Lena Waithe
Warner Bros. Television Group announces overall deal with actor, producer, and Emmy®-winning writer Lena Waithe and her production company, Hillman Grad Productions. Waithe and her partner Rishi Rajani will produce new television programming through Hillman Grad for all platforms, including WarnerMedia’s HBO Max, external streaming services, cable, and the five broadcast networks. This newly formed partnership follows Hillman Grad’s expansive two-year overall deal with Amazon Studios.
In her first project for WBTVG under the new relationship, Waithe will be developing a scripted drama inspired by the highly acclaimed, landmark documentary film Hoop Dreams, directed by Steve James, and produced by Frederick Marx, Steve James, and Peter Gilbert for Kartemquin Films. The series is a coming of age drama following two African American teenage boys in 1990s Chicago experiencing the privileges and pitfalls of being high school basketball phenoms at the height of the Jordan era, and the start of high school players turning pro. Through their friendship and rivalry, the boys must learn to empower themselves in a world that considers them commodities before they can legally drive.
Waithe and Rajani will executive produce Hoop Dreams under their Hillman Grad banner along with Scott Huff, David A. Stern, and Colin Callender of Playground Entertainment, and Steve James, Peter Gilbert, and Frederick Marx. Aaron Rahsaan Thomas (30 for 30: Trojan War) will write and executive produce the series. Naomi Funabashi, the newest hire for Hillman Grad’s will run Film and TV with Rajani. Executives Rocio Melara and Sylvia Carrasco will oversee upcoming WBTVG projects alongside Rajani and Funabashi.
“We are excited to work with Hillman Grad, Playground and Warner Bros. Television on adapting Hoop Dreams into a scripted television series,” said Steve James, Peter Gilbert, and Frederick Marx. “There’s been quite a bit of interest over the years since the film came out in 1994, but Lena Waithe is the ideal Chicagoan to lead the effort to finally make it happen.”
Lena Waithe and Rishi Rajani said in a statement : “We are thrilled to be joining the WBTVG family and incredibly grateful to Channing, Clancy and the rest of the team for believing in us and supporting our mission to give underrepresented artists a platform. To have our first project together be an adaptation of the seminal documentary Hoop Dreams is a testament to the ambition of our partnership. Hoop Dreams was more than just a documentary, it was a groundbreaking window into a community that was rarely ever seen. It provided a deeply intimate look at two families with hopes of capturing the American dream. Our goal is to continue telling that story with our collaborators at Playground Entertainment and Aaron Rahsaan Thomas as our showrunner. We look forward to bringing the legacy of Hoop Dreams back to the screen.”
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James, Gilbert, and Marx were represented by Gersh and Jackie Eckhouse at Sloss Law. Waithe is represented by Blue Marble Management, WME, Del, Shaw, Moonves, Tanaka, and Finkelstein & Lezcano.
