MGM has signed a first look film production deal with Queen & Slim director and producer Melina Matsoukas and her production company De La Revolución Films.
The two-year pact reunites Matsoukas with MGM Film Group president Pamela Abdy, who collaborated on the feature debut where ‘Get Out’ star Daniel Kaluuya and big-screen newcomer Jodie Turner-Smith play Ohioans whose lives are upended after a deadly encounter with a bad cop.
“Melina is a brilliant filmmaker and storyteller, who brings truth and a singular vision to everything she creates. As we continue to build on the great legacy of MGM, Melina will be a key part of this storied studio’s entry into its next century,” Michael De Luca, MGM Film Group chairman and Abdy said in a statement.
In 2019, Matsoukas, who started out as a music video director, released Queen & Slim, written by Lena Waithe, and marked her first foray into scripted TV as an executive producer and director on Issa Rae’s HBO series Insecure. And she directed episodes of Netflix’s Master of None.
“It is rare to find a partnership that is rooted in empowering and elevating underrepresented filmmakers and narratives. I look forward to collaborating with Pam and Mike on creating unique films that give space to the powerful and diverse voices of the world,” Matsoukas said in her own statement.
The first look deal was negotiated by CAA, MXN Entertainment and Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman.
