Melina Matsoukas isn’t waiting for Queen & Slim, her feature film directorial debut, to hit theaters to secure the bag. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Matsoukas has signed a first-look deal with FX Productions to develop content for FX Networks.
Nick Grad, FX Entertainment’s President of Original Programming, released a statement signaling the company’s excitement over the deal. “Melina is an enormously talented director and producer. We’re especially excited that Melina has such a depth of directing experience across film, commercials, music videos, and television, and look forward to developing projects that draw on her bold vision and great skill.”
Matsoukas has made a name for herself as a prolific music video director over the last decade and a half. She’s worked with Alicia Keys, Ciara, Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, and Jennifer Lopez, among others, since she started directing in 2006. Most notably though, she’s won two Grammys for her work on the videos for Beyoncé’s “Formation” and Rihanna’s “We Found Love.” That’s not all though as Matsoukas has also directed a number of TV episodes, including a Directors Guild Award-nominated turn on Lena Waithe’s Master of None and HBO’s Insecure. Most recently, she directed the pilot episode of FX’s upcoming adaptation of Y: The Last Man.
Queen & Slim, Matsoukas and Waithe’s latest collaboration, is set to hit theaters next week on November 27th.