Tracee Ellis Ross isn’t ready for her swan song in a new trailer for “The High Note.” Nisha Ganatra’s latest sees the “Black-ish” actress playing a superstar singer whose management team is pressuring her to do a Vegas residency. Grace (Ross) realizes that everyone else would be happy with her “doing the same show every night,” but she can’t help but wonder if there’s “something more.” Her personal assistant, Maggie (Dakota Johnson), is similarly desperate to believe that there’s something more out there for her.
Overworked and underappreciated, Maggie has spent the past three years running Grace’s errands and reminding her which city she’s in. Working for the icon is a dream come true for the music lover, but she studied composing and always hoped to produce.
Grace hasn’t recorded an album in a decade and is eager to go back into the studio despite the odds being stacked against her success. “It’s really bleak out there for middle-aged singers,” she explains. “In the history of music, only five women over 40 have ever had a No.1 hit, and only one of them was black.”
While Grace’s management is lacking enthusiasm about the prospect of new music, Maggie isn’t. She’s convinced that’s what the fans want — and is trying to muster up the confidence to ask Grace to produce.
Ellis has received three Emmy nods and won a Golden Globe for her role as Rainbow “Bow” Johnson in “Black-ish,” currently in its sixth season on ABC. “Mixed-ish” and “Girlfriends” are among her other credits.
Best known for the “Fifty Shades of Grey” franchise, Johnson’s other credits include “Bad Times at the El Royale” and “Suspiria.”
Ganatra most recently directed “Late Night,” a 2019 comedy inspired by star and screenwriter Mindy Kaling’s experiences working as a writer on “The Office.” Ganatra has directed episodes of “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “Better Things,” and “Girls,” among many other series.
“The High Note” hits theaters May 8. Floria Greeson penned the script. Check out the trailer to see Maggie and Grace in the studio together.
