Viola Davis won an Oscar less than a month ago and is showing no signs of slowing down. The “Fences” actress is “embarking on an effort to raise $250,000,000 in a global expansion plan for the development, production, and distribution of diverse and inclusive film and digital content” for her JuVee Productions company, Shadow and Act reports.
Launched in 2012 by Davis and her husband, Julius Tennon, the film, TV, and digital production company’s most recent project is “Custody,” a courtroom drama about alleged child abuse starring Davis, Catalina Sandino Moreno (“Maria Full of Grace”), and Hayden Panettiere (“Nashville”). The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and aired on the Lifetime network March 4.
According to the source, the fund “will be used to develop, finance, produce, and distribute a slate of multiple feature films and branded digital content that will see the relatively young production company expand its footprint globally.”
“The shift in storytelling should be inclusive and we aim to make it a reality,” said Tennon in a press statement. JuVee Productions has made diversity a priority, and aims to offer filmmakers and artists “the space to craft dynamic stories spanning the broad spectrum of humanity.”
Upcoming JuVee Production titles include Claire McCarthy’s period drama “The Personal History Of Rachel Dupree,”a biopic about trailblazing Texas Congresswoman and civil rights activist Barbara Jordan, and an HBO film about Harriet Tubman, who helped hundreds of African-Americans escape slavery through the Underground Railroad. All three projects star Davis.
Davis stars in Shondaland’s “How to Get Away with Murder,” a role that scored her an Emmy award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2015. Davis made history as the first black woman to win in this category. During her acceptance speech, she observed, “The only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity. You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there.”
Season 3 of “How to Get Away with Murder” concluded in February. The ABC legal drama has been picked up for a fourth season, but a premiere date hasn’t been announced yet.
