Marlon Wayans has launched a production company with his longtime business partner Rick Alvarez. The yet-unnamed banner will be based at Universal TV, where Wayans has signed an overall deal. Under the pact, Wayans is set to co-create with Chris Moynihan and star in a semi-autobiographical comedy series project, which I hear is finalizing a deal at NBC for a put pilot commitment. Loosely inspired by Wayans, the untitled comedy centers on an inappropriate but loving father (Wayans) committed to successfully co-parenting with his polar opposite ex-wife. Moynihan, who also is under an overall deal at Uni TV, will serve as showrunner and will executive produce with Wayans, Alvarez and 3 Arts’ Michael Rotenberg.
Under the overall deal, Wayans and Alvarez plan to develop scripted and non-scripted projects. Alvarez will run the company and oversee scripted TV, while producing partner Steve Harris will oversee non-scripted programming. Based on the Universal lot, the company is expected to hire an additional scripted executive. The deal formalizes Wayans and Alvarez’s relationship with Universal TV. The two executive produce and Wayans hosts the studio’s reality series for NBC I Can Do That, which tied for the highest rated summer unscripted premiere on NBC in four years. The company also is developing a comedy/variety show, Bring The Funny,with NBC.
Wayans previously co-created and starred in the The Wayans Brothers, the first WB comedy to reach syndication. The NBC project would mark his first series regular role since the 1990s sitcom. Wayans also hosted as well as co-created and executive produced with Alvarez and Harris the TBS comedy competition showFunniest Wins. Additionally, Wayans and Alvarez executive produced Second Generation Wayans for BET.
Wayans recently wrapped production on Fifty Shades Of Black, in which he stars and which he co wrote and produced with Alvarez. The comedy spoof opens January 29. The duo also wrote and produced the horror comedy A Haunted House and its sequel, with a third movie currently in development. Wayans and Alvarez recently landed theatrical distribution for a documentary feature they executive produced called Sweet Mickey For President, about the misadventures of Fugees founding member Pras Michel and candidate Michel Martelly while campaigning in the first presidential election in Haiti following the devastating earthquake of 2010.
Source: Deadline
