Hot off the heels of her Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, Universal and Monkeypaw have won the rights to Nikyatu Jusu’s next project which she will co-write with Fredrica Bailey. The untitled horror film is set up under Monkeypaw’s overall deal at Universal and the logline, based on an original idea by Jusu, is being kept under wraps
“Monkeypaw is thrilled to be teaming up with Nikyatu on her next project and believe she is a singular talent with brilliant stories to tell. We are so pleased that Nanny has been celebrated by Sundance and we can’t wait for audiences to see what’s coming next,” said Monkeypaw President Win Rosenfeld.
Jusu just won the Grand Jury Prize in U.S. Dramatic Competition for her feature debut Nanny, which premiered to rave reviews. The film stars Anna Diop and Michelle Monaghan and is produced by Nikkia Moulterie and Stay Gold’s Daniela Taplin Lundberg with support from Topic Studios and LinLay. The pic was selected for the 2019 Sundance Institute Creative Producing Lab, the 2019 IFP Project Forum and the 2020 Sundance Screenwriter’s and Director’s Labs. Additionally, the film was one of 35 projects selected for the 2020 Creative Capital Awards and was shortlisted for The Black List 2020, rankings of the year’s hottest screenplays.
Bailey is best known for co-writing See You Yesterday with Stefon Bristol, who also directed the feature for Netflix and Spike Lee. That film debuted at the 2019 TriBeCa film festival and would earn Fredrica the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature along with writing partner, Stefon. Since then, Fredrica is currently writing From the Desk of Zoe Washington for Disney and Kerry Washington.
Monkeypaw, which has an exclusive five-year production partnership with Universal Pictures and with Universal Studio Group, most recently released Candyman. Next for Monkeypaw on the features side is Peele’s next directorial project, Nope for Universal in July 2022, and Wendell & Wild from director Henry Selick.
Jusu is represented my M88, CAA, and Granderson Des Rochers. Fredrica Bailey is represented by UTA and Lighthouse Management & Media. Monkeypaw is repped by CAA and Jared Levine.