Kori Barnes 
Atlanta is known for having some of the best movie premieres to debut in this growing entertainment city. After being invited to attend the private screening of Fantasy Football and covering the red carpet, the atmosphere was calming and exciting as everyone prepared to watch this film from Marsai Martin’s production company.
In 2020, Martin became the youngest Hollywood executive producer to work on a major production at 16-years-old. Additionally, she set a Guinness World Record for this achievement. After receiving previous praise for her acting abilities and contributions to different projects, this new release definitely showcases that Martin is just getting started in Hollywood. Surprisingly, the film Fantasy Football wasn’t as cheesy or corny as many may assume because it’s family-friendly. However, the concept was definitely intriguing. What would you do if you’re just a teenage girl trying to figure out who you are in high school, but on a random night you and your father get struck by lightning and then you’re able to control and advance his athletic abilities while playing video games when he performs at his NFL games? Did you follow that? Yes, this film definitely caught my attention.
Another interesting aspect of the film that I appreciate from Martin is that she made sure to showcase women and men in STEM. According to cnn.com, “Martin sees the role in which her character also makes friends with the robotics club team members at her new school as more than just fun with its positive message about diversity in technology. “I’ve met so many girls who are into technology and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) or are all about Black girls coding,” she said. “It’s important to shine a light on it because it’s a very big deal. It’s all about representation.” Martin continuously does an incredible job of inclusiveness regardless of the field within and out of her career.
After saying “hello ” and passing by Kelly Roland in the theater at the Atlanta premiere, I had a feeling that she, Martin, and Omari Hardwick did an incredible job on the film. I had to do research on the film before I attended, and fans might be surprised at Harwick’s previous athletic career. According to cnn.com, “Before he became famous for his work in roles like James “Ghost” St. Patrick on “Power,” the Savannah, Georgia native played as a defensive back at the University of Georgia and later tried out with the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent. “It feels incredible to be right back here at home,” Hardwick said. “This is obviously my hometown team…but I never got to play for the Falcons. With this film, I got to do my thing.”
In order to prepare for the film, all three of these leading stars had to practice football and get actual footage at the Mercedes Benz stadium in Atlanta. What’s a better way to make the film more authentic? If you haven’t seen Fantasy Football just yet, go check it out online at Paramount+ right now.
By Kori Barnes, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Instagram: @korixnicole
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