Julien Neaves, Caribbean Head Writer
Greetings Robo Mango Readers. Big news. Robot Mango Reviews is celebrating seven years today! Whoot whoot! And to commemorate this milestone we are dropping a week of Top 7 lists. And we kick things off in the world of Cariwood, more specifically Trinidad and Tobago, and seven upcoming film and TV projects from the twin-island nation.
This past Monday a photo was released featuring the cast and crew of the upcoming Trinidad and Tobago sitcom Mixed Up. And as a Trini myself and proud promoter of Cariwood (Caribbean content) I thought it would be cool to chat about the show and some other TT TV and film projects currently on the horizon. Here are Seven Upcoming Trinidad and Tobago Film and TV Projects to Get Excited About:
#1 Mixed Up
And since I already mentioned it, let’s start with Mixed Up. A joint production of FilmTT (The Trinidad and Tobago Film Company) and state-owned national television station TTT, it is the winning project of the second edition of FilmTT’s Script to Screen Programme called On Set. The series was created by acclaimed and prolific actor, producer and writer and multiple Cacique Award winner Richard Ragoobarsingh and “surrounds the story of a mixed family of an Indo-Trinbagonian wife, an Afro-Trinbagonian husband and their ethnically mixed children who must make their way through challenges faced in everyday life” (creativett.co.tt).
The cast includes Cacique award-winning veteran actresses Patti-Anne Ali and Penelope Spencer, fellow Cacique Award winner Serran Clarke and young actors like Jarlon George and Bridget Rampersad. With the talent on the screen and behind it, Mixed Up sounds like it will deliver a pleasant sitcom experience. And with Trinis love of comedy and seeing themselves represented onscreen, Mixed Up should be the right mix for local audiences.
#2 Neon Girls
Avid Robo Mango Readers would know that we have covered a lot of content from plucky production house GT Network and their Ville Ventures Universe of web series. From its flagship superhero series Magonolia to Sci Fi action series Vaser Claw to its recent Spy-Fi series Sister Bond, GT has been delivering some of the country’s most unique and daring content. And as a lover of all things science fiction, I am intrigued by their upcoming short Neon Girls, which is co-directed and co-written by the Stan Lee of this universe, Ancil Harris. Neon Girls’ IMDb synopsis states: “In the year 3080, a bounty hunter group known as the Neon Girls, receive a job to capture a time traveler.” With that description they can:
The cast includes Saraswati Ramlogan, who I enjoyed as the colourful alien Commander Azera in Vaser Claw and look forward to seeing again onscreen. RMR will definitely be all over this when it releases later this year.
#3 Max
As we’re on the topic of the Ville Ventures Universe, let’s continue with the short film Max. Created by Ancil Harris and directed and produced by Keyon Byron (the actor behind the mask of local superhero Batchack Man), the film follows the journey of the titular antihero in the underworld of Trinidad and Tobago.
Behind the scenes photos like the one above show actor Keefim Craziihands Rawlins carrying some serious weaponry, so I am hoping for some Punisher-style action. And the cast includes my favourite local femme fatale Sydney Ledger and Jillian Ferguson, who did a fantastic job as the antagonist Dianna in the Batchackman Man: The Peacemakers series, so I am definitely intrigued. Max is scheduled to drop in early 2024.
#4 The Caddy Club
I did a full review on the trailer for musical superhero film The Caddy Club but in case you missed it, here’s a quick rundown. The debut feature film project of TT artist and producer Kafi Kareem, the movie centres on five kids in a vacation golf camp unexpectedly get superpowers when they discover a magical portal.
It’s bright, it’s colourful, it is very Caribbean and I am very excited to see it. You can check out my full review of the teaser trailer below.
Further reading: The Caddy Club Teaser Trailer is Above Par
#5 Welcome to Warlock 2: The New Generation
In my ranking of the Top 5 Trinidad and Tobago Action Movies (I’ll link that for you good folks below) I named 2014 gangster action film Welcome to Warlock: Land of the Lawless as number one. Almost a decade later and we have news of a sequel, Welcome to Warlock: A New Generation from writer/director Jeffrey “DGeneral” Alleyne. In a Facebook live on May 10 Alleyne announced the title and a few other snippets about the movie, including that we may see actors from the original in different roles as many characters died in the first film. He also said he planned to release a trailer, so we should learn more whenever that drops. But if it can recapture the intense, pulse-pounding action of the first film then it will definitely be worth the watch.
You can follow the Facebook page Valleywood to the World to keep updated.
Further reading: The Gritty Gangster Action of Welcome to Warlock
#6 Black Sky
From Michael Rochford, the director of cool action thriller Pendulum, is the upcoming thriller/horror Black Sky. According to an article on Loop TT, the film is set in the 1960s and the “plot surrounds the goings-on within an isolated village involving a scary entity, the arrival of a ‘suspicious drifter’, and what happens afterwards.”
The above teaser trailer was dropped in July last year and looks pretty intense. And it features one of the best local actors in Arnold Goindhan (The Cutlass, Mightier Dan De Sun) so that already has me sold. Whenever the film drops, I will definitely be getting my ticket to check it out. You can follow the Black Sky Facebook page to keep posted.
#7 Jumbie
And we end this list with a project I am extremely excited about, the pilot for the animated series Jumbie. Co-created by husband/wife animation team Dixie-Ann Archer-McBain and Everard McBain via their GemGfx Animation Studios, the series is about a young, black Trini girl named Giselle Anderson who gains the ability to transform into the titular superpowered vigilante.
A trailer and several clips have been released, with the most recent a first look clip on May 13. From that footage it looks to be a very fun, colourful, and action-packed series that will make great and innovative use of Trinidad and Tobago folklore characters (and if you know Trini folklore, you’ll know how rich a world that is). There truly has been nothing like this in TT and I cannot wait to check out and review the full pilot episode when it drops.
You can read a newspaper article on Jumbie by clicking here, watch the trailer by clicking here, and you can keep posted by following GemGfx Animation Studios on their Facebook page.
Further reading: Anime Meets Soca in Outstanding Music Video ‘A Better Tomorrow’
So, that’s my list. Know of any other upcoming Trinidad and Tobago projects? And you can check out more TT content below:
Julien “Editor Jules” Neaves is a TARDIS-flying, Force-using Trekkie whose bedroom stories were by Freddy Krueger, learned to be a superhero from Marvel, but dreams of being Batman. I love promoting Caribbean film (Cariwood), creating board games and I am an aspiring author. I say things like “12 flavours of awesome sauce”. Read more.