Marsai Martin, the 14-year-old star of the US comedy series Black-ish, has signed a first-look deal with Universal Pictures for her production company, Genius Productions. The agreement will see Martin develop and produce projects for the studio, with a teen comedy titled StepMonster as the first film under the deal.
Martin expressed her excitement in a statement, saying she is 'so excited for the magic I'll be able to create and produce with Universal.' She praised Universal executives Peter Cramer and Donna Langley for their 'commitment to investing in and uplifting diverse and young voices.'
The actress, who won a Young Artist Award for her role as Diane Johnson on Black-ish, said her goal is to 'show young women and girls that our voices and ideas matter and you are never too young to dream BIG!' She thanked her family and colleagues on Twitter for helping make her dream a reality.
Universal's Peter Cramer hailed Martin as 'a star on the rise,' noting her talent both in front of the camera and as a creator and producer. Martin is set to appear in the upcoming film Little alongside Regina Hall and Issa Rae.
