Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet are forming a new multiplatform production company with the backing of CBS Studios that will be aimed at promoting nonwhite voices.
Kurtzman and Lumet, both of which have overall deals with CBS Studios and are longtime collaborators, are launching 25 Stories, which will be led by Bruce Evans, who will serve as executive vice president. 25 Stories will be run separately from Kurtzman’s Secret Hideout.
CBS Studios will support Lumet, Kurtzman and Evans as they develop content for linear, premium cable and streaming platforms. The idea is that 25 Stories will create sustainable paths for people of color, from staff writer to showrunner.
“25 Stories began in my kitchen in 2017 during a marathon screenwriting weekend for about 25 women of color, all extraordinary writers,” Lumet said. “I knew I wanted to bring prestige television by writers of color to the marketplace, and I began to think about how to create a space where marginalized voices are centered. A space where both seasoned and newer voices have room to breathe. I thought a lot about scale: intimate stories, family stories, positive stories. I wanted people to emerge from their experience with 25 Stories with the tools to start their own companies. Ultimately, a space that will launch creators. Those 25 writers in my kitchen led me right here.”
“It is imperative for us as a studio to support the growth of diverse storytelling, by providing a nurturing environment for creative voices to emerge and thrive. This new imprint is in line with the evolving goals of the studio to be more diverse, thoughtfully inclusive, and strategically equitable in telling more kinds of stories,” said David Stapf, President, CBS Studios. “And no one is better suited to support those voices than Jenny, Alex and Bruce. Their combination of experience and creative acumen makes them the ideal trio to lead this venture. We’re honored to be the home of this new and important company.”
Added Kurtzman: “I’ve been so lucky to do work I’m proud of in collaboration with brilliant people. The best way to stand up for everything Jenny and I believe in is to stand behind the mission of 25 Stories. Creating a company solely dedicated to this mission felt like an important next step, to expand on the work we’ve done at Secret Hideout. We’re thrilled Bruce is joining us, and we’re grateful to CBS Studios for believing in this effort enough to make it a reality.”