughter, our pain, our banter, our rituals—are cinematic. And it gives us something that’s often denied: continuity. A sequel means we didn’t just matter once. We mattered enough to come back.

Production is expected to begin in early 2026, with a tentative release date set for summer 2027. Until then, the anticipation builds—and so does the legacy of a film that reminds us: we may have “one of them days,” but our stories? They keep going.