Oscar-Winner Matthew A. Cherry Strikes Deal with Warner Bros. Television
It was announced earlier today that Oscar-winner Matthew A. Cherry is set to release multiple projects across multiple platforms underneath Warner Bros. Television. Cherry is best known as the writer and director behind the animated short Hair Love. The short is about a Black father trying to do his daughter’s hair for the first time, and it won an Academy Award for Best Short (Animated) Film earlier this year.
While it is his first television deal, he is not unfamiliar with the medium. Through his Cherry Lane Productions, Cherry has directed episodes for both Whiskey Cavalier and The Red Line. Under this deal, Cherry Lane Productions will produce projects for Warner Bros. Television. Beyond his production team, Cherry has also directed episodes of Saved by the Bell, Black-ish, Mixed-ish, and The Last O.G.
The wide receiver-turned-filmmaker is well aware of the turmoil the Black community is facing and how crucial it is to amplify Black voices right now. “It’s an important time to be a Black creative working in this industry, and I look forward to creating impactful projects and partnering with other talented marginalized voices in our community,” he says.
Cherry has also taken to his social media to show solidarity with those protesting in the streets. Many celebrities have been seen protesting, but Star Wars star John Boyega has taken it to the next level by calling to action with a megaphone. Boyega has since received backlash from some claiming he’s being too vocal and extreme, but many others in the entertainment industry, including Cherry, support his message.
Cherry tweeted: “I would work with John Boyega and I urge other Non-Black creators to affirm that they have his back as well.” In an interview earlier this month with The Hollywood Reporter, he further elaborated that, “[a]s black creatives, you want to work, you want to continue to use your instrument to make the world a better place and put out great depictions of people that look like you, but a lot of times when you want to speak your mind, there’s always a question: ‘Am I going to get blackballed for this?’ John just saying it plainly, for me, I wanted people to speak up and say they got his back.”
With this new deal giving helping Cherry release more content, there’s sure to be a better understanding and representation of the Black community in television.
