While making the rounds at the Javitts Center in New York for the New York Comic Con, I ran into director Melvin James, and while talking about the lastest films coming out this summer, he mentioned to me his cast for his next film, 'Caramel', a coming-of-age film similiar to 'American Graffiti'.

Melvin James: Right now, we have Chingy, the group Cherish, Teyana Taylor and we're closing to having Lauren London and Meagan Good.

James, who had previously directed the indie films, 'Honeybee' and 'A Miami Tail' with Trina, also had directed the first season of BET's College Hill.

What's the story about?

Melvin James: 'Caramel' is a story that I wrote, based on an original story by Cris Cartier. It's about two high school friends that grew up together in Jamaica Estates, Queens. They are best friends, and the coolest in school. It's sort of a love story, a throwback to a film called 'American Graffitti'. It's about teenagers and their cars, and their cliques. It's an all around coming of age story.

What role will Chingy play?

MJ: Chingy plays a character name Kyle who's the star quarterback of the football team. He plays a cocky quarterback who gets all the girls, and he has a secret crush on the character 'Caramel', played by Lauren London. In the story, there's a character named Cali, who's Caramel's best friend, and he too has a secret crush on Caramel, and he's trying to win her over but Caramel is in love with someone named Peter, who's a player. He's older than the rest of the cast and he works as a manager at a restaurant and he's having an affair with one the other girls at the school named Camille. Caramel finds out that Peter is cheating on her and of course, Cali, her secret crush, is there with open arms and they wind up falling for each other.

Where does Cherish fit in with the film?

MJ: Cherish plays a group called the King sisters. We wrote them into the story as themselves because King is their real last name. As I mentioned before, the film is about different cliques and you will see throughout the picture the football team, the glamour squad clique which is made up with mostly chearleaders, and there's also the speedboard clique, and we also have Teyana Taylor in the film. We also have a group called the left-back crew, which is a group of girls that got left back a year. With Cherish, we see them throughout the picture singing and harmonizing like in the cafeteria or on the school grounds. This is all culminating up to one night, the big prom; and the reason why the prom is such a big deal is that there is a Hollywood theme that is going on with the prom and all that are going are dressed up as if they are going to the Oscars. We will have a red carpet and a walk of fame on the floor. The entire gym will be set to a Hollywood theme. The King sisters will be singing the title song on the night of the prom as a perfomance, and that's where things spark off between Cali and Caramel.

When do you expect to shoot the film?

MJ: We start shooting this summer, late June, early July in New York City and Jamaica Estates, Queens.