Keke Palmer Starring in New Universal Comedy, Kevin Hart Producing

Keke Palmer is about to star in a new comedy. On Thursday, reports revealed that Palmer is set to star in and produce The Backup, a new feature comedy in the works at Universal. The film will also be produced by Kevin Hart and Bryan Smiley with their Hartbeat banner, Sharon Palmer through Palmer’s Big Boss Entertainment, and Autumn Bailey-Ford with Autumn Bailey Entertainment. Hartbeat’s Patricia Braga and Kayla Stamps are executive producing. A director is not currently attached.

Written by Chris Brew and Jordan Gouveia, the script for The Backup follows a player, Ben, who decides he’s finally ready to settle down with his childhood friend Alyssa (Palmer). Unfortunately, she reveals she’s engaged to a handsome billionaire and needs him to be her best man. This in turn sets in motion Ben going to the wedding in Maui with his boys to outshine her fiancé and win her back.

Will Keke Palmer play Rogue?

In recent months, one possible future project for Palmer has been the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s eventual take on the X-Men, as fans have campaigned for her to portray Anna Marie / Rogue on the big screen. While Palmer has leaned into that, even dressing up as the character for Halloween, she recently told ComicBook.com that nothing is confirmed just yet. 

“That’s confidential, sugar,” Palmer told ComicBook.com. “No, I’m kidding. I don’t know. I just know that the fans, the way that the fans have me booked, honey, online, I got to do a gig every week. So if we’re adding Marvel to it, hey, let’s do it. I’m ready for Rogue.”

“Marvel cannot have her. She’s ours. No, you’re allowed to do what you need to do,” Peele joked. “They’d be lucky to have her. Let me tell you something, just as a Keke endorsement for whoever is trying to work with her. When I looked into working with her, I thought she was Emerald because she’s so fun. I thought that that spark and that charisma, when I met her, it got flipped in my head because her ability to analyze script is one of the best I’ve ever met. I instantly found that out and I told you that when you came back and started talking to me about the script. So you have a very special actor. I feel like a lot of people might think that you’re fun, but it’s a different level. It’s a different level going on here.”

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