An Interracial Rom-Com Called 'I Own You'?

Yes, that is definitely a thing. Lionsgate just bought the former short romantic comedy movie, I Own You , and will turn it into a feature-length film. And no, the title is not some sort of misleading joke. The short film and the ensuing feature-length movie will follow an interracial married couple whose lives are turned upside-down when the husband, who is African-American, finds out that his white wife's family owned his family as slaves in the 1800s. And hilarity ensues!

Hopefully, this I Own You will be an interesting exploration of race relations in America: What they were in the past, how far we've come since then, how much further we still need to go, and how they affect people's lives on a daily basis. The script is written (and acted out in the short film) by Gary Anthony Williams, who's done an impressive amount of bit parts and voice acting (most recently in Raising Hope), and Jeannie Roshar, who works as a comedian. Between the two of them, they have an incredible amount of experience, and hopefully a lot of talent when it comes to writing about complex issues.

But there's not a lot of information on the movie out there, besides this website that looks like it was made in 1999. And for a movie called I Own You that has a two-sentence plot description, that's worrisome. Especially since the wife in the movie wields an axe on the poster for the short film.

Because if there's one thing that Hollywood needs more of, it's thoughtful interracial romantic comedies. The very fact that there was a remake of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, a movie released in the '60s, less than a decade ago is telling of how little interracial romantic comedies in Hollywood have grown and changed. As much promise as an opportunity for a movie like I Own You holds, most of the signs right now point disappointingly to the status quo.