Will Power with Will Packer

Cool Soror with Rashan Ali

You will be intrigued by the latest edition of The Cool Soror Podcast and our Cool Bruh Feature with Will Packer. A dedicated member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., this St. Petersburg, Florida native is and has been making major moves in Hollywood and beyond.

He is the Founder and CEO of Will Packer Media, a first-of-its-kind media company, producing episodic scripted and unscripted series across television and digital platforms, compelling content for brand clients, and its own operated platforms.

Prior to founding Will Packer Media, the Emmy® nominated Producer established himself as one of Hollywood’s blockbuster hit makers with nine of his films opening number one at the box office. In 2013, Packer signed first-look production deals with Universal Pictures and Universal Television. Under both deals, he develops new projects for the studios under his Will Packer Productions banner. Packer’s number one films include Ride Along 2 (2016), No Good Deed (2014), Think Like A Man Too (2014), Ride Along (2014), Think Like A Man (2012), Takers (2010), Obsessed (2008) and Stomp The Yard (2007).

Packer’s latest number one comedy, Girls Trip, debuted in theaters on July 21, 2017. It was the best start for an R-rated comedy in two years, and the largest opening Live Action Comedy of 2017, earning over $100 Million at the Box Office. It was the first film to do so produced, directed, written by, and starring African Americans. In August 2015, he served as an executive producer on Straight Outta Compton, a biopic of the rap group N.W.A, that opened number one at the box office, grossed an astounding $201 million, became the biggest ever August debut for an R-rated movie and the best opening weekend for a music biopic—EVER.

His most successful film to date is Universal’s Ride Along, starring Ice Cube and Kevin Hart, that opened number one at the box office in 2014 with record-breaking receipts totaling $48.6 million during the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday weekend opening of the film, making it one of the biggest January opening box office tallies of all time. The film also went on to be number one at the box office for three consecutive weeks and grossed over $154 million worldwide. Ride Along 2 debuted in theaters on January 15, 2016 unseating Star Wars: The Force Awakens from the number one slot.

In August 2015, Think Like A Man, the film adaptation of Steve Harvey’s bestselling book, ‘Act Like A Lady, Think Like a Man’ grossed over $96 million worldwide and won the 2013 BET Award for Best Movie. Stomp The Yard held at number one for two weekends and received the 2007 Movie of the Year honors from the BET Hip Hop Awards while Obsessed, featuring mega-star Beyoncé, was Screen Gems’ third highest opening in company history when it debuted. Packer also enjoyed the success of his holiday film This Christmas (2007) which grossed nearly $50 million worldwide as well as About Last Night (2014) that hit theaters during Valentine’s Day weekend and opened as the #1 romantic comedy in America. His film The Wedding Ringer, starring Hart and Josh Gad, holds the world record as the number one R-rated comedy opening in January. Most recently, his second holiday film; Almost Christmas, opened as the #1 comedy in America. Collectively, Will Packer’s films have grossed over $900 million.

With television and new media under his belt as well, he truly understands that it takes more than luck to accomplish any of this. It takes God’s blessings and a whole bunch of “WILL POWER.” Will Packer is that personified.

Social Media: IG: @willpowerpacker www.willpackermedia.com