Boots Riley, best known as the frontman of The Coup and the writer-director of Sorry to Bother You, is returning to the screen with I Love Boosters, a new film inspired by the title track from The Coup’s 2006 album Pick A Bigger Weapon. The project connects Riley’s music and filmmaking in the same way Sorry to Bother You did, continuing his habit of turning earlier creative ideas into later film projects. Years before Sorry to Bother You became a 2018 feature, Riley had already drafted the screenplay, and The Coup even released an album sharing the film’s title in 2012.
I Love Boosters centers on a crew of professional shoplifters who set their sights on a powerful fashion executive. Riley has described the idea as a story about more than theft or crime, pointing to themes of creativity, survival, and how Black style and culture shape broader trends. He noted that the original song drew on real experiences from the early 1990s, when styles emerging from Black neighborhoods often influenced mainstream fashion and marketing. The film uses that concept as a jumping-off point for a larger social satire about who gets to create culture and who benefits from it.
The cast features a wide ensemble led by Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, Poppy Liu, Eiza González, LaKeith Stanfield, Will Poulter, Demi Moore, Don Cheadle, Jason Ritter, Kara Young, Kerris Dorsey, Eric André, Kate Berlant, and Adam DeVine. Riley has spoken about wanting Palmer to bring a more natural, unfiltered version of herself to the role rather than the polished comedic cadence often expected of her. He said that authenticity would make the humor sharper and the emotional moments stronger, suggesting the film aims to use its cast in ways that reveal new sides of their performances.
The movie is scheduled to premiere in theaters on May 22. With its mix of crime comedy, social commentary, and a cast packed with recognizable names, I Love Boosters extends Riley’s ongoing exploration of capitalism, culture, and resistance through both music and film. The new project also underscores how his work often moves across mediums, with songs, albums, and screenplays feeding into one another over time.
As anticipation builds for the release, the teaser trailer offers the first look at Riley’s latest satirical world. Like much of his work, the film appears to blend sharp political ideas with humor, style, and fast-moving ensemble energy. For fans of The Coup, I Love Boosters brings one of Riley’s older musical ideas back into focus in a new cinematic form, while expanding the conversation he has long been having about identity, commerce, and survival in America.
