Another Black-owned studio diving into the sci-fi and horror genre! We love to see it. Last night during the 2025 BET Awards, we got our first look at the trailer for RUN, a new sci-fi suspense thriller starring Marques Houston that mixes extraterrestrial chaos with horror.
Set to hit theaters nationwide on August 29, RUN is the next leap for Chris Stokes and his Black-owned studio, Footage Films, the minds behind over 23 #1 Tubi Originals and the early 2000s cult classic You Got Served.
What’s It About?
RUN kicks off with what seems like your average post-breakup getaway. When Melissa (played by Annie Ilonzeh) leaves her man at the altar, her crew decides a girls’ getaway is exactly what she needs. A remote cabin. Some wine. No cell service. You know the vibe.
But things take a very sharp left when one of the girls turns up dead in the woods, and that’s just the beginning. The friend group soon realizes they’re not alone… and we’re not just talking bears or creepy locals. We’re talking full-on alien invasion, advanced tech, and unexplainable lights in the sky.
As the trailer shows, “running” might be their only chance for survival and even that might not be enough.
A Black Sci-Fi Moment
If the trailer’s any indication, RUN is coming with major energy: eerie sound design, rapid-fire pacing, and some next-level CGI that includes a spaceship reveal so intense, it already has Twitter (sorry, X) chatting.
The film stars a stacked cast, including Houston, Erica Mena, Drew Sidora, Claudia Jordan, Erica Pinkett, Ken Lawson, and Obba Babatundé. Stokes also co-wrote the script with Houston, continuing a long-standing creative partnership that’s been behind some of the most viral streaming hits on Tubi.
This time, though, it’s bigger than streaming. Footage Films is going full theatrical with RUN, and it’s not just a milestone for the studio—it’s a cultural move. We don’t see nearly enough Black-led sci-fi thrillers on the big screen, especially ones that center Black women and tap into horror, genre tropes, and survival-mode action.
Footage Films Isn’t Playing
Footage Films has quietly become one of the most consistent producers of binge-worthy Black content in recent years, racking up over 2 billion hours of streaming. With RUN, they’re leveling up.
Stokes is clearly aiming to carve out a lane in sci-fi horror the same way he did with urban dance flicks and streaming dramas. And if the crowd reaction to last night’s trailer drop is any clue, he just might pull it off.
RUN hits theaters on August 29. Check out the trailer.
