Lena Waithe has inked a deal with Amazon studios.
The news came at the Television Critics Association summer press tour on Saturday. The booked and busy producer signed an overall deal with Amazon Studios, which is already locked in a two-season commitment with her for the horror anthology series THEM, according to Variety.
Waithe will also create and produce other original shows under the new Amazon deal, which was previously set up under a first-look deal at Showtime, the report noted.
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“Lena is a powerhouse writer and producer who also has a gift for identifying exciting and authentic voices,” said head of Amazon Studios, Jennifer Salke. “Our upcoming series THEM is the result of her rare ability to cultivate brilliant voices like Little Marvin and bring his wholly original and compelling vision to Amazon. We look forward to collaborating with Lena and her team for years to come.”
Waithe’s work on the critically-acclaimed Netflix series Master of None scored her an Emmy Award in 2017 for best writing for a comedy series.
“I couldn’t be more excited about this new partnership with Amazon Studios and am looking forward to this next chapter,” Waithe said, writes the entertainment news outlet. “Both of our goals are aligned in that we want to continue elevating storytellers who are underrepresented and have a unique vision of the world.”
She has created a production company called Hillman Grad that has several projects under its belt. THEM isn’t Waithe’s only project in the works. She also is the creator and executive producer of The Chi, a Showtime drama series, as well as BET’s Boomerang. Both series have been renewed.
She also created, wrote, and is the executive producer for a new BET comedy series Twenties. The company also has an upcoming Showtime pilot How to Make Love to a Black Woman and an Untitled Kid Fury Project at HBO.
Waithe’s film writing debut Queen & Slim, will be released in November. She has also previously produced Step Sisters and Dear White People.
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