A new ‘Spike Lee Joint’ is in production! 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks announced today that the company will undertake its first independent distribution effort with founder Spike Lee’s Brooklyn coming-of-age story, Red Hook Summer, which will begin theatrical release August 10th, 2012 in New York City theaters, expanding to the top 30 markets throughout the month of August.

The latest in Spike Lee’s Chronical of Brooklyn (which also include She’s Gotta Have It, Do the Right Thing, Crooklyn, Clockers, and He Got Game), Red Hook Summer tells the story of Rlik Royale, a sullen young boy from middle-class Atlanta who has come to spend the summer with his deeply religious grandfather Bishop Enoch Rouse, in the housing projects of Red Hook.  Having never met before, things quickly get off on the wrong foot as Bishop Enoch relentlessly attempts to convert Flik into a follower of Jesus Christ.  Between his grandfather’s constant preaching and the culture shock of inner-city life, Flik’s summer appears to be a total disaster–until he meets Chazz Morningstar, a pretty girl his age, who shows Flik the brighter side of Brooklyn.  Through her love and the love of his grandfather, Flik begins to realize that the world is a lot bigger, and perhaps a lot better, than he’d ever imagined.

We’re all in just from the synopsis! The plot sounds like a Spike Lee blockbuster, but we can’t help but to wonder if this independent film will measure up to his previous Brooklyn Chronicles. Lee, expresses his excitement with the project and the partnership with distributing his new film.“From my very first joint back in 1986, She’s Gotta Have It, I have been an independent filmmaker, and even today I still am,” said Spike Lee. “I’m elated to join forces with Variance Films for the independent distribution of my new joint Red Hook Summer. We look forward to getting this film into the marketplace, where we beleive 100 percent that there is a starving audience for American independent films like Red Hook Summer.”

We wonder if  Lee will be shooting in Atlanta and who the cast will consist of? We’d love to see some new faces. We’ll keep you up to date on the project, in the meantime check out www.redhooksummer.com.