You may not remember, but there was a time when movies aimed at black audiences weren’t the lowest level denominator tripe of Tyler Perry films. Way back in 1995, “Waiting to Exhale,” directed by Forest Whitaker and starring Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett, Loretta Devine, Lela Rochon, Dennis Haysbert and Gregory Hines, told the story of four black women dealing with their relationships and men and it touched a cultural nerve. The film was not only a hit at the box office, but it spawned a best-selling soundtrack probably best known for the singles “Exhale (Shoop Shoop)” by Whitney Houston and “Not Gon’ Cry” by Mary J. Blige. And it looks like there’s more adventures on the way for Savannah, Bernadine, Robin and Gloria.
As it’s been recently reported, author Terry McMillan has been talking up a sequel, revealing that a followup — based on her book “Getting to Happy” that picks up on the characters 15 years later — was in the works for 2012, and now there’s more word on movement for the film.
While recently on the show “The Talk” earlier this week to promote this weekend’s “Jumping the Broom,” Angela Bassett said, “It’s preliminary but it’s going to happen, ‘Waiting to Exhale 2‘.”
“[McMillan] wrote ‘Getting to Happy’ and she’s written the screenplay… Loretta, Lela, Whitney (Whitney Houston), Forest. Forest is working on the script now,” she added presumably confirming that the cast members from the first film will be back with Whitaker once again helming and pitching in on the writing.
Even as Bassett notes, it’s probably all a bit early right now, but clearly movement is happening and you know, while it might not be up our alley, it’ll be nice to have a film on screens with a bit more ambition and class than Perry’s oeuvre.
