Michael Jai White Joins HBCU Martial Arts Drama Paper Made
- Horror Movies Uncut
- Mar 2
- 2 min read
Michael Jai White Joins HBCU Martial Arts Feature Paper Made
as Filming Begins
Michael Jai White is stepping back into the fight.
Per Deadline, the Spawn and The Dark Knight actor has joined the cast of martial arts feature Paper Made, which is currently filming in Tampa, Florida.
White joins a stacked ensemble that includes Myles Truitt (BMF), Taimak (The Last Dragon), Walter E. Jones (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers), Quartay DeNaya (Pizza Guys Vs Vampires), and wrestler Daria Rae Berenato. Newly announced additions include veteran martial artist Marrese Crump, Jaden Lucas Miller (Beyond The Gates), and Zephaniah Terry (Ruthless).
Written and directed by Ryan Watson, who co-wrote the script with Jerron Horton (Forever), Paper Made is set at a fictional HBCU and centers on Tavon Watkins (Truitt), a student who joins a secret fraternity of Black martial artists following a severe hazing incident. What begins as brotherhood quickly hints at something more layered — power, legacy, and the weight of tradition colliding with violence.
The project blends martial arts spectacle with campus-set drama, positioning itself in a space that’s rarely explored onscreen: Black collegiate culture intersecting with disciplined combat tradition.
Behind the camera, the production team includes producers Shaun Greenspan (Amber Alert), Brian Yuran, and Daria Rae Berenato. Taimak and Walter E. Jones will also serve as executive producers alongside Miranda Motlow and Jonathan Blitt. Casting is by Karlie Loland-Ringer.
White, a longtime martial arts presence in genre cinema, brings decades of fight credibility to the film. From cult comic book adaptations to gritty action roles, his involvement signals that Paper Made is aiming for authenticity in its fight choreography and physicality.
Filming is underway in Tampa, with further details expected as production continues.
When you mix HBCU culture, secret fraternities, and martial arts discipline, you’re not just building a fight movie — you’re building mythology.
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