Larenz Tate and Nia Long are widely known and beloved for the unforgettable characters they played in the classic 1990s movie Love Jones, Nina Mosley and Darius Lovehall. The two have been reunited for a heartwarming Walmart holiday commercial, and while it’s not for a sequel, we’ll take whatever we can get. Walmart brought together Darius and Nina for the first time in over 20 years to celebrate the holiday season through a thoughtful and sentimental gift exchange.
In the campaign’s official Walmart ad, Long opens her house door and is pleasantly surprised to see a package from Walmart. She brings the package inside, opens the box, and smiles big when she sees a record player. Tate then walks out, and she asks him whether it’s an ‘early present,’ to which he replies, “You know I don’t like to wait. Merry Christmas, babe,” and plants a kiss on her cheek.
The two love birds then test out the new record player and dance to a track by the Isley Brothers.
During an interview with FoodSided, Long and Tate discussed the new campaign. “I think fans have been waiting for this for a very long time, and they’ll be thrilled to see our characters back together this holiday season,” Tate said. “These ad spots incorporate nostalgic moments from the original movie while continuing Nina and Darius’ love story and the family they’ve built together. It’s perfectly heartwarming for the holidays and Love Jones fans will love it.”
The You People actress also added thoughts on why the 90s movie has had so much longevity. Although the film only grossed around $12.7M worldwide in the box office when released against its $10 million budget, it has gone on to be a classic.
“It’s relatable because everyone wants to fall in love and this movie encapsulates what it feels like to fall in love. I don’t know that we knew it would be such an enduring story while we were filming. Still, I think the reason it’s stood the test of time is because depicting Black love at that time in the 90s was relatively novel – Love Jones delivered in that void, and it resonated deeply with our audience,” she explained.
Our faves, Nina and Darius, won’t be the only iconic TV characters starring in the campaign–there will be 15 ads, and each persona will receive a range of gifts across fashion, tech, and toys. Consumers can expect to see characters from other shows and films like Gilmore Girls, Crazy Rich Asians, and SpongeBob.