Yara Shahidi Signs Overall Deal With ABC Studios

Yara Shahidi is making a home at ABC Studios.The Grown-ish star, who recently was upped to executive producer as well, has signed an overall deal with the Disney Television Studios unit. Shahidi and her mother and business partner, Keri Shahidi, have formed production company 7th Sun to develop scripted and unscripted projects for ABC Studios.”I’m thrilled to be partnering with my home family, ABC Studios, in this exciting next chapter, alongside my family,” Yara Shahidi said in a statement. “It’s exciting to add our production company to the roster of my peers and mentors who are also actively committed to sharing meaningful stories.”

Added ABC Studios president Jonnie Davis: “We can’t wait to extend and expand our relationship with the incredibly talented Yara Shahidi, who has been a member of the family since Black-ish. When she’s not studying at Harvard and starring in our series Grown-ish, she’s mentoring and inspiring other young people, which makes us all feel like underachievers but also very proud that she’s part of our studio.”

Shahidi was a regular on Black-ish for the ABC comedy’s first two seasons before moving on to lead the spinoff Grown-ish — which has been renewed for a fourth season — on Freeform. The series ranked as the top live-action cable comedy of 2019-20 among African American adults 18-34, and under the guidance of creator Kenya Barris, Shahidi became the youngest producer at the network.

“Yara is a force,” said Barris. “She is insanely talented, unreasonably smart and hardworking beyond compare. I’ve called her ‘McMogul’ for years, and seeing all that she has accomplished should come as no surprise to anyone that knows her. This deal is just the beginning for Yara, and I’m excited to see where she takes this next chapter and the storyteller she becomes.”

The Shadidis’ 7th Sun will seek out projects that touch on themes of history, heritage, culture and joy, and that elevate underrepresented voices. The company has hired former NBC International executive Lajoie St. George to lead development.

Yara and Keri Shahidi are repped by CAA, Principal Entertainment and attorney Ryan Nord. They join a lineup of creatives at the studio that includes LeBron James’ SpringHill Entertainment, Danai Gurira, Kerry Washington, Liz Tigelaar, Dan Levy (Schitt’s Creek) and Aline Brosh McKenna, among others.

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