Key Takeaways
- Nia Long confirmed that Don’t Ever Wonder is not a sequel to Love Jones, despite her reunion with Larenz Tate.
- The Netflix romantic dramedy centers on a couple navigating love during the empty-nester stage of life.
- The Eugene Ashe-directed project includes Blair Underwood, Laz Alonso, and Susan Kelechi Watson, with Maxwell serving as executive producer.
Anyone going into Nia Long and Larenz Tate’s upcoming film, Don’t Ever Wonder, hoping for Love Jones 2 may want to temper those expectations now. On Tuesday (April 21), during her cover story with SELF, the award-winning actress shared what fans should — and definitely shouldn’t — expect from the “romantic dramedy” slated to arrive on Netflix.
While we may have to wait a little while longer for the trailer and release date, Long did share a few details about the Eugene Ashe-directed project, which is inspired by Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite. “This is not a continuation of Love Jones,” she told the publication. “This is a continuation of love, and of what happens once you’ve had your kids, they’re off to college, and you’re empty nesters. And that’s kind of where the story begins.”
So no, it may not be the Love Jones follow-up many fans have been hoping for, but Long did hint that it still carries some of what made the 1997 romance such a cult classic. “There’s a lot of funny, and there’s a lot of heartbreak,” she added. “I think it’s a really honest story.”
‘Don’t Ever Wonder’ has an all-star cast behind Nia Long and Larenz Tate
According to Deadline, the cast of Don’t Ever Wonder also includes Blair Underwood, Laz Alonso, Susan Kelechi Watson, Pauletta Washington, Dennis Haysbert, Chanté Adams, Algee Smith, Grasie Mercedes, Navia Robinson, and Yolonda Ross. Alongside Tate and Long, Maxwell and John D. Hammond serve as executive producers.
After wrapping up production in February, both Tate and Long shared a few more details that might get viewers even more curious about the film. “It’s really a story about love, and relationships, and children, and being empty nesters, and all of the human things that we go through as people and as couples,” she said. The Menace II Society actor added that the project has “a lot of soul.”
‘Don’t Ever Wonder’ isn’t the only major project Nia Long has on the way
The anticipation around Don’t Ever Wonder shouldn’t take away from Long’s next big-screen moment, which some might argue is just as major. On Friday (April 24), moviegoers can see her portray Katherine Jackson in Michael, the highly anticipated biographical drama about the King of Pop.
By now, most people know Jaafar Jackson is playing the titular role of his uncle, Michael Jackson, while Colman Domingo, Tate, Laura Harrier, and more help round out the cast.