True To The Game 3 - What We Know So Far
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In 2017, "True to the Game" opened as the No. 1 independent movie, earning back half the film's budget in just the first weekend (via Broadway World) even though it only opened on 419 screens. Despite some less-than-sparkling reviews, per The New York Times, a sequel seemed like a no-brainer — and since the movie was based on an originally self-published book series by Teri Woods, there was plenty of material for a new installment. "True to the Game 2: Gena's Story" was released in fall 2020 and — like its predecessor — also made over $1 million overall despite being in less than 300 theaters during pandemic times, according to Box Office Mojo, although it also debuted on streaming services not long after. Now, that sequel is being followed by a third movie in short order.
"True to the Game 3" is expected soon, albeit in a limited fashion just like the previous films. In fact, AMC Theaters already has a page up promoting the movie. If you're wanting to know more about this urban romantic thriller and what to expect when it debuts, you're going to want to read on.
Updated August 19, 2021: This article has been updated to reflect a change in the release date.
What is the release date of True to the Game 3?
Early on, a rumor circulated that "True to the Game 3" would be released in U.S. theaters on August 13, 2021. That would have been less than a year since the first sequel released in November 2020. Producer Manny Halley announced on Instagram in January that the movie was supposed to come out on May 28 in both theaters and on streaming services, so even that date would have meant some kind of delay. At the time, he said he was putting "final touches" on the project, but has not reported a new release date since.
The August 13 date came and went, and now crowd-sourced sites like IMDb are reporting an unconfirmed and unofficial February 11, 2022 release date. It is also unclear if the film will also be available on streaming services, as the last one was just days after it opened. A video-on-demand debut would definitely increase the movie's audience, though, as it'll probably be only available in a few select theaters around the country.
If you're interested in catching up with the previous "True to the Game" films, they are available on various platforms as streaming rentals or purchases. You can find them on Amazon Prime, YouTube Movies, Fandango Now, and Hulu Live TV, among others. Hopefully that February date will prove true.
Who is in the cast of True to the Game 3?
The cast of "True to the Game 3" includes Erica Peeples as Gena, Columbus Short as Quadir, Darius McCrary as Detective Joe Davis, Iyana Halley as Bria, Jeremy Meeks as Saleem, Jeremy Miller as Detective Derek, Kinyumba Mutakabbir as Detective Grant, Kris Lofton as Terrell, Niatia "Lil Mama" Kirkland as Alia, Andra Fuller as Jerrell, Omar Gooding as Nino, and Starletta DuPois as Gah-Git. Vivica A. Fox, who played Shoog in the first two installments of the trilogy, doesn't seem to be returning for the third movie.
The film is being directed by David Wolfgang, who has also worked on "Dutch," another Woods book-turned-movie. There's still a lot we don't know about "True to the Game 3," though. Despite the fact that the movie supposedly releases in just a couple of months, the marketing hasn't started up yet and the Twitter page and website are still focused on the previous project. Hopefully, that changes and we get a lot more information in the coming months.
What is the plot of True to the Game 3?
The "True to the Game" movies focus on a young woman named Gena from Philadelphia, who tries to live a non-flashy life with her grandmother Gah-Git until she meets drug dealer Quadir and gets caught up in his world: the events of that film leave him seemingly dead. In the second movie, Gena tries to pick up the pieces of her life by moving to L.A., but rival gang leader Jerrell has decided to follow her for the sake of all that money Quadir left behind.
The end of "True to the Game 2" left some hanging plot threads, which will hopefully be addressed in this new film. Most notably, the once-thought-dead Quadir turns out to be Gena's savior. According to the movie's description on AMC, Quadir gives her 72 hours to go to Philly and check on her cousin Bria and Gah-Git. The feds are putting pieces together and crooked cops are running loose on the streets. Meanwhile, Bria's boyfriend Saleem can't reach Jerrell and it looks like there's a snitch in the crew. Basically, Quadir and Gena have to escape Jerrell and get through some havoc — including being stalked by a mysterious killer— before they can start a new life together.
There's definitely a bit of a soap opera-style narrative here. But, if the story ends up like the book, it should provide plenty of action and a satisfying ending for fans of the Quadir-Gena relationship, not to mention the series as a whole.