Issa Rae is heading back to HBO with a new comedy on male friendship in the world of professional boxing.
The network ordered a pilot for the project, currently known as the “Untitled Male Friendship Show,” according to Variety.
Set in Las Vegas, the half-hour comedy centers on two best friends trying to find success in the boxing industry.
The official description says the show follows “Menzel, a 30-year-old barber, aspiring sports manager and professional best friend to JB, an up-and-coming boxer, as they navigate ambition, insecurity, loneliness and the double-edged sword of success within the high-stakes world of professional boxing in Las Vegas.”
Related: Issa Rae Calls Out Hollywood Execs for Canceling Black Shows
Rae wrote the pilot and will serve as an executive producer through her Hoorae Media company.
The project also reunites her with longtime collaborator Prentice Penny, who served as an executive producer and showrunner on Insecure. Penny will direct the pilot while also serving as showrunner and executive producer.
Jax Clark has joined the project as an executive producer for Hoorae Media, while Jonathan Berry and Dave Becky will executive produce for 3 Arts Entertainment. Penny’s A Penny for Your Thoughts company is also attached.
No casting details have been announced, and HBO has not yet ordered the comedy to series.
The pilot comes 10 years after Insecure premiered on the network in October 2016. The hit series followed Rae’s character Issa Dee and her best friend Molly Carter, portrayed by Yvonne Orji, as they navigated careers and romance in Los Angeles.
The series ran for five seasons before ending in December 2021. Rae later created and executive produced Rap Sh!t about two estranged high school friends who reunited to form a rap group in Miami. The series premiered on HBO Max in 2022, but the streamer canceled it in 2024 after two seasons.
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