Yara Shahidi has extended an overall deal with ABC through her production company 7th Sun, which is slated to include Onyx Collective.
“It is every creative’s dream to be seen and heard and to do so with colleagues who align with your vision and your soul,” Yara and Keri Shahidi said in a joint statement. “We are so grateful to have the opportunity to continue to create with our Disney family and be grounded in the work that Onyx Collective is doing to meet the moment.”
According to Deadline, the Shahidi’s production company will continue to develop and produce scripted and unscripted programming throughout various platforms, and will work with Freeform and Onyx Collective president Tara Duncan.
“It is an exciting time to be leading Onyx Collective. When we opened our doors just over a year ago, we set out to nurture imaginative storytelling, creating disruptive, inclusive and wildly entertaining narratives that would spark conversation and forward the culture,” Duncan said of the newly-inked partnership. “That vision is materializing in ways we could have only dreamed of, and we remain grateful to have a clear lane at Disney General Entertainment, a company that has empowered our work from day one.”
In addition to 7th Sun, Ryan Coogler, Destin Daniel Cretton, Prentice Penny, Natasha Rothwell and Erika Green Swafford are also producing deals with Onyx Collective; which was constructed by Diney last year to highlight the work of misrepresented artists and creators of color.