After taking Sundance and subsequently the world by storm, it was recently announced that a Miss Juneteenth TV adaptation is in development.
Written and directed by Channing Godfrey Peoples, Miss Juneteenth charmed critics and viewers alike when it dropped last June. The movie, which follows a “Miss Juneteenth” pageant, gained a coveted 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, and lead actress Nicole Beharie recently won a Gotham Award for her portrayal of Turquoise Jones. Now, Peoples signed a first-look deal with NBCUniversal’s Universal Content Productions (UCP) which reportedly includes a TV adaptation of the successful film.
Read More: Nicole Beharie stars as beauty queen mom in ‘Miss Juneteenth’
Under the deal, Peoples is set to write, produce, and direct projects for the studio.
In an official statement, UCP President Beatrice Springborn called Peoples, “a filmmaker and storyteller who makes modern, diverse, topical stories, with an extra dose of visual sophistication.” Springborn goes on to praise Miss Juneteenth and share the studio’s excitement in their newfound partnership, sharing, “We loved the contemporary lens she brought to Miss Juneteenth in not only exploring, but celebrating what it means to be Black, young, and female. We are thrilled to partner with her to bring that vision, passion and immense talent to UCP.”
The acclaimed director-writer had a statement of her own on the new deal. She expressed her excitement.
“I am beyond excited to partner with UCP to create specific narratives that amplify culturally rich characters rarely seen and stories rarely told – with a focus on Black women. I immediately felt a synergy with the team at UCP and I look forward to telling stories with them that are rooted in the human condition.”
She goes on to express gratitude, saying, ‘I am grateful to have the support of an organization that shares this mission.”
Read More: SUNDANCE 2020: Nicole Beharie shines in ‘Miss Juneteenth’
Peoples recently directed an episode of an upcoming HBO Max series, Generation, and has written episodes of Ava DuVernay’s hit series, Queen Sugar.
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