#TSRPositiveImages: Marsai Martin Inks First-Look Production Deal With Universal At 14 Years Old!

Yes for #BlackGirlMagic and yes for representation! #Blackish’s #MarsaiMartin is a tiny queen but please believe she’s doing BIG things!

Marsai and her #GeniusProductions company have signed a first-look production deal with #Universal, according to @hollywoodreporter.

She’ll be developing scripted projects for Universal and her first film being developed by Genius Productions is “StepMonster,” which is a comedy about a teenage girl (starring Marsai herself) who is adjusting to life with a new stepmother and “has to learn that sometimes the only way to tame a monster is to make peace with it (especially if the monster is you).”

This deal is groundbreaking because she is the youngest person to get a deal at any studio in recent memory and the young queen just made history last month when she became the youngest Black executive producer in Hollywood history.

That happened when she signed on to executive produce her upcoming film “Little” with fellow Universal-based producer Will Packer. The film starts Marsai, Regina Hall and Issa Rae and centers on “a woman who gets the chance to relive the carefree life as her younger self when the pressures of adulthood become too much.” The movie will hit theaters April 12.

“Working with emerging talent is a cornerstone of Universal’s overall slate strategy, and Marsai is a star on the rise,” said Peter Cramer, president of Universal Pictures. “She is not only tremendously talented in front of the camera but offers a unique perspective as a creator and producer that will resonate with all audiences. We look forward to moviegoers getting to see how brilliant she is in Little and watching her evolve as a filmmaker here at Universal.”

“I am so excited for the magic I’ll be able to create and produce with Universal,” Marsai said. “Mr. Cramer and Ms. (Donna) Langley’s commitment to investing in and uplifting diverse and young voices is both refreshing and important, and I’m happy to be a part of that legacy. My goal is to show young women and girls that our voices and ideas matter and you are never too young to dream BIG!”

Congrats to Marsai on this big achievement and we look forward to seeing what she produces!

TSR STAFF: Christina C! @cdelafresh