First Look: Boots Riley’s ‘I Love Boosters’ Sets May 2026 Release Date

Boots Riley has already shot his next film, titled “I Love Boosters.” In fact, it wrapped production in November 2024, and it’s now set up a release date, along with a first-look image.

Above is our introductory image for “I Love Boosters,” with Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, and Keke Palmer front and center. The surreal nature of the image — the mustard-colored decor is certainly a choice — is what one would expect from Riley: vivid, surreal, bold colors.

The film has been dated for a May 22, 2026 release. Is it skipping Sundance? The only other possible festival bows could be SXSW or Cannes. That date tightly aligns with Cannes, and I can definitely see Riley fitting into the Un Certain Regard sidebar on the Croisette.

Many imagined Riley would be eyeing a return to Sundance, where he turned many heads with his 2018 debut “Sorry to Bother You,” a madcap statement about corporatist America. It was a wonderfully original vision, and it introduced Riley as a filmmaker to follow. Seven years later, he’s finally made another film.

“I Love Boosters” stars Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, alongside Demi Moore and LaKeith Stanfield. The story revolves around a ring of female shoplifters, led by Corvette, called the Velvet Gang. They survive on “boosting” clothing items from department stores. However, their next target — the CEO of a designer brand — has just ripped off Corvette’s idea, and she absolutely needs to pay, sparking an unintended “revolution.”

It’s not like Riley has been dormant since “Sorry to Bother You.” Two years ago, he helmed the acclaimed Amazon series “I Am Virgo” — another surreal exercise in style and message.

Riley, who identifies as a communist, comes from a militant political background, including his parents’ ties to the Black Panthers. The anti-capitalist messaging in “Sorry to Bother You” definitely aligned with that worldview. I doubt “I Love Boosters” will stray too far from those themes, which Riley has consistently explored throughout his work in music, TV and movies.

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