We have another Black-ass overall deal to announce!
This time, it’s TV/film icons Ralph Farquhar and Bruce W. Smith, who have signed a multi-year overall deal with Disney Branded Television. Under the deal, Farquhar and Smith will produce animated and live-action series as well as actively develop content from emerging and diverse talent.
“We are very happy to be continuing our relationship with Disney and look forward to creating even more truly authentic and diverse stories and characters for audiences worldwide,” Smith and Farquhar said in a joint statement via a press release sent to The Root. “We are also excited to have the opportunity to bring along a new wave of talented voices that will deepen the connection to Disney storytelling for years to come.”
Unless you are actively in the television industry in some form, you may not recognize these names, but best believe, you recognize the titles they’ve provided or lent their talents to. Thankfully, the press release broke it down for everyone.
In addition to creating and executive producing The Proud Family, Smith served as one of three directors of the Academy Award-winning short Hair Love. A Walt Disney Animation Studios alumnus, Smith supervised animation on feature films including The Princess and the Frog, Winnie the Pooh, Tarzan and The Emperor’s New Groove, and worked on visual development for Frozen and Wreck-It-Ralph.
Renowned for creating and executive producing the popular sitcom Moesha, Farquhar also created and executive produced South Central and The Parkers, and executive produced Real Husbands of Hollywood. His work also includes writing the cult classic, hip-hop feature film Krush Groove, supervising producer on Married... with Children, and writing for the ABC series Happy Days.
“With virtually every studio and platform reaching out to them, it speaks volumes that talented storytellers Ralph and Bruce have chosen Disney as the home for their boundless creativity and inspired social commentary, not to mention their commitment to identifying emerging talent,” Gary Marsh, president and chief creative officer, Disney Branded Television said in a statement. “We are proud to have them as members of our family.”
Given each of their rich resumes, we look forward to seeing what these two titans whip up for generations to come!