Anthony Hemingway, who is set to direct the upcoming Nat Geo series “Genius: Aretha,” has signed an overall deal with 20th Century Fox Television.
As part of the new deal, Hemingway will develop and direct new projects via his self-titled Anthony Hemingway Productions banner. Aside from “Genius: Aretha,” Hemingway is also attached to helm the Sterling K. Brown-produced 20th Century Fox TV project “Washington Black,” which was given a script commitment plus penalty by Hulu last year, as Variety exclusively reported.
“We live in a world that has consistently proven that basic opportunity just isn’t enough for people within the BIPOC community. Anthony Hemingway Productions is a cultural incubator and an intergenerational connector; fueling the creation of innovative, inspiring and provocative content across all platforms. I’ve had nothing but wonderful experiences working with Dana Walden, Craig Hunegs and Carolyn Cassidy. The enthusiasm, respect and support they have for empowering artists creating valuable opportunities invested in culture and community, which is our mission at AHP – that was a major selling point,” said Hemingway of his new deal. “I’m also really excited about the feeling that you know you can take your projects anywhere, starting with some of the top tier services (which are apart of my new extended Disney family). couldn’t be happier to call 20th my new production home.”
News of Hemingway’s deal comes around two months after Nat Geo pushed “Genius: Aretha” to the fall because of its COVID production issues. The series was originally slated to debut on Memorial Day.
Hemingway also has “Power” spinoff “Power Book II: Ghost” coming later this year.
“Anthony has directed episodes of many of our most iconic series, from ‘Glee’ to ‘Empire’ to ‘American Horror Story,’ and you just know when he’s at the helm you are going to get something extraordinary,” said 20th Century Fox TV president Carolyn Cassidy. “We are so excited about the plans he has for his company, the kinds of projects he is looking to develop and the voices and communities he intends to platform. His creative goals align perfectly with the vision of our studio and we feel lucky to have him at 20th.”
Hemingway is represented by Gotham Group, WME, Tom Hoberman.
Deadline first reported the deal.