Yara Shahidi and Keri Shahidi have reupped their deal with ABC Signature, adding Disney’s Onyx Collective as a part o the pact as well.
The news was one of several announcements that Disney General Entertainment’s Onyx Collective unveiled during its inaugural 2022 Television Critics Association press tour day. Onyx Collective’s President
Tara Duncan (who also runs Freeform) announced three new series pickups, the premiere date of its highly anticipated new docu-series The Hair Tales, as well as the overall deal with the Shahidi’s 7th Sun Production Company.
'The Hair Tales' will debut on Hulu and OWN this October.
From executive producers Oprah Winfrey, Tracee Ellis Ross and Michaela Angela Davis comes the new docu-series The Hair Tales.
According to an official press release, “The series leads the audience through a revelatory journey of connecting the personal tales of phenomenal Black women to broader societal and historic themes. The stories shared in the series offer an honest and layered look into the complex culture of Black hair and, ultimately, Black women’s identity, beauty, cultural and social contributions and humanity.”
Guests featured include Oprah Winfrey Issa Rae, Chlöe Bailey, black-ish star Marsai Martin, alongside notable scholars, industry and cultural leaders, hair professionals, and influential contributors.
The Hair Tales will debut this October with the first two episodes premiering on Hulu and OWN, followed by two episodes released weekly on Hulu and one episode dropping weekly on OWN.
The Shahidis extended their deal with ABC to include a partnership with Onyx Collective.
Along with her business partner and mother, Keri Shahidi, the grown-ish star and their production company, 7th Sun Production Company, will continue to develop and produce scripted and alternative television projects for cable, streaming and broadcast as a part of their exclusive deal.
“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,” the mother-daughter duo shared in a 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.”
The Onyx Collective also announced three new unscripted series.
The official descriptions are below:
- The true crime docu-series “Ring of Fire: The Life of Annie Mae Aquash” (working title), directed by Yvonne Russo, examines the extraordinary life and unravels the decades-old mystery behind the murder of Annie Mae Aquash. A Mi’kmaq woman from Nova Scotia, Canada, Annie Mae is a mother, a teacher and a revolutionary who fought for Indigenous rights and whose death went unsolved for almost 30 years, becoming one of Indian Country’s most infamous cases. Set between the sweeping landscape of American politics in the volatile 1970s and the present‐day quest for answers led by Annie Mae’s daughter, this is a shocking story of murder, intrigue, love and betrayal that contextualizes Annie Mae’s case within the current day epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. “Ring of Fire: The Life of Annie Mae Aquash” is executive produced by Amy Kaufman, Caroline Waterlow, Yvonne Russo, Ezra Edelman and Riva Marker. The docu-series is produced by Laylow Pictures in association with Nine Stories Productions.
- Life is all about drive and the will to succeed despite the odds. Nowhere is this more evident than in the wildly inventive and passionate world of car culture, where enthusiasts show off vastly different vehicles in a display not only of automotive ardor but also of their own personal success. In “The Untitled Swizz Beatz Project,” hip-hop legend and car collector Swizz Beatz visits car-loving destinations, where he’ll examine the area’s distinctive car culture and bring together two otherwise disparate car clubs over a shared love of all things automotive and an appreciation for what it’s like to beat the odds through sheer drive alone. The series is produced by Jay Brown and Tyran “Ty Ty” Smith of Ty Ty and Jay Brown Productions, Raymond Garcia of Major TV, Emmet Dennis of Black Drive Originals, and Christian Sarabia of 51 Minds.
- “Searching for Soul Food” follows rock star celebrity chef Alisa Reynolds as she discovers what soul food looks like around the world. As she seeks out the food, she’ll also explore the stories, the people, and the traditions of each place she visits, bringing her own flavor right along with her. The international journey finds Chef Reynolds exploring the culinary worlds of Mississippi, Oklahoma, Appalachia, South Africa, Italy, Jamaica, Peru and Los Angeles. “Searching for Soul Food” is directed by Rodney Lucas and executive produced by Melina Matsoukas, Jacob Cohen-Holmes and Ali Brown. Traci Curry serves as showrunner. “Searching for Soul Food” is produced by Woodman Park Productions (an All3Media America Company), De La Revolucion and Ventureland.
