Freeform Inks Script to Series Deal for PARTY GIRLS With Platform One Media, Laurence Fishburne's Cinema Gypsy and Picture It Productions

By: Jan. 28, 2019
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Freeform Inks Script to Series Deal for PARTY GIRLS With Platform One Media, Laurence Fishburne's Cinema Gypsy and Picture It Productions

Freeform announced today that it has signed a script to series deal for "Party Girls," a half-hour, single-camera dramedy inspired by the true story of Ericka Suzanne, daughter of the first female leader of the Black Panther Party, Elaine Brown. Set in Oakland in the '70s, "Party Girls" will follow Ericka's attempt to survive her adolescence as her mother rises in the Party. The plot explores an unconventional mother-daughter relationship, balancing the stakes of the movement with the humor inherent in coming-of-age, and asking the question how do you rebel when your mom is leading a rebellion?

From Platform One Media, headed by CEO Katie O'Connell Marsh, "Party Girls" will be executive produced by Elisa Ellis of Platform One Media ("Narcos"), Fishburne and Helen Sugland of Cinema Gypsy Productions ("grown-ish," "black-ish"), and Lance Krall and Peter Siaggas of Picture It Productions, with Dayna Lynne North ("Insecure") set to write the pilot script and serve as executive producer/showrunner, should it go to series. Ericka Suzanne is repped by the Law Office of Adia Z. May, P.C.


Platform One Media is the Los Angeles-based?global television production and distribution studio formed by TPG Growth's Evolution Media and Liberty Global, the world's largest international television and broadband company, as a minority investor. The independent, start-up studio will curate, develop, produce, and distribute high-quality scripted programming for the U.S. and international markets. Veteran television executive Katie O'Connell Marsh is CEO?and?spearheads the company's activities. For more information, please visit? www.platformonemedia.com .

Part of Disney|ABC Television, FreeForm connects to audiences and goes BEYOND entertainment with bold, original programming and immersive social engagement. As Disney's young adult television and streaming network, it delivers a unique mix of quality original and acquired series, plus fan-favorite movies and the holiday events "31 Nights of Halloween", "Kickoff to Christmas". and "Days of Christmas". The FreeForm app is a service that allows viewers with participating TV subscription services access to 24/7 live viewing of the network, as well as continued on-demand access via a wide array of devices.

Cinema Gypsy Productions, led by Helen Sugland and renowned actor, Laurence Fishburne, was founded with an eye toward developing projects that highlight cultural, racial and gender diversity issues in America. They are the Executive Producers of "black-ish," the Emmy-nominated and NAACP Award-winning ABC show, as well as its FreeForm spinoff, "grown-ish." In 2017, Cinema Gypsy Productions produced the hit podcast series, "Bronzeville," about Chicago's center of Black culture in the 1940s. Further, the company recently made a deal with Universal Cable Productions to
Executive Produce "Bronzeville" as a TV Series along with TateMen Entertainment. Helen and Laurence previously produced the Nelson Mandela mini-series "Madiba" for BET and the Emmy

Award-winning TV Movie, "Snowy Day," for Amazon Studios, based on the acclaimed book by Ezra Jack Keats. Their next endeavor is "Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur," an animated series based on the popular comic book series, being developed for Disney Channels Worldwide . They are repped by Paradigm and attorneys Nina Shaw and Jeff Finkelstein at Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein & Lezcano.

Picture It Productions is an ATLANTA based production company that specializes in discovering fresh voices and original stories that can only be found outside of LA and NY. They recently sold the Josh Reims Untitled Military Medical show to CBS with Jerry Bruckheimer Television and CBS Studios. Lance Krall & Picture It Productions are repped by Paradigm and attorneys Jonathan Moonves & Gordon Bobb at Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein & Lezcano.

North, of LoudSis Productions, is currently executive producer and writer on the HBO hit series "Insecure." She is repped by CAA and attorneys Patti Felker and Dave Ryan.



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