Universal Signs First-Look Agreement With 'Black-ish' Star Marsai Martin

Universal Pictures announced on Thursday that it has entered a first-look agreement with “Black-ish” star Marsai Martin and her Genius Productions label.

The 14-year-old Martin will develop scripted projects for Universal alongside Genius Productions co-founder Joshua Martin, vice president Carol Martin, and head of creative Prince Baggett. The first project that will be developed through the deal is “StepMonster,” a comedy starring Martin as a teenage girl who is adjusting to life with a new stepmother and has to learn that sometimes the only way to tame a monster is to make peace with it… especially if the monster is you.

Also Read: 'Black-ish' Creator Kenya Barris: I Left Disney for Netflix Over Shelved Anti-Trump Episode

“Working with emerging talent is a cornerstone of Universal’s overall slate strategy and Marsai is a star on the rise,” said Universal president Peter Cramer. “She is not only tremendously talented in front of the camera, but offers a unique perspective as a creator and producer that will resonate with all audiences.”

Martin, who first appeared on “Black-ish” when it debuted in 2014, will star alongside Regina Hall and Issa Rae in the Universal comedy “Little,” which she is also an executive producer on alongside Will Packer. The film will be released on April 12.

“I am so excited for the magic I’ll be able to create and produce with Universal,” Martin said. “Mr. Cramer and Ms. Langley’s commitment to investing in and uplifting diverse and young voices is both refreshing and important, and I’m happy to be a part of that legacy. My goal is to show young women and girls that our voices and ideas matter and you are never too young to dream BIG!”

Also Read: Chris Rock to Direct Kevin Hart-Led Film 'Coparenting' for Universal

Martin said she is eager to work with Cramer and Donna Langley, Chairman of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group. “I am so excited for the magic I’ll be able to create and produce with Universal,” Martin said. “Mr. Cramer and Ms. Langley’s commitment to investing in and uplifting diverse and young voices is both refreshing and important, and I’m happy to be a part of that legacy. My goal is to show young women and girls that our voices and ideas matter and you are never too young to dream BIG!”

Martin is represented by WME and Meyers & Downs, LLP.

Every Black Director Nominated for an Oscar, From John Singleton to Spike Lee (Photos)

In 2019, Spike Lee became only the sixth Black director to receive an Oscar nomination in the Academy's history for his work on "BlackKklansman." But so far, no Black filmmaker has won in that category.
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John Singleton, "Boyz N the Hood" (1991) • Two years after Spike Lee was passed over for a nomination for "Do the Right Thing," John Singleton became the first African American to earn a Best Director nomination for his star-studded drama set in South Central L.A. That year, Jonathan Demme won the award for "The Silence of the Lambs."
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Lee Daniels, "Precious" (2009) • Eighteen years passed before a second African American filmmaker was recognized: Lee Daniels, for his gritty portrait of a young woman seeking to overcome a childhood of poverty and abuse. In another Oscar first, Kathryn Bigelow became the first female director to win the Oscar, for "The Hurt Locker."
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Steve McQueen, "12 Years a Slave" (2013) • British director Steve McQueen gritty drama about American slavery picked up nine nominations, including one for his directing. While the film won Best Picture (and McQueen earned a statuette as a producer), he lost the directing prize to "Gravity" filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón.
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Barry Jenkins, "Moonlight" (2016) • Jenkins' underdog indie pulled off a major upset, beating front-runner "La La Land" for Best Picture. But Damien Chazelle claimed the directing prize for the modern-day musical. (Jenkins did take home the statuette for Best Adapted Screenplay.)
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Jordan Peele, "Get Out" (2017) • Peele became the latest actor-turned-filmmaker to earn a Best Director nod, for his feature filmmaking debut. Peele won an Oscar for his original screenplay but Guillermo del Toro won Best Director for "The Shape of Water."
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Spike Lee, "BlackKklansman" (2018) • Despite wide acclaim for such films as 1989's "Do the Right Thing" and 1992's "Malcolm X," the pioneering filmmaker earned his first nomination decades into his career for this fact-based tale of a Black undercover cop who infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan. Lee shared the Adapted Screenplay Oscar for the film, but Alfonso Cuarón took home Best Director for "Roma."
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Will Regina King join the club this year for her work on ”One Night in Miami“?

In 2019, Spike Lee became only the sixth Black director to receive an Oscar nomination in the Academy's history for his work on "BlackKklansman." But so far, no Black filmmaker has won in that category.

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Every Black Director Nominated for an Oscar, From John Singleton to Spike Lee (Photos)

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