Lena Waithe Signs Two-Year Deal With Amazon

Lena Waithe has signed a deal with Amazon Studios to produce programs for Prime Video for the next two years.

The showrunner of The Chi and Boomerang already planned to release her horror anthology series, Them, on the platform, but the new deal adds the possibility of even more shows to her already full slate.

“Lena is a powerhouse writer and producer who also has a gift for identifying exciting and authentic voices,” Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke told Deadline. “Our upcoming series Them is the result of her rare ability to cultivate brilliant voices like Little Marvin and bring his wholly original and compelling vision to Amazon. We look forward to collaborating with Lena and her team for years to come.”

Waithe said that she was excited and ready to get to work on making even more television. 

“I couldn’t be more excited about this new partnership with Amazon Studios and am looking forward to this next chapter,” said Waithe. “Both of our goals are aligned in that we want to continue elevating storytellers who are underrepresented and have a unique vision of the world.”

In addition to her currently running programs, Waithe’s hyped film Queen & Slim is set to drop in November. Waithe recently said that the film is meant to start conversations around police misconduct.

“It’s meant to get people talking,” Waithe said. “The film is not made to give the audience answers, but instead to ask questions and show what it looks like to be black and in love while the world is burning all around you.”