Melina Matsoukas, best known as the go-to director for Beyoncé and Issa Rae’s Insecure, will helm Amazon Studios’ A Brief History of Seven Killings, based on the Marlon James novel. This is some prestige TV coming in hot.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, James will adapt his own work, with Jill Soloway, Andrea Sperling, Eric Roth and Malcolm Spellman signed on as executive producers. Seven Killings is a complicated story about Jamaican politics, featuring a brutal examination of the US government’s destabilizing influence on Jamaica’s left-wing political center in the ’70s. Matsoukas says she’s been thinking about bringing the Man Booker prize-winning novel to screen since she first read it:
“A Brief History of Seven Killings is a complex story that needs to be told, about a people whose voices need to be heard,” Matsoukas said Monday in a statement. “It’s been my dream to bring this story to life onscreen since reading the first line of Marlon’s book. I am deeply honored to be entrusted with this tapestry of stories so entrenched in roots, reggae, race, mysticism and politics, while working alongside Marlon to ensure an authentic portrayal of his words.”
Matsoukas helmed “Formation” for Bey as well as music videos for Rihanna and Lady Gaga, but her work on Insecure and several episodes of Master of None has made her even more in demand. Pat yourself on the back, Amazon, this is a big get.