Marsai Martin, the Guinness World Record holder for the youngest Hollywood executive producer has gotten a nod from Disney to produce a Disney Channel original comedy series, Saturdays.
The 16-year-old, according to Deadline, will produce the pilot for Saturdays under her Genius Entertainment production company which she runs with her parents, Joshua and Carol Martin. This was after Disney ordered a single episode of the series.
Writer and executive producer Norman Vance Jr., who executive produced Moesha, Roll Bounce, and Girlfriends, will do the same for Saturdays, and Charles Stone III from Drumline and Black-ish fame will be the director.
“With its neon lights, galaxy-painted rink and killer D.J. spinning the latest music, Saturdays is the place to show and prove. Paris is the leader of a skate crew and is determined to take them all the way to the top. However, she has sickle cell disease, and when it flares up, it’ll take every ounce of determination to prove the doubters wrong, including her concerned family,” according to Deadline’s report on the show plot.
Many are excited about the representation this project will bring for those who have been diagnosed with sickle cell disease. The lead character has sickle cell, a disease that affects mostly Blacks.
Although there is no apparent premiere date, the show’s principal cast has been revealed.
Though Martin broke into Hollywood after she was cast to play the role of Diane Johnson in popular sitcom Black-ish in 2014, the teen proved her talent went beyond acting when it was announced she was going to executive produce the movie, Little.
Martin, who successfully pitched the story to Black-ish creator Kenya Barris, said she had the idea for the movie when she was as young as 10 years old.
Besides executive producing the movie, Martin also starred in it alongside Issa Rae and Regina Hall. In the film, Martin plays the role of a younger Regina Hall after a little curse takes the strict businesswoman back to her little 13-year-old self.
