‘Hair Love’ filmmaker signs first look deal with Warner Bros. TV
With this deal, Matthew Cherry says he will work with 'talented marginalized voices' in the Black community
Matthew Cherry, the director of the Academy Award-winning animated short, Hair Love, has signed a first-look with Warner Bro’s Television Group.
Matthew Cherry, the director of the Academy Award-winning animated short, Hair Love, has signed a first-look with Warner Bro’s Television Group.
Cherry now has a multi-year deal with the studio to create comedies, dramas, and special event series. He will develop projects for HBO Max as well as cable and broadcast networks.
READ MORE: ‘Hair Love’ director starts Twitter campaign celebrating 4-year-old girl
In a statement, Cherry said, “I am beyond excited to be joining the Warner Bros. Television family in this exciting new capacity. It’s an important time to be a Black creative working in this industry, and I look forward to creating impactful projects and partnering with other talented marginalized voices in our community.”
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7EqV56xsXcxMaCQhYDdQhc
Before his entertainment career, Cherry was a wide receiver in the NFL.
He has directed episodes of Black-ish, Mixed-ish, The Unicorn, Saved by the Bell, and The Last O.G.
Cherry also shot a film called 9 Rides which was shot entirely on an iPhone 6s.
Hair Love is the story of a man doing his daughter’s hair for the first time. The film was produced after a 2017 Kickstarter campaign and was later turned into a popular children’s book.
In the film, seven-year-old Zuri tries to style her thick hair with the help of an instructional video narrated by her mother, Issa Rae. Her father tries to help her and with endearing effort, he styles the girl’s hair.
Later, the enter a hospital room where her mother is being treated for cancer. She removes her scarf to reveal her bald head.
READ MORE: ‘Hair Love’ wins at the Academy Awards for Best Animated Short
Cherry invited Texas high school student, Deandre Arnold, to be his special guest to the Academy Awards early this year. The teenager was told that he couldn’t attend his graduation unless he cut his dreadlocks. The teen refused and his story garnered national attention. The Texas Legislative Black Caucus wrote a bill banning discrimination based on hair textures and styles commonly associated with race.
The bill has yet to pass the Texas State Legislature.
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