Black girl magic continues with another awesome black woman creating new content for premium cable. Lena Waithe, who you may know from Aziz Ansari’s Master of None, has a new drama series coming to Showtime called, The Chi. Waithe developed the show with Rick Famuyiwa, and both will serve as executive producer with Elwood Reid and Aaron Kaplan also on board. Famuyiwa, best known for being the writer and director of the film Dope, will also serve as director for the new series.
It will definitely be interesting to see her perspective on-screen. Waithe is an open lesbian and when discussing the characters in the upcoming series, she told After Ellen, "I have in mind, definitely, a couple characters that will intertwine in [the main characters] lives and be a part of the queer community. Not because I feel a responsibility, but because that’s the world we live in."
According to the site, Hollywood's Black Renaissance, Waithe's new series “is a relevant, timely and distinctive coming-of-age story that follows a half dozen interrelated characters on the South Side of Chicago.” Straight Outta Compton’s Jason Mitchell is set to play an aspiring restaurant owner torn between a hopeful new future and his responsibility to his mother and younger brother in Chicago's South Side.
Previous work by Waithe includes being a producer for the hit film, Dear White People, and creator of the web series Cupid. Waithe will join a list of great black creators such as Issa Rae, Ava Duvernay and Donald Glover, who are providing a deeper and more diverse view of black entertainment and culture.
We are still waiting to see who else will join the cast and when the show will air, but we look forward to another year of quality black representation on TV.
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