(L to R) Producer and screenwriter Jimmy Humilde and Jay Dee speak ‘Clika’.
Opening in theaters on January twenty third is the brand new music drama ‘Clika’, which was produced and co-written by Jimmy Humilde and directed by Michael Greene (‘Reside’).
“There aren’t any shortcuts to residing your goals.”
Launch Date: Jan 23, 2026
The movie stars musician turned actor Jay Dee (‘Deadly Frenemies’), Grasp P (‘Hollywood Murder’), Peter Greene (‘Pulp Fiction’), and Eric Roberts (‘The Darkish Knight’).
Moviefone just lately had the pleasure of talking with Jimmy Humilde and Jay Dee about their work on ‘Clika’, creating the screenplay, casting, Dee’s strategy to his position, the music, working with director Michael Greene, and what they hope audiences be taught from the film.
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Chito (Jay Dee) in ‘Clika’. Photograph: Sony Footage. © 2025 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Moviefone: To start with, Jimmy, are you able to speak concerning the means of creating this screenplay and the themes that you just needed to discover with this film?
Jimmy Humilde: It was one in every of them cool talks that I used to be having with my enterprise companions in our workplace. We do not have a desk; our desk is a poker desk. We had been simply hanging out, simply capturing it forwards and backwards. We stated, “Why do not we do a film? All of the music we’re doing, it sort of feels like this tradition and this motion that we’re constructing and creating wants a face to it. So why not get collectively and attempt to see what we put out?” We received going and wrote a few scripts after which lastly received to at least one the place we had been like, “We have to get any individual concerned.” We reached out to Jay Dee, referred to as in a gathering, and introduced it to the desk and he was like, “I am in.” I stated, “All proper, cool. Let me get it executed and I am going to deliver it to you. See what you consider it.” Certain sufficient, we did that with Michael (Greene) and Sean (McBride), sat down and put collectively an enormous piece of film and ‘Clika’ got here out of it. It has been an extended trip. It has been 5 lengthy years getting it able to launch for the reason that first time we talked about it. I will say it was proper earlier than COVID began, proper about January after which went alongside from there. A few years later, we received executed with the scripts, and a yr later we get a chat with Jay Dee, and two years later we’re executed with the film and it is prepared to return out.
MF: Jay, are you able to discuss your strategy to taking part in this character and had been there parts of Chito’s life that you might relate to personally?
Jay Dee: Yeah, positively. A whole lot of the lingo and a few of the dialogue. There have been some components that I did not actually have dialogue and my character was simply going to be quiet. It was an ideal second for me to simply put in my dialogue, how I speak, my lingo, as a result of it is a totally different vibe to the place I reside in comparison with simply every other metropolis or every other place. The way in which we speak, the way in which we talk, the Spanglish, all the additional stuff is simply totally different.
MF: Jimmy, may you have got made this film with anybody else? Are you able to speak concerning the significance of casting Jay and dealing with him on this venture?
JH: Jay Dee was the person for this and slot in good. It was the character we had been searching for. It was the character that matched the script. It was laborious discovering the folks to encompass him, to play the opposite components. That was the laborious half. Aside from him doing it, we had been assured. As soon as we seen him do the primary act and we went together with it, we stated, “Dude, we received to search out the right solid round him.” We did it that means.
(L to R) Jimmy Humilde and Jay Dee in ‘Clika’. Photograph: Sony Footage. © 2025 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
MF: To observe up, Jimmy, what had been the challenges of placing collectively the remainder of the solid?
JH: It was extra angle. It was extra, do I imagine you or not. We went by way of a lot solid. Our casting was lengthy. It was cool as a result of I received to satisfy different personalities. I received to satisfy different folks. Actually, it is like, “You will not match on this movie, however I received you on the subsequent one.” Whereas we had been casting, I used to be already fascinated with the subsequent movie.
MF: Jay, are you able to discuss performing the music within the film and did you have got a job in selecting the songs?
JD: Properly, with the entire music, all the things is teamwork does the dream work. I can not do that with out my crew. I received my opinions, all people else received their opinions, so it is a matter of getting along with all people and ensuring we make the proper piece. We recorded a whole lot of music movies contained in the scenes after we had been filming the film. So, I had a whole lot of say in that. I used to be very hands-on with the operation.
MF: Within the movie, Chito carries with him a pocket book for his lyrics, and I perceive that’s one thing you do in actual life as properly. Was Chito’s pocket book impressed by your individual, and what’s the significance of that lyric ebook to you?
JD: Yeah, that is real-life. That is me all day. If I haven’t got a pocket book in my pocket, I am writing on my telephone, I am writing on a serviette. No matter I may write on, I am there. If not, I am going to simply wait till we get to the sales space and it is already in my head. I already received it thought out. It was one thing Sean and the entire group determined as a result of it was one thing that I’d all the time do. I would all the time carry a bit of pocket book. I began making music a bit of bit totally different these days. I simply get within the sales space, and I do not actually write any extra. It is simply extra like a freestyle. In order that match the vibe of me 10 years in the past after I was getting began with my music.
Chito (Jay Dee) acting on stage in ‘Clika’. Photograph: Sony Footage. © 2025 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
MF: Jimmy, are you able to speak concerning the vital position music performs on this movie?
JH: Positively. I had loads to do with it, however on the similar time, introduced in a whole lot of totally different executives from our firm, Rancho Humilde, and I gave them the chance to have a look at sure scenes and have them assist us with no matter they considered as a result of they’re the consultants right here too. They’re those which might be day-to-day with our fan base, with all people that is socializing and taking part on this music. So, I needed them to have an ear for it too. That was the entire level.
MF: Jay, what was it like so that you can be appearing on this movie with veteran actors like Eric Roberts and the late Peter Greene?
JD: Man, it was a rollercoaster actually, as a result of I used to be placing in feelings within the film that I had by no means thought I’d ever expertise in filming. I do not cry in entrance of no person, I do not really feel unhappy, however there have been moments the place I needed to get into that persona for the movie to return out completely. It was like a job, principally. I would needed to simply be on set, I am there at 5:00 within the morning, and I am clocking out at 5:00 within the afternoon. However apart from that, it is actually a blessing. It is one thing I’ve all the time needed to do and for it to be offered to me this fashion, it is nothing however a blessing.
MF: Jimmy, why was Michael Greene the precise particular person to direct this film?
JH: I met Michael and Sean collectively. I received launched to them by one other good friend. We needed to do, I believe it was a actuality present or a documentary on one thing, and I stated, “You realize what? Why do not we do a film?” Then they had been like, “All proper, cool.” They’ve some expertise, which is nice. Michael’s a director. I’ve seen him do different stuff, and I believe he was an ideal match. He sort of studied us. He knew what I used to be doing, and he knew what I used to be speaking about. They knew what my entire objective with this was, which was vital. Our objective was to present a face to the tradition that we’re creating.
Chito (Jay Dee) acting on stage in ‘Clika’. Photograph: Sony Footage. © 2025 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
MF: Jay, what was your expertise like working with director Michael Greene and was it similar to while you’re working with a producer and recording an album?
JD: Right. Besides after I first got here into this, I assumed the director was going to be yelling at me. I assumed they had been going to be telling me, “You are messing up.” So, I simply had a complete totally different imaginative and prescient of how issues had been going to be ran. However as quickly as I began assembly the solid and all people, I began getting comfy, for positive.
MF: Lastly, Jimmy, what do you hope audiences be taught from watching this film?
JH: Simply hope, that there is hope. There’s hope to all the things and by no means hand over. That is the primary factor that we’re capturing for.
Chito (Jay Dee) acting on stage in ‘Clika’. Photograph: Sony Footage. © 2025 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
What’s the plot of ‘Clika’?
Aspiring small-town musician Chito (Jay Dee) is set to make it massive. When a clip of him performing one in every of his songs goes viral, he seizes the chance and pushes to carve out a spot for himself within the new wave of Mexican American music and finally will get caught in a sport extra harmful than anticipated.
Who’s within the solid of ‘Clika’?
- Jay Dee as Chito
- Cristian E. Gutierrez as Alfredo
- Daniel ‘DoKnows’ Lopez as Blunt
- Laura Lopez as Sweet
- Nana Ponceleon as Mari
- Josh Benitez as Chuy
- Grasp P as Bullet
- Peter Greene as Lieutenant Jones
- Eric Roberts as Angelo
‘Clika’ opens in theaters on January twenty third.
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