Wanda Sykes will star in a brand new stand-up comedy special for Netflix, the streaming giant announced Wednesday.
The hour-long special — Sykes’ fifth overall and first with Netflix — will debut globally in 2019. Her production company, Push It Productions, will produce.
The news comes after Sykes had previously been critical of Netflix for not offering her the same kind of money that comedians like Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, and Amy Schumer received from the streamer for their own comedy specials. Both Rock and Chappelle are said to have gotten $20 million per special they released on Netflix, while Schumer renegotiated from $11 million to $13 million.
Fellow comedian Mo’Nique called for a boycott of Netflix in January after she revealed that she was offered $500,000 for her own special. Sykes chimed in on social media to support Mo’Nique, saying, “Netflix offered me less than half of your $500K. I was offended but found another home.” Sykes’ last special, “What Happened…Ms. Sykes,” aired on Epix in 2016.
Her previous comedy specials include “Wanda Sykes: Tongue Untied,” “Wanda Sykes: Sick and Tired,” “I’ma Be Me,” and “What Happened… Ms Sykes.” She can currently be seen on ABC’s “Black-ish,” for which she was nominated for a 2017 and 2018 Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding guest actress in a comedy series.
Through Push it Productions, she has set up projects with ABC, Fox, NBC, BET, OWN, and truTV, including “Wanda Sykes Presents Herlarious,” the critically acclaimed “Talk Show the Game Show,” and the recently announced series “Unprotected Sets” on Epix.
Sykes is the latest in a long line of comedians to set new specials with Netflix. In addition to comedy stars like Rock, Chappelle, and Schumer, people like Tiffany Haddish, Ellen DeGeneres, Kevin James, and Iliza Shlesinger have all produced original specials. Netflix has also been shining a light on lesser-known comics through series like “The Comedy Lineup,” which showcases multiple comedians doing 15-minute sets.
Source: Variety
