Jeremy O. Harris, the actor and playwright best known for penning the Broadway sensation “Slave Play,” has signed a two-year overall deal with HBO.
The deal includes a discretionary fund for Harris to continue building working in the theatrical space, and the writer is also currently developing an untitled pilot at the premium cabler based on his Yale Drama Graduate Thesis. He’s attached as an executive producer on the prospective project which hails from A24.
Harris is also set to return to work on season 2 of “Euphoria” as a co-producer, after serving as a consultant on season 1 of the popular Zendaya series.
“Jeremy is a singular talent whose groundbreaking work in the theatrical space has already revolutionized Broadway and we couldn’t be more honored to expand the reach of his voice in television,” said Francesca Orsi, executive vice president of HBO Programming.
On the film side, Harris, a graduate of the Yale MFA Playwriting Program, co-wrote A24’s upcoming “Zola” with director Janicza Bravo. The picture premiered at Sundance and is eyeing a release later this year.
“Since first embarking on a theatre career I’ve known that TV/Film would most likely be the only space where I could build a livelihood for myself, like many other playwrights before me. Yet, I wanted to make sure that any company I worked with in that space recognized the importance of maintaining the delicate ecology of theatre in these times. To know that HBO also believed in that vision gives me immense hope for the future of both industries. This unique partnership means that the relationship between the worlds of theatre and television can become more symbiotic in years to come. This also gives me an opportunity to spread the wealth among a community that has shared so much with me,” said Harris.
He is represented by ICM Partners, ELIA and Granderson Des Rochers, LLP.