Marlon Wayans is moving his semi-autobiographical comedy series “Book of Marlon” to Starz.
The premium cabler has put the show into development after it was previously set up at HBO Max. It was originally set up at HBO Max in 2020 as part of an overall deal Wayans had signed there.
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In the half-hour show, Wayans would play a fictionalized version of himself, exploring his professional life as a comedian and actor, as well as his personal life as he attempts to reconcile being a good person and loving father with being Marlon. Wayans will star in the series in addition to co-writing and executive producing. As with the original HBO Max iteration, Rick Alvarez will also co-writer and executive produce. Now, though, Diallo Riddle and Bashir Salahuddin have come onboard to co-write and serve as co-showrunners and executive producers. Riddle previously worked with Wayans on the latter’s NBC series “Marlon,” while Wayans has appeared on Riddle and Salahuddin’s IFC series “Sherman’s Showcase.”
Warner Bros. Television will produce, with Riddle and Salahuddin currently under an overall deal at the studio. Michael Rotenberg of 3 Arts Entertainment will also executive produce. Starz’ director of original programming Alex Alberts, senior vice president of original programming Kathryn Tyus-Adair and senior vice president of unscripted programming Alice Dickens-Koblin will oversee the series on behalf of the network.
“We are beyond thrilled to develop this sophisticated and hilarious series with Marlon, Diallo, Bashir and Rick, who each bring their own level of artistry and authenticity to everything they touch,” said Kathryn Busby, president of original programming at Starz. “I’ve long admired Diallo’s and Bashir’s work, and I’m excited to be working on a project as special as this with the incomparable Marlon Wayans at the center.”
This is the latest semi-autobiographical comedy series in which Wayans will star. He previously starred in “Marlon” at NBC, which ran for two seasons. He previously co-created and co-starred in the show “The Wayans Bros.” for five seasons at The WB. Wayans is also known for his work in shows like “In Living Color” and in films like the “Scary Movie” franchise, “Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood,” “White Chicks,” and “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.”
He is repped by WME, 3 Arts and Morris Yorn.
“We’re excited to be in business with such enthusiastic partners,” Wayans said. “Starz is a big brand, and we are happy to bring some smiles to the table. It’s great to know that we can push the envelope and get into some good, fun trouble with this project on this platform. Diallo and Bashir are good friends and great collaborators. ‘Book of Marlon’ will be smart, fun and twisted with a dash of heart and a whole lot of unapologetic humor.”
“We believe Marlon is a once-in-a-generation talent and we’re thrilled to finally be working with him in this capacity on a show,” added Riddle and Salahuddin. “We can’t wait for people to get a glimpse of what his real life is like and we can’t thank STARZ enough for allowing us to do so in an unflinchingly honest way.”
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