Photo Courtesy of Shadow Act
Marsai Martin, known for her breakout role on ABC’s Black-ish and soon to be seen in the feature film Little, and her Genius Productions company have signed a first-look production deal with Universal.
Martin will develop scripted projects for Universal alongside Joshua Martin (co-founder), Carol Martin (vice-president) and Prince Baggett (head of creative).
Martin, who is 14 years old, is the youngest person to get a first-look deal at Universal, and the youngest person to get a deal at any studio in recent memory.
“Working with emerging talent is a cornerstone of Universal’s overall slate strategy and Marsai is a star on the rise,” said Peter Cramer, president, Universal Pictures. “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. We look forward to moviegoers getting to see how brilliant she is in Little and watching her evolve as a filmmaker here at Universal.”
The first film being developed by Genius Productions is StepMonster, a comedy about a teenage girl (Martin) 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).
While she may be young, Martin has had a busy career so far.
Martin’s first-look deal brings her to the studio that has a history of inking pacts with diverse creators including Will Packer, Malcolm D. Lee, Jordan Peele and Kevin Hart.
