Yara Shahidi has secured the bag-ish.
According to Deadline, Yara has signed an overall deal with ABC Studios “to develop and produce scripted and alternative television projects for cable, streaming and broadcast.”
As we all know, Yara already has an active relationship with ABC with Black-ish and its spinoff show starring the young actress, Grown-ish (via Freeform). Yara also serves as a producer on the spinoff. Plus, this is a true family affair because her business partner and mother Keri Shahidi has signed, as well! The projects from the deal will debut via their newly launched production company, 7th Sun.
More info on 7th Sun, via Deadline:
Inspired to continue elevating underrepresented voices, 7th Sun’s mission is “to pursue projects that touch upon themes of history, heritage, culture, and joy.” The Shahidis have brought on veteran executive Lajoie St. George to lead development for 7th Sun. St. George brings over 10 years of experience from NBC International, and an equivalent passion to champion accurate and reflective media.
“I’m thrilled to be partnering with my home family, ABC Studios, in this exciting next chapter, alongside my family,” Yara said in a statement. “It’s exciting to add our production company to the roster of my peers and mentors who are also actively committed to sharing meaningful stories.”
“We can’t wait to extend and expand our relationship with the incredibly talented Yara Shahidi, who has been a member of the family since Black-ish,” ABC Studios President Jonnie Davis said in a statement. “When she’s not studying at Harvard and starring in our series ‘grown-ish,’ she’s mentoring and inspiring other young people, which makes us all feel like underachievers but also very proud that she’s part of our Studio.”
“Yara is a force,” Black-ish and Grown-ish creator Kenya Barris said. “She is insanely talented, unreasonably smart and hardworking beyond compare. I’ve called her ‘McMogul’ for years and seeing all that she has accomplished should come as no surprise to anyone that knows her. This deal is just the beginning for Yara, and I’m excited to see where she takes this next chapter and the storyteller she becomes.”
We’re looking forward to what the Shahidis bring us! Yara’s passion for politics, James Baldwin and inclusion for women filmmakers in Hollywood is already well-documented, so we’re expecting a few of those aspects to trickle over to these upcoming projects.