SunnyBoy Entertainment is expanding its original documentary and unscripted business with a new office in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward.
The move makes the Los Angeles-founded company bicoastal and comes alongside two senior hires and one promotion. Emmy-nominated producer Jay Allen joins as VP of Unscripted, Nikki Byles has been named Director of Talent Acquisition & Development, and Tristan McClain has been promoted to Head of Film Strategy & Development.
The Atlanta expansion builds on SunnyBoy’s recent momentum in nonfiction, including its Emmy-nominated docuseries Welcome to the A: 50 Years of Hip Hop in Atlanta, which premiered globally on Peacock during Black History Month and is now available on Tubi and Apple TV.
Allen will oversee SunnyBoy’s unscripted slate across documentary features, limited series and format programming for cable, streaming and premium platforms. His credits include work for Hulu, Netflix, BET, TV One and Paramount.
Byles brings a decade of experience as a film and talent producer, with a background developing content across television, film and digital. McClain has spent more than a decade producing and curating work across music, brands, television and film.
“Jay and Nikki are great storytellers. That is the core of our business and we are excited to have them as a part of our team,” said SunnyBoy co-owner Harold Hayes Jr.
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Hayes added that the hires, along with McClain’s promotion, make the Atlanta expansion “an exciting milestone” as the company prepares a new era of original development and production.
Allen brings deep experience in documentary and unscripted work to SunnyBoy. He served as showrunner and executive producer on Uncensored, helping grow the TV One series to a reported 3.5 million viewers.
He also co-created and produced Hulu’s Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told with Byles. The documentary chronicled the history of Atlanta’s famed 1990s spring break gathering and premiered at the 2024 SXSW Film & TV Festival.
“The future of unscripted belongs to stories that feel as cinematic and emotionally resonant as the very best scripted films and series,” Allen said.
He added that SunnyBoy is building “a home for filmmakers who believe great nonfiction can entertain, preserve culture, and leave a lasting impact.”
The company’s move deeper into unscripted follows two decades of production work for major entertainment studios. SunnyBoy’s recent credits include projects tied to Superman, A Minecraft Movie, Project Hail Mary and Marty Supreme.
Founded by Emmy-nominated writers Harold Hayes Jr. and Craig S. Phillips, SunnyBoy says it plans to announce a multi-project originals slate spearheaded from the new Atlanta office.
REEL 360 News wishes Jay, Nikki and Tristan the best of luck in their new roles.
