“Insecure” Director Melina Matsoukas to Adapt “A Brief History of Seven Killings” for Amazon Studios
If you haven’t already heard Melina Matsoukas’ name, you will soon. The frequent “Insecure” director and rising star just landed a major gig. She’s developing an adaptation of Marlon James’ award-winning 2014 novel “A Brief History of Seven Killings” for Amazon Studios, The Hollywood Reporter confirms. She’ll exec produce the ambitious project and direct. James will pen the script and Malcolm Spellman (“Empire”) is set to serve as showrunner.
“‘Seven Killings’ begins with the attempted assassination of reggae icon Bob Marley and explores its aftermath, looking at one vital day in multiple time periods,” THR writes. “The novel looked at Jamaican politics, poverty, race, class, and the volatile relationship between the U.S. and the Caribbean, and traced the connection between CIA efforts to destabilize a left-wing Jamaican government in the 1970s to the brutal realities of gang wars in the Kingston ghettos and their spread to New York in the 1980s.”
“Transparent” creator Jill Soloway and her Topple Productions partner Andrea Sperling are among the executive producers joining Matsoukas on the project.
“‘A Brief History of Seven Killings’ is a complex story that needs to be told, about a people whose voices need to be heard,” Matsoukas said in a statement. “It’s been my dream to bring this story to life onscreen since reading the first line of Marlon’s book. I am deeply honored to be entrusted with this tapestry of stories so entrenched in roots, reggae, race, mysticism, and politics, while working alongside Marlon to ensure an authentic portrayal of his words.”
Matsoukas has been a fan of “Seven Killings” for some time. Back in January 2015 she posted a photo of the acclaimed novel on Instagram.
Best known for her collaborations with Beyoncé, including directing the music video for “Formation,” Matsoukas scored a Grammy for Best Short Form Music Video for Rihanna’s “We Found Love.” She’s helmed seven episodes of Issa Rae’s “Insecure,” and two eps of Aziz Ansari’s “Master of None,” including the “Thanksgiving” episode, which just won Ansari and Lena Waithe an Emmy for best comedy writing. Waithe, who also acts in the Netflix series, is the first black woman to ever win an Emmy in this category.
“I’ve always been that person that sets a goal and works toward it,” Matsoukas has said. “I was taught that I could be anything and do anything I wanted. I think the biggest challenge as a young person was trying to figure out what I wanted to do, and what my goals were. Once I found my passion and I had something to work toward, it was like, ‘When is this going to happen?’ I really try to plan my career as best I can and make the right choices to brand myself, and get to where I need, and make sure that every choice in life that I’m making is building toward the bigger vision of where I want to be,” she explained.
Matsoukas may be making her feature directorial debut sometime soon. In February she was reportedly being sought as the director of Universal Pictures’ adaptation of Natalie C. Handerson’s best-selling novel, “City of Saints & Thieves.” The story follows a girl who has been living on the streets of Kenya in the aftermath of her mother’s murder. The project isn’t listed on Matsoukas’ IMDb page, but we haven’t seen word of another director signing on.
