BET Taps Paula Patton to Star in 'Sacrifice' Original Film

BET Networks has named actress Paula Patton to star in new original, legal-themed film Sacrifice, which will debut on the BET Plus streaming service.

The movie stars Patton (Hitch, Mission Impossible) as a sought after entertainment lawyer navigating the nefarious lives of her rich and famous clients. 

The film, which will debut on BET Plus in 2020 as a backdoor pilot for a potential series, will also star Erica Ash, Juan Antonio, V. Bozeman, Altonio Jackson, Nelson Bonilla, Michael Toland, James Trevena Brown, Liliana Montenegro, Marques Houston, and Josué Ramon Gutierrez.

Sacrifice is executive produced, written and directed by Chris Stokes, with Houston also serving as co-executive producer, according to BET.

“We are thrilled to have Paula and the talented ensemble cast join our first original film on BET+, as we continue to strengthen our commitment to quality storytelling while meeting our audience on all platforms,” said Connie Orlando, head of programming for BET Networks.

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.