The third season of BMF brings new players, new rivals and a racy new venue.
This season is set in the early 1990s, as Meech (Demetrius Flenory Jr.) moves to Atlanta to build the Black Mafia Family empire in the South.
Terry (Da’Vinchi) stays back in Detroit to hold things down and prove he can keep the cash flowing.
As Meech gets the lay of the land in the ATL, he turns to local player Rodney “Greeny” Green (Ne-Yo) for help setting up shop and cleaning his cash.
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Rodney does business out of a strip club called Platinum Palace, where the fully nude dancers are the “crème de la crème,” he tells Meech.
To ensure that the scenes in the club were authentic and safe, the show used an intimacy coordinator — which according to actors’ union SAG-AFTRA is a “movement coach or choreographer in regards to nudity and simulated sex.”
BMF showrunner, executive producer and writer, Heather Zuhlke, said the production took additional steps to make sure the scenes in the club were realistic.
“We also had a dancing consultant, who knew Big Meech [in real life] and she was a dancer, so she was there to keep things authentic. We built a set also. So, we have this beautiful set,” Zuhlke told Urban Hollywood 411.
“I think we did a really great job,” she added.
Zuhlke said she visited the set on days when the crew filmed in the strip club.
“It’s fun to be a female showrunner and to be on set with the women. I wore my heels on those days too,” she said jokingly, but noted that she didn’t go near the poles.
“I’m not that talented. I’m going to keep my talents to the scripts and the writing,” Zuhlke said.
The new season also finds Meech crossing paths with rising hip-hop legends in Atlanta.
“You’re going to see the streets, pro sports and hip hop start to collide,” Zuhlke explained.
This season rappers 2 Chainz, Lil Baby, Saweetie, and The Real Housewives of Atlanta alum Cynthia Bailey all have guest roles on the Starz crime drama.
In addition to Demetrius Flenory Jr. and Da’Vinchi, returning cast members include Russell Hornsby as “Charles Flenory,” Michole Briana White as “Lucille Flenory,” Steve Harris as “Detective Bryant,” Kelly Hu as “Detective Jin,” La La Anthony as “Markisha,” Sydney Mitchell as “LaWanda,” and Laila D. Pruitt as “Nicole Flenory.”
The series is inspired by the true story of Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory and his brother Terry “Southwest T” Flenory. The two siblings rose from the decaying streets of southwest Detroit in the late ’80s to create Black Mafia Family — one of the most influential drug rings in the U.S. until the feds intervened.
Earlier today, Starz announced the series has been renewed for a fourth season.
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson serves as executive producer through his G-Unit Film and Television in association with Lionsgate Television for Starz. Additional executive producers include Anthony Wilson and Anne Clements.
Detroit native Randy Huggins created the show, but stepped back from the production amid serious health complications in 2022.
“Randy is still an executive producer and I keep him updated on everything that’s going on,” Zuhlke said. “Season 3 was his vision that I knew what it was before he had his health complications, so we’ve been able to really run it into the endzone for him this year.”
BMF season 3 premieres Friday, March 1 at midnight on the Starz app. On TV, the new season debuts at 8:00 PM ET/PT on the Starz network in the U.S. and 9:00 PM ET in Canada.
Production on season 4 is slated to begin this spring in Atlanta.
Listen to the interview with Heather Zuhlke below:
