AUSTIN, Texas — A Houston native is making their mark and becoming a legend in their own right. From the streets of Fifth Ward to the big screen, filmmaker, director and producer, Courtney Glaudé is hosting an Austin takeover during the city's biggest film week celebration with his feature film, “The Reading”.

“The Reading” debuted on the BET+ streaming platform on Feb. 2 and has since garnered global attention along with going viral on several social media apps, notably TikTok. One cannot open the app present day without hearing the hilarious but stoic sound bytes delivered by the film’s star, longtime comedian and actress, Mo’nique.

The psychological thriller follows Mo’Nique’s Emma, a woman who experiences a violent home invasion that changes her life. After the attack, Emma writes a book about the horrendous event that puts her on a path that collides with a young medium, Sky, played by breakout star Chasity Sereal. The twists and turns of the film leave audiences on the edge of their seat, peeking between their fingers.

Spectrum News 1 sat down with Glaudé and discussed his process, the logistics of getting someone with star power such as Mo’nique involved, and collaborating with a heavy hitter in the film and television industry, Lee Daniels, who executive produced the project.

“I literally just sent an email out and it actually just hit the right person that made the connections and everything work,” Glaudé said when describing getting Mo’nique on board.

The chance to get his movie viewed by Daniels was a mixture of a little luck and knowing the right people to pitch to, if you let Glaudé tell it.

“The first edit didn’t impress nobody,” said Glaudé. “I reached out to one of Lee’s mentors. She set the meeting up without even seeing the movie with Lee. He watched it the night before [the meeting] and he loved it.”

Glaudé, who grew up in Houston, shot the film in and around the city, making an effort to juxtapose affluent neighborhoods with poverty-stricken areas.

“One of the things I’m trying to portray in this film is how detrimental people think about the ‘hood. When you hear ‘the ‘hood’ it’s really a horrible thing,” said Glaudé.

The violent and supernatural moments of the film (spoiler alert), do not take place in the areas less built up. Glaudé notes he wants to push the audience’s range of thought.

Glaudé’s feature film debut comes during the influx of space being made for Black filmmakers and directors. Michael B. Jordan’s critically acclaimed “Creed III,” Ryan Coogler’s “Black Panther” films, Jordan Peele’s successful horror empire and now Glaudé’s budding success help build a new lane in the film industry.

“We are entertaining the best when it comes down to film and when putting the art out and exploring who our culture is,” according to Glaudé.

Glaudé will also direct a play based on Antwone Fisher’s life, “Retrospective Reflections Of A Life”, to celebrate the film’s 20th anniversary. Dates for the play have yet to be announced.

“The Reading” makes its debut at in Austin, Texas on March 14 and 15, accompanied with opportunities to meet Glaudé and the cast, and dig inside the mind that brought us this new thriller.