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*Janet Mock has made history yet again, and this time for becoming the first trans woman to land an overall deal at a major content company — Netflix.
The “Pose” director, producer and writer has inked a three-year multimillion-dollar with the steaming giant, which includes exclusive rights to her TV series and a first-look option on feature film projects.
Variety reports that as part of the agreement, Mock will serve as an executive producer and director on Ryan Murphy’s forthcoming Netflix series “Hollywood.” She will also continue as a writer-director on Murphy’s hit FX LGBTQ drama series “Pose.”
Mock confirmed her Netflix partnership in a video shared on social media.
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I’m excited to announce that I am partnering with Netflix to tell stories on a global platform. So proud to join the ranks of digital content moguls as the first trans woman to call her own creative shots at a major content company. https://t.co/ZXBOlXv1fM #girlslikeus
— Janet Mock (@janetmock) June 19, 2019
“You know, 84 percent of Americans say that they don’t know and/or work with a trans person,” Mock said in the video. “And so, there’s potential now with Netflix’s worldwide audience to introduce millions, hundreds of millions of viewers, to trans people and showing people who may not understand us that we can tell our own stories.”
Under the deal, she will direct, write, executive produce, and develop a number of “hush hush projects,” Complex reports — one will be a half-hour drama while another will be a college-based series. HuffPost says the work will focus on “historically underrepresented stories.”
“As a best-selling author, producer and director, Janet Mock has demonstrated she knows how to bring her vision to thrilling, vivid life,” said Cindy Holland, Netflix’s VP of original content. “She’s a groundbreaker and creative force who we think will fit right in here at Netflix.”
“As someone who grew up in front of the TV screen, whether that was watching talk shows or family sitcoms or VHS films, I never thought that I would be embraced,” says Mock. “And more than embraced. Given not just a seat at the table but a table of my own making.”
Mock, 36, was born in Hawaii and transitioned as a teen. She joins a very small club of powerful trans creators, including Jill Soloway, who has a production deal with Amazon Studios, and directors Lilly and Lana Wachowski, who created “The Matrix” franchise.
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