There’s a distinction between watching chemistry on-screen and feeling it behind the scenes, and with Operation: Aunties, it’s clear this forged didn’t simply play ride-or-dies, they lived it. Directed by Emmy-winning actress Wendy Raquel Robinson and starring Melissa De Sousa (The Greatest Man), Tisha Campbell (Martin, Act Your Age), and Amiyah Scott (Star), the upcoming ALLBLK authentic follows three ladies who tackle a digital-age trafficking ring with brains, bravery, and Black lady grit.
Supply: Operation Aunties / ALLBLK
The movie follows a professor-turned-cyber-vigilante who groups up together with her detective bestie and tech-savvy niece to take down a trafficking ring hiding on the darkish internet. It’s motion, mind, and auntie intuition rolled into one high-stakes mission. Earlier than the movie premieres on July 11, I had the possibility to speak with the celebrities, and their bond was loud and clear from the beginning.
Operation: Aunties follows Dr. Carol Cleavers (Melissa De Sousa), a professor and blockchain skilled whose household is shaken by an tried trafficking incident. When legislation enforcement drags its ft, Carol takes issues into her personal palms—teaming up together with her ride-or-die finest buddy, retired detective Sharon O’Hara (Tisha Campbell), and her tech-genius niece Aminah (Amiyah Scott). Collectively, they turn into cyber-age vigilantes, navigating the darkish internet, coded networks, and high-stakes hazard in pursuit of justice.
Can You Think about a 10-Day Shoot: “We had an excessive amount of enjoyable”
Some units are all enterprise—however this one ran on sisterhood, help, and laughter.
“We had a lot enjoyable,” Melissa De Sousa instructed BOSSIP’s Lauryn Bass. “We had an excessive amount of enjoyable. Wendy is our enjoyable chief… I’ve labored with Wendy 20 years in the past, and so we got here again collectively. It was like a reunion.”
Supply: Operation Aunties / ALLBLK
She continued to elucidate the wonderful bond and camaraderie shared on set, which you’ll be able to see is true within the post-movie credit.
“Tisha, I had by no means labored with, however I’ve met Tisha—we’ve been on this enterprise collectively for the years. So I used to be simply so excited to lastly work together with her. After which we met Amiyah. I noticed her on Star. I beloved her on Star, and she or he’s simply so stunning and candy… Enjoying her aunt was really easy, as a result of I simply instantly felt like household together with her. We simply linked on a stupendous stage, and that’s very uncommon on this enterprise.”
Tech Speak Had Us Struggling: “Steve Jobs would come up out the grave and say assist me”
Whereas the camaraderie was pure, the script’s tech language required some actual homework.
Supply: Operation Aunties / ALLBLK
“I undoubtedly needed to learn up,” Melissa admitted. “I checked out definitions, as a result of I don’t know something about cryptocurrency or the darkish internet… even after studying the definitions, it was so laborious to stay in my mind. I’m simply to date faraway from, like, present world… even memorizing the traces was type of laborious for me. It actually was as a result of it was so technical.”
Wendy Raquel Robinson, who directed the movie and helped form the script, shared how far the workforce needed to go to make the fabric click on:
“That script was so on the market. I stated, ‘Hear, no one’s going to establish with this. I don’t care who it’s—Steve Jobs would come up out the grave and say assist me.’ However we needed to actually make it—not solely in layman’s phrases. We nonetheless stored it elevated, however we wished to attach with the viewers as a lot as potential.”
Tisha added that her position within the film felt near residence.
“My complete household is blue collar… cops, captains, lieutenants. Some are navy. So I’m round it on a regular basis—however this was nonetheless completely different.”
The Stress Was Actual: “I wished to cry some days”
Motion pictures are popping up rapidly today! This shoot was fast—ten days flat—however the calls for had been heavy, particularly when it got here to nailing the dialogue.
Supply: Operation Aunties / ALLBLK
“Like, I wished to cry some days due to the technical stuff I needed to say,” Melissa shared. “As a result of I used to be scared… we’ve to get it performed. And I used to be so harassed as a result of I couldn’t bear in mind it. I’ve by no means stated these phrases… so overseas to me.”
Nonetheless, in response to Amiyah Scott, the atmosphere helped steadiness the depth:
“I feel that the comfortability on the set made issues quite a bit simpler. I felt like we had been all targeted on the identical aim. I really feel like we had an incredible vibe. So although it was brief and although it was intense at occasions, I feel that we actually coasted via it, as a result of we had been all tunnel-visioned on the identical aim, everyone.”
Wendy added that, at occasions, the laughter took over.
“If you bought these two humorous women clowning, I used to be like, ‘Y’all, please come on. We gotta convey it again.’ There have been moments… even myself, they’d wrangle me in. Thank God I had an incredible AD who simply stored us on-line.”
Illustration With out Labels:“We simply need folks to see us”
When it got here time to mirror on the story’s bigger influence, every girl made it clear: this isn’t simply one other motion comedy. It’s illustration performed proper.
Supply: Operation Aunties / ALLBLK
“It’s simply so good to see African American ladies not be labeled,” Tisha stated. “To be their genuine selves—mental, good, humorous, comedic, dramatic… you have got it multi function. And there’s motion as effectively. I simply need folks to see us.”
Wendy added how well timed this film is.
“There may be a lot occurring on this world… to remember, to be current, to look at your again, to be vigilant, to be a vigilante. This story is grounded in reality.”
Melissa emphasised how true this story is and the way it’s wanted.
“Tales like this have occurred and proceed to occur. Bringing the tech world with folks of colour—I feel is necessary, as a result of we’re not seen in that house. I’m comfortable about that and happy with that.”
Click on, Hack, Serve: “Talking Tech-a-neese” By no means Regarded This Good
After watching a particular screener of Operation: Aunties, I can say firsthand that the movie is present, inventive, and stuffed with distinction. The mixing of real-time chats and onscreen messages made it really feel refreshingly new. One minute I used to be laughing, the subsequent, I needed to hit pause and sit in shock… as a result of what? The pacing stored me on the sting of my seat.
The manufacturing regarded clear, the ladies regarded so good, and their performances delivered—as a result of they’re all seasoned actresses who know find out how to maintain consideration. Seeing them collectively on display was not solely entertaining, it was highly effective.
However what hit hardest? The portrayal of Black ladies in STEM. These characters weren’t watered down. They had been profitable, mental, and well-spoken with out ever sounding Eurocentric. They owned tech, their careers, and their voices. That type of illustration isn’t simply refreshing—it’s needed.
Past the efficiency and plot, Operation: Aunties reminds us that we will’t afford to disregard the place know-how is taking us. It’s time to have actual conversations—not simply concerning the risks of the darkish internet, however about cryptocurrency, AI, digital privateness, and the way they intersect with our day by day lives. That is the brand new period. It does exist–and other people must be conscious.
Operation: Aunties premieres Friday, July 11, solely on ALLBLK. This one’s for the group chats, the aunties, the techies—and anybody bored with seeing Black ladies boxed in.
