Former WME partner Charles D. King’s media company Macro has signed a first-look deal with Warner Bros. Pictures, it was announced on Wednesday.
King, along with Warner Bros. Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich and the studio’s president of production and development Courtenay Valenti, made the announcement.
“We are thrilled to join forces with Warner Bros. Pictures and their visionary leadership team whose bold choices have led to some of our industry’s most successful and impactful films,” King said in a statement. “This expertise, combined with WarnerMedia and AT&T’s global assets and distribution, offers Macro an unparalleled opportunity to expand our reach and further our mission of identifying and producing authentic stories by and about people of color.”
Under the terms of the deal, Warner Bros. will have a first look on all projects Macro intends to develop or package as feature films. The studio will also have the option to co-finance these projects alongside Macro, and will handle global distribution of these releases.
Earlier this week, King set up Macro’s co-production with Ryan Coogler called “Jesus Was My Homeboy” about iconic black activist, revolutionary and Black Panther Party member Fred Hampton at Warner Bros.
Macro develops, produces and finances film, TV and digital content that seeks to reflect more accurate portrayals of people of color. King launched the company in 2015, and since then Macro films have received nine Oscar nominations.
Macro produced and co-financed the critically-acclaimed “Mudbound,” the highest sale at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, which garnered four Oscar nominations. The company also executive-produced and co-financed Denzel Washington’s “Fences,” which also received four nominations, including Best Picture. Last year’s critical hit, Boots Riley’s “Sorry to Bother You,” starring Lakeith Stanfield and Tessa Thompson, was also produced and co-financed by the company.
“In just a short period of time, Charles and Macro have helped redefine representation in feature films,” Emmerich and Valenti said in a joint statement. “They have an incredible track record, and we’re looking forward to working with them to produce films that highlight the authenticity and importance of diversity.”
MACRO most recently signed on as a co-financier and Charles D. King as an executive producer for Warner Bros.’s “Just Mercy,” starring Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx and Brie Larson. The film is a true story and follows world-renowned civil rights defense attorney Bryan Stevenson as he recounts his experiences and details the case of a condemned death row prisoner whom he fought to free.
MACRO’s upcoming projects include “Tigertail,” which is currently in post-production at Netflix. The Alan Yang-helmed drama, produced by MACRO, touches on themes of regret, longing, passion and repression while spanning continents and generations, from 1950’s Taiwan to present-day New York City. The company also has numerous television projects in various stages of production, including “Raising Dion,” also at Netflix.
The first-look deal was negotiated for Macro by Hansen Jacobson Teller & Hoberman, as well as Latham & Watkins.