Famed choreographer and RuPaul’s Drag Race regular Jamal Sims is jumping into the director’s chair.
Deadline reports that Sims will make his narrative directorial debut with Major, a ballet drama hailing from 20th Century Studios and produced by H.E.R., Oprah Winfrey, Mara Jacobs, Scott Sanders and Carla Gardini. The project was first announced in 2024 with H.E.R. attached to star as well. It is unknown if H.E.R. is still eyed to headline the film, as Deadline’s exclusive report did not mention word of stars.
Everything we know about the plot of ‘Major’
Written by comedian and A Black Lady Sketch Show head writer Lauren Ashley Smith, Major follows a ballet prodigy who rebels against ballet’s rules as well as her parents’ staunch expectations. She enrolls in a fictional HBCU in Atlanta and, after joining the failing dance squad, she’s determined to bring the squad back to its former glory.
Jamal Sims’s background
Sims is best known by audiences for his work within the RuPaul’s Drag Race franchise and its live Las Vegas show. But he’s also choreographed for pop stars including Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Miley Cyrus, Usher, Outkast, Spice Girls and many more. He’s also choreographed the dance sequences several films, including Girls Trip, the Step Up franchise, Hairspray, Disney’s animated film Encanto, Disney’s live-action Aladdin adaptation and the Netflix’s 13: The Musical, among others.
He stepped into directing stage productions with the recent The Lion King 30th Anniversary at the Hollywood Bowl and Encanto: Love at the Hollywood Bowl. His documentary feature directorial debut was with 2018’s When the Beat Drops.
“This is a 360 moment for me,” Sims told Deadline of the project. “I took a chance on myself, shooting the first 15 minutes of that documentary with money out of my pocket, and when I showed it to World of Wonder, they jumped into it. I thought it was my ticket to be able to direct a narrative feature, after the documentary won all these awards. I started out as a dancer, and made the transition to choreographer, not really knowing how to do that. People in the business tended to see me as a dancer, even though I have always thought of myself as a storyteller, one who could tell stories through dance. I proved myself as a choreographer, but it has been harder to make this next transition. Finally, I’ve gotten my chance to show that, whether it’s through dialogue or movement, this is all about storytelling.”
After his 2018 doc “didn’t speed things up as he hoped,” per Deadline, he remained steadfast and ready for his next opportunity, including pitching himself for gigs such as The Color Purple. While he ultimately wasn’t selected for that directing role, he met H.E.R, Winfrey and Sanders, who are behind Major.