Numa Perrier will follow up “Jezebel,” her portrait of a cam girl, with a thriller series about a couple who connect primarily via titillation. Deadline reports the actress and filmmaker has signed a deal to develop “Toxic” for Macro Television Studios.
“Toxic” is the story of “a seemingly everyday couple who thrives on pillow talk and erotic thrills,” the source teases. “Subtle red flags become alarmingly dangerous as their relationship and future together spirals beyond control.”
Perrier created the show and is among its exec producers. She’ll write and direct the pilot under her House of Numa shingle. Macro TV president Marta Fernandez and Director of Development Yira Vilaro will oversee the project.
“We are so thrilled to be working with Numa, a singular talent whose fresh voice and perspective offers a unique take on a genre that has been mostly male-dominated,” Fernandez said.
Inspired by Perrier’s own life, “Jezebel” won Best Director and Best Film at the American Black Film Festival, as well as the Emerging Filmmaker Award at the Indie Memphis Film Festival. “It shows the slice of life when I lived with my sister in Las Vegas. She helped me discover and grow into my womanhood and sexuality when she introduced me to internet sex work in the late ’90s,” the filmmaker told Women and Hollywood. “After nearly two years working as a cam girl, I moved to Los Angeles to pursue my acting and filmmaking dreams. I left this behind as my dirty yet fun little secret. In the back of my mind I always felt it would make a good movie.”
Perrier explained, “I’m excited about which ways the conversation and dialogue can go. I still have so many questions myself. I’d like the audience to think about agency vs. exploitation, sexual permissiveness, sex work and its legitimacy, family dynamics, and class and race dynamics.”
Perrier previously wrote and directed feature “Florida Water.” A co-founder of streamer Black&Sexy TV, she created, directed, and ran many of its projects, such as the Issa Rae-produced “Roomieloverfriends” and the Lena Waithe-co-created “Hello Cupid.” Last year Perrier helmed an episode of “Queen Sugar.” Her acting credits include “SMILF” and “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl.”
