Meet The Blackening cast: who's who in the horror comedy

Antoinette Robertson, Grace Byers, Jermaine Fowler and Dewayne Perkins standing around in The Blackening
Antoinette Robertson, Grace Byers, Jermaine Fowler and Dewayne Perkins in The Blackening (Image credit: Glen Wilson)

Joining the 2023 summer movie fun is the highly anticipated horror comedy, The Blackening. The movie follows a group of friends as they venture off to a lone cabin to celebrate Juneteenth. In many ways, the movie plays off all your typical horror movie antics while hilariously interweaving topics from Black culture. 

Helping to bring this story to light are some familiar faces including a Saturday Night Live alum and a trio of Emmy nominees. 

Here's your look at The Blackening cast.  

Antoinette Robertson as Lisa

Antoinette Robertson as Lisa in The Blackening

Antoinette Robertson, The Blackening (Image credit: Glen Wilson)

Lisa is a lawyer who agrees to head to the cabin with her gay best friend Dewayne. Additionally, she is the on-again-off-again love interest of Nnamdi, who also joined the trip. 

Antoinette Robertson stars as Lisa. She has formerly been spotted in the Netflix series Dear White People and the Tyler Perry drama The Have and the Have Nots.  

Dewayne Perkins as Dewayne

Dewayne Perkins at a GLAAD event

Dewayne Perkins (Image credit: Mark Von Holden/Variety via Getty Images)

Dewayne is Lisa's best friend and a writer struggling to have his voice heard in his industry as a Black gay man. 

The real-life Emmy-nominee, Dewayne Perkins, not only starred in this movie role but he also co-wrote the film with Tracy Oliver. On screen he's previously been seen in The Upshaws and the Saved by the Bell reboot.  

Sinqua Walls as Nnamdi

Sinqua Walls at a red carpet event

Sinqua Walls  (Image credit: Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty Images)

Nnamdi is in the midst of a transitional phase in life and he's also in a bit of a toxic romance with Lisa. 

Playing Nnamdi is Sinqua Walls. The actor was recently spotted in the reboot of White Men Can't Jump opposite Jack Harlow. He's also appeared in American Soul and Power

Grace Byers as Allison

Grace Byers at a Deadline red carpet event

Grace Byers (Image credit: Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Deadline Hollywood)

Allison is the outspoken friend of this group, who doesn't hold her tongue when it comes to expressing an opinion. 

Bringing the character to life is Grace Byers. The actress shot to superstardom when she played Anika in Empire. She's currently starring in the smash Prime Video hit, Harlem

Melvin Gregg as King

Melvin Gregg at an SXSW event in 2023

Melvin Gregg (Image credit: Corey Nickols/Getty Images for IMDb)

King is a former gangster who has managed to change his life and become a real estate agent and a completely different person from his younger days. Although, his friends have a hard time seeing him as this new person. 

Melvin Gregg plays King, and is most recognizable for his role as Manboy in Snowfall. He's also appeared in other projects like Nine Perfect Strangers and House Party.  

Yvonne Orji as Morgan

Yvonne Orji at a red carpet event

Yvonne Orji (Image credit: Rodin Eckenroth/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images)

Morgan and her boyfriend planned the Juneteenth cabin trip. While that is the case, it's been teased that the character's presence is "short-lived." 

Yvonne Orji is an Emmy-nominated actress, having received the recognition for her role in Insecure. In addition to appearing in several projects on screen, many have heard her voiceover work in Velma and My Dad the Bounty Hunter.  

Jay Pharoah as Shawn

Jay Pharoah during a stand-up routine

Jay Pharoah (Image credit: Rick Kern/Getty Images)

Shawn is Morgan's boyfriend and is fully into all the horror of the occasion, often diving headfirst into the mystery of it all. 

Playing Shawn is Jay Pharoah. He's best known for his years on SNL and recently portrayed Cecil Holmes in Spinning Gold.  

Jermaine Fowler as Clifton

Jermaine Fowler at a red carpet event

Jermaine Fowler (Image credit: Olivera/FilmMagic/Getty Images)

Clifton is considered the "unforgettable" member of the friend group. He claims Morgan invited him to the cabin, but no one quite remembers him from the past. 

Jermaine Fowler plays Clifton. While Jermaine has been seen on camera, he’s perhaps had more notable voiceover work being featured in Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur and Tuca & Bertie

X Mayo as Shanika

X Mayo at a red carpet event

X Mayo (Image credit: JC Olivera/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images)

Shanika is pretty mulch the life of the party in the movie. She stays true to herself and is loyal to her friends. 

X Mayo is also an Emmy nominee and stars as Shanika. She's previously been spotted in American Auto and Swarm

The Blackening debuts exclusively in movie theaters on Friday, June 16. 

Terrell Smith

Terrell Smith has a diverse writing background having penned material for a wide array of clients including the federal government and Bravo television personalities.  When he’s not writing as Terrell, he’s writing under his pseudonym Tavion Scott, creating scripts for his audio drama podcasts. Terrell is a huge fan of great storytelling when it comes to television and film. Some of his favorite shows include The CrownWandaVision, Abbot Elementary and Godfather of HarlemAnd a fun fact is he's completely dialed into the TLC 90 Day Fiancé universe.