13 Gen has acquired the rights to develop The Gilda Stories for television.

The Jewell Gomez novel on Gilda, “an escaped black slave and the bisexual vampire who comes of age over 200 years of African American history. Filmmaker Cheryl Dunye is attached to write, produce and direct it as a television project.

“We are thrilled to bring The Gilda Stories to a whole new generation of fans under the unique stewardship of our longtime creative collaborator Cheryl Dunye,” said 13 Gen CEO, Mark Smolowitz in a statement.

“Jewelle Gomez is the foremother of Afrofuturism, which is wildly popular right now. The project of bringing a Jewelle Gomez novel to film or television has long been a dream of mine, and with The, we have the perfect vehicle to bring her uniquely magical and transgressive voice to episodic audiences everywhere,” said Dunye.

“Gilda has seduced a legion of loyal fans over many years. Having marvelled at Cheryl Dunye’s impressive career since her first film The Watermelon Woman, I know that she is just the filmmaker to ensure Gilda gains many more,” said Gomez.

Dunye is known most for her iconic experimental and indie films. Her film, The Watermelon Woman, which she also starred in was the first feature film directed by a black lesbian woman. It also won Teddy Award for Best Feature Film at Berlinale in 1996, She was also nominated for Best Director at the Spirit Awards in 2001 for The Stranger Inside. Recently, she’s also directed episodes of TNT’s Claws and Ava DuVernay’s Queen Sugar.

Other projects she has in the works is a feature film rendition of her short film, Black Is Blue, which has Laverne Cox attached to star and a feature adaptation of The Wonder of all Things.

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