Acclaimed series creator, screenwriter, and 2020 Women of Power speaker Mara Brock Akil is bringing her talents to Fox.
Fox Entertainment signed a premium script deal with Akil, the creator of Girlfriends, The Game, and Being Mary Jane. Under the agreement, she will develop and write a scripted series that Fox will produce. Details about the show have not been disclosed.
“Mara is a truly gifted writer, with a strong point of view,” said Michael Thorn, the president of Entertainment at Fox Entertainment, in a statement sent to BLACK ENTERPRISE. “From ‘Girlfriends’ to ‘The Game’ to ‘Being Mary Jane,’ she’s a proven hitmaker with the unique ability to write both comedy and drama. Since the formation of FOX Entertainment, we’ve said we want to be in business with the best and the brightest, and no one exemplifies that more than Mara Brock Akil.”
The deal marks Akil’s return to the network—she launched her writing career on the Fox series South Central back in the 90s. She then went on to write for Moesha for four seasons and work on The Jamie Foxx Show before creating Girlfriends in 2000. The groundbreaking comedy, which explored the many facets of black womanhood, ran for eight seasons on UPN and the CW, becoming one of the highest-rated scripted shows among African Americans ages 18-34. In 2006, Akil created the spinoff The Game, which aired on the CW for three seasons and BET for six.
The prolific creator and showrunner is currently developing an hour-long reboot of The Game that will air on the CW, reports Deadline. She also announced on Thursday that Black Lightning, a superhero series she co-created for the CW, is being renewed for a fourth season.
At the BLACK ENTERPRISE Women of Power Summit, the wife and mother of two will open up about the sacrifices she made in order to succeed in her career. Get your tickets now by clicking here!