Host, "The Wendy Williams Show"
Wendy Williams is expanding her brand into movies and more television.
The talk show host and producers Suzanne de Passe and Madison Jones announced Thursday that they have entered into what they are calling a “production alliance” with plans to make movies and TV series aimed at a multicultural audience.
PHOTOS: THR’s 35 Most Powerful People in Media
These new projects, according to the announcement, will be presented under the “Wendy Williams Presents” banner.
“Wendy’s popularity and brand is evidenced by her success in daytime television,” said de Passe. “We are looking forward to expanding her brand and audience in all areas of filmed and scripted entertainment.”
Former The View host Star Jones revealed in May, on Williams show, that she would be doing a TV movie with de Passe for VH-1 called Satan Sisters. Williams now joins the drama, based on Jones novel set in the gossipy world of daytime TV, as a producer.
“The goal of this strategic partnership is to bring the very best movies of every ilk to the general public,” said Madison Jones, “and greatly enhance the diversity, content and quality of offerings currently available.”
PHOTOS: Outtakes from THR’s New York Issue Photo Shoots
Williams started her career on radio 23 years ago, before launching her talk show in 2008 with Debmar Mercury. She also wrote the book The Wendy Williams Experience, several novels and writes a weekly column for Life & Style Weekly magazine.
Williams also competed in 2011 on Dancing With the Stars, has hosted a game show and has appeared on other shows including Lifetime’s Drop Dead Diva. She appeared in the April movie release Think Like A Man and recently launched a line of fashion accessories with QVC called “Adorn by Wendy Williams.” She plans to launch a shoe line as well this fall.
Suzanne de Passe has been a producer for a number of years and has a first look deal with Universal Pictures. She is currently working on King, the life story of Martin Luther King Jr., with Steven Spielberg at DreamWorks — with Madison Jones also on board as a producer. Her past producing credits include the ’90s TV series Sister Sister and TV movies on The Temptations and The Jacksons.
Madison Jones credits include founding Revenger Comics and Revenger Studios, and executive producing President Obama’s Commander-in-Chief Inaugural Ball.
