Shaka King

Born in Brooklyn and trained at New York University's film school, Shaka King was figuratively and literally a student of Spike Lee. King wrote and directed for prestige series like Hulu's "Shrill" and HBO's "High Maintenance" and "Random Acts of Flyness" while working on his most ambitious project to date: "Judas and the Black Messiah." Studio support was scarce even with financier Charles D. King (no relation) and Ryan Coogler signed on to produce the first feature-length depiction of Black Panther Party leader Fred Hampton (played by Daniel Kaluuya). A tense crime thriller anchored by the FBI informant (played by Lakeith Stanfield) who betrayed Hampton was an unexpected followup to King's debut film, a stoner comedy called "Newlyweeds". With the backing of Warner Bros. and the blessing of Fred Hampton's surviving family, Akua Njeri and Fred Hampton Jr., King delivered one of the biggest films of the year. In addition to introducing Hampton's legacy to a new generation, the film earned accolades. King was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture, the first time in Oscars history an all-Black producing team. The "Judas and the Black Messiah" team will reunite for an untitled feature about an American insurrection that King will direct, co-write, and co-produce.