Will Smith Stand-Up Comedy Series ‘This Joka’ Acquired by Quibi
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Will Smith is joining the ever-growing sheaf of Hollywood talent in Quibi’s quiver.
The Jeffrey Katzenberg-founded mobile subscription service announced the acquisition of “This Joka,” a 16-episode stand-up comedy series hosted and executive produced by Smith. Quibi is set to debut next Monday, April 6, with 50-odd shows. For now, there’s no premiere date for Smith’s series.
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There’s a golf tie-in: “This Joka” is a co-production of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Westbrook Media and Topgolf Studios, a unit of golf-venue chain Topgolf Entertainment Group. The show is shot on location at Topgolf’s Las Vegas driving-range venue and other spots across Sin City.
In the show, Smith plays host to a diverse guest list of comedians, ranging from up-and-comers to legendary performers. “This Joka” showcases their stand-up sets and will feature one-on-one conversations between Smith and the comedians plus docu-style moments shot backstage and around Vegas.
Comics featured on “This Joka” include Baron Vaughn, Megan Gailey, Punkie Johnson, Sean Patton, Rosebud Baker, Shane Torres, Clayton English, Christi Chiello, Vanessa Gonzalez, Martin Urbano, Sam Tallent, David Gborie, Jackie Fabulous, Chris Estraded, Rell Battle and Daphnique Springs. There will also be special appearances by George Wallace, Demi Adejuyigbe and Shawn Wasabi.
“Will’s love and respect for stand-up comedy runs deep, and with this series on Quibi, we hope to discover, learn from, and uplift the next generation of diverse comedic talent,” said Terence Carter, co-president of Westbrook Studios.
“This Joka” is directed by Lance Bangs. Executive producers are Will Smith, Miguel Melendez, Terence Carter, Brad Haugen, Lukas Kaiser, Erik Anderson, Chad Nelson and YuChiang Cheng.
The stand-up series is the first project under a broader Westbrook/Topgolf co-production pact. The original productions will be designed to “further engage and grow Topgolf communities around the globe,” according to Topgolf.
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