Atlanta, GA, August 26, 2026: Sunnyboy Entertainment expands its original documentary division with an office in the Old Fourth Ward district of Atlanta, as entertainment industry activity climbs in the region. The studio announces the addition of Emmy-nominated Jay Allen as VP of Unscripted and Nikki Byles as Director of Talent Acquisition & Development, along with the promotion of Tristan McClain to Head of Film Strategy & Development.
Founded in Los Angeles, the now-bicoastal studio received an Emmy nomination for its Welcome to the A: 50 Years of Hip Hop in Atlanta docuseries that premiered globally on Peacock during Black History Month and is now available on Tubi and Apple TV. That series was a harbinger of the unscripted projects to come out of the Atlanta studio. Allen, known for delivering premium content for Hulu, Netflix, BET, TV One and Paramount, will manage the studio’s unscripted slate, spanning documentary features, limited series, and format programming across cable, streaming, and premium platforms. Byles brings a decade of experience as a film and talent producer to her role, tapping her experience developing and executing high-impact content across television, film, and digital platforms. McClain is a multi-faceted creator with over a decade of experience curating and producing content for musicians, brands, television and film.
Producing original unscripted entertainment is a natural extension for the award-winning full-service production company, which has been creating top-caliber content and documentaries for the largest entertainment studios for two decades including projects like Superman, A Minecraft Movie, Project Hail Mary and Marty Supreme, to name a recent few. Founded by Emmy-nominated writers Harold Hayes Jr. and Craig S. Phillips, the studio will soon announce a multi-project originals slate, spearheaded out of the new Atlanta office.
“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. Their addition, plus the promotion of Tristan, in the unscripted world makes our Atlanta expansion an exciting milestone for SunnyBoy and will usher in a new era of originals being developed and produced by the SunnyBoy team,” said Harold Hayes Jr., co-owner of SunnyBoy Entertainment.
Unscripted and docu-style production is second nature to Allen, who served as showrunner and Executive Producer on celebrity-filled Uncensored, developing it into one of TV One’s most successful series with a viewership of 3.5 million. Allen is Co-creator with Nikki Byles and producer of Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told for Hulu, which recounts the history of Atlanta’s culturally rich 90s spring break event. The film premiered at the 2024 SXSW Film & TV Festival in Austin, Texas, to critical acclaim.
“The future of unscripted belongs to stories that feel as cinematic and emotionally resonant as the the very best scripted films and series. SunnyBoy is creating a home for filmmakers who believe great nonfiction can entertain, preserve culture, and leave a lasting impact. I’m excited to help build a slate that reflects that ambition and introduces audiences to stories they’ll be talking about for years to come,” says Jay Allen.
