Bengals Cornerback Ceyair Wright Cast Opposite Storm Reid in Teyana Taylor's 'Get Lite'
Ceyair Wright, who left the Cincinnati Bengals training camp to pursue acting, has signed on to star in the dance film 'Get Lite' directed by Teyana Taylor for Paramount. He will appear alongside Storm Reid, with production starting in New York later this month. The movie is scheduled for release on Aug. 20, 2027.
Wright’s path to this role blends two demanding careers. He played Darius James in *Space Jam: A New Legacy* and had a recurring part on *Grown-ish*, while also earning All-Big Ten honorable mention at Nebraska before signing with Cincinnati as an undrafted free agent in 2026. His departure from training camp followed the team’s first preseason game, making this film commitment a decisive pivot.
The project has deep roots in dance culture. Director Teyana Taylor, an Oscar nominee for *One Battle After Another*, began choreographing music videos as a teenager, including work for Beyoncé. The screenplay originated from Eric Gross’s 2020 Black List spec script, later adapted by Maurice Williams. Production begins in New York this month, with a planned Aug. 20, 2027 release.
This casting highlights the growing overlap between professional sports and Hollywood, potentially normalizing athletes pursuing creative projects mid-career. For audiences, it may broaden representation of dance styles like Litefeet, bringing Harlem’s cultural influence to a mainstream Paramount release. The film’s success could also signal whether dual-career performers can sustain box-office appeal, affecting how studios and sports teams evaluate such commitments.