ABC Studios signs up Yara Shahidi

ABC Studios in the US has signed an overall deal with actress Yara Shahidi, as part of which the Grown-ish star has formed her own production company.

Yara Shahidi in Grown-ish

Shahidi, who rose to fame after starring in ABC sitcom Black-ish and spin-off series Grown-ish, has launched prodco 7th Sun with her mother and business partner Keri Shahidi.

Under the agreement with ABC Studios, 7th Sun will produce scripted and alternative programming for streaming and broadcast.

Lajoie St George, former manager of scripted programming at NBCUniversal, has joined 7th Sun as director of development.

“I’m thrilled to be partnering with my home family, ABC Studios, in this exciting next chapter alongside my family. It’s exciting to add our production company to the roster of my peers and mentors who are also actively committed to sharing meaningful stories,” Shahidi said.

Jonnie Davis, ABC Studios’ president, added: “We can’t wait to extend and expand our relationship with the incredibly talented Yara Shahidi, who has been a member of the family since Black-ish. When she’s not studying at Harvard and starring in our series Grown-ish, she’s mentoring and inspiring other young people, which makes us all feel like under-achievers but also very proud that she’s part of our studio.”