Breaking News as Reported by Variety ‘Chris Stokes Signs Exclusive 20 Picture Deal with New Streaming Platform Turnstr+<\/p>\n
\n Most Directors spend years chasing a single greenlight, Chris Stokes has built an empire —-57 directed titles, multiple platform deals, and a production machine that doesn’t slow down for anyone. He’s not just making films;he manufactures culture. <\/p>\n
“I’m excited to scale up another platform – I have an eye for what’s new and what people love to see. I believe in what I do and it shows up in my work, the fans always show up,” Chris Stokes- Variety<\/p>\n
LOS ANGELES, CA, April 23, 2026 \/24-7PressRelease\/ — The visionary director debuts his new film “Forever This Ring” on the platform at launch \u2014 and he’s just getting started.<\/p>\n
THE ANNOUNCEMENT
\nIn a deal that is already sending shockwaves through the streaming entertainment industry, acclaimed director and producer Chris Stokes has signed an exclusive 20-picture deal with the newly launched streaming platform Turnstr+. The landmark agreement was first reported exclusively by Variety, confirming Stokes as one of the most sought-after independent content architects in the business today.<\/p>\n
The partnership will kick off in explosive fashion: Stokes’ highly anticipated new film, “Forever This Ring,” will serve as the platform’s flagship debut title when Turnstr+ officially goes live on October 2. With a powerhouse ensemble cast and a premise that grips from the first frame, the film is already positioned to make Turnstr+ a household name on day one.<\/p>\n
Prior to this was Stokes’ 40-picture deal with Tubi in which every single thriller produced so far has not disappointed viewers. Now let’s reflect on the career of one of the most accomplished black Directors in the industry’s career. Adding the 20 EXCLUSIVE ORIGINAL PICTURES, 57 TITLES DIRECTED IN CAREER, and numerous movies on TV One and BET Platforms over the years. <\/p>\n
Oct 2 TURNSTR+ PLATFORM LAUNCH
\nTHE DEBUT FILM
\n“Forever This Ring”
\nTWISTED PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER<\/p>\n
About the Film:
\nMaveric Collins \u2014 a successful entrepreneur and self-proclaimed playboy \u2014 has always sworn he’d never walk down the aisle. Then he meets the woman of his dreams and everything changes. But after the vows are exchanged, a terrifying truth begins to surface: she is not who he thought she was. A perfect marriage collapses into a waking nightmare. The question hanging over every scene: “Will the woman he once loved go away calmly \u2014 or will this end in a deadly divorce?”<\/p>\n
Chris Stokes is kicking the door down. “Forever This Ring” \u2014 featuring a powerhouse ensemble cast : Taye Diggs, Loretta Devine, Erica Mena, Marques Houston, Malik Whitfield, and La’Myia Good \u2014 will serve as Turnstr+’s flagship debut title the moment the platform goes live on October 2, 2026.<\/p>\n
Twenty pictures—One platform–Zero hesitation<\/p>\n
This is what separates Chris Stokes from every other director in the independent film space \u2014 he doesn’t just show up, he transforms every platform he touches into a destination. From concept to camera to closing credits, Stokes operates at a frequency most filmmakers never reach in an entire career, let alone a single deal cycle.<\/p>\n
To every producer and director watching: the GOAT just raised the bar \u2014 again.<\/p>\n
“I’m excited to scale up another platform \u2014 I believe I have an eye for what’s new and what people love to see. I believe in what I do and it shows up in my work, and the fans always show up. As I help catapult Turnstr+ Originals to the next level, I’m continuing a strong partnership with Tubi, and looking forward to pushing boundaries together as we expand into Turnstr+. We’ve done it before, and we’re about to do it again.”\u2014 CHRIS STOKES, AS QUOTED EXCLUSIVELY IN VARIETY (in an article written by Payton Turkeltaub) <\/p>\n
A PROVEN PLATFORM BUILDER
\nStokes is no stranger to turning streaming platforms into cultural destinations. As the founder and chairman of Footage Films, he has an unmatched record of launching original content that breaks out across platforms. Footage Films is the independent production powerhouse behind marquee Tubi and BET+ Originals including “The Stepdaughter,” “Forever Us,” “Vicious Affair,” the blockbuster “The Stepmother” franchise, and “Sacrifice.”<\/p>\n
At Footage Films, Marques Houston serves as CEO and Juanita Stokes serves as President \u2014 a tight-knit leadership team that has proven time and again it knows how to deliver content audiences crave. Stokes also maintains a strong ongoing partnership with Tubi, and sees the Turnstr+ deal as a natural, additive extension of that momentum \u2014 not a departure from it.<\/p>\n
Over a prolific career spanning 57 directed titles, Stokes has helmed culturally resonant films including “You Got Served,” “Rockabye,” “Adopted,” “Run,” and “Snatched,” among many others.<\/p>\n
WHAT’S NEXT IN THE PIPELINE
\nEven as the ink dries on this landmark deal, Stokes shows no signs of slowing down. His upcoming slate includes:
\n“Hijacked”
\n \u2014 starring Tremayne Norris
\n“I Didn’t Do It”
\n \u2014 starring Jackie Long
\n“Night Shift”
\n \u2014 starring Apryl Jones<\/p>\n
THE BOTTOM LINE
\nChris Stokes has built empires for BET+ and Tubi. Now, with an exclusive 20-picture commitment to Turnstr+, he’s doing it again \u2014 from scratch, with the same instincts that made him one of independent Black cinema’s most reliable hitmakers. The platform’s October 2 launch, anchored by “Forever, This Ring,” is not just a premiere; it is a declaration of intent.<\/p>\n
The streaming wars just got a new player \u2014 and Chris Stokes came to win.<\/p>\n
At Footage Films, Marques Houston serves as CEO and Juanita Stokes serves as President.<\/p>\n
Media Contact \u2014 Footage Films<\/p>\n
Juanita Stokes, President
\nFootage Films
\n[email\u00a0protected]<\/a>
\nPlatform Press \u2014 Turnstr+<\/p>\n