Of all the things you can say about Paramount in the months since David Ellison sucked copious FCC boot leather to get the studio bought, one thing you can’t accuse the company of is being cheap. (Even when some of the people it’s trying to buy would presumably prefer a bit more spendthriftery.) In addition to its big, thorny efforts to buy Warner Bros., Nu Paramount has also been embarking on a bit of a spending spree when it comes to individual creators, snapping up first-look deals for brands both old and slightly tarnished (Will Smith) and younger and up-and-coming (notably, Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer). Now the studio has just added Issa Rae to its portfolio, too, as Deadline reports that the Insecure star and creator has signed a three-year first-look deal with Paramount on both the TV and film fronts.
Although probably still most famous for Insecure (itself building on the work she did on her web series Awkward Black Girl), Rae has spent more time of late behind the camera than in front of it; she starred in a voice role in HBO Max’s animated series Young Love in 2023, but has put a pretty hefty chunk of her recent energy into working as a producer through her Hoorae Media production company. (Including A Black Lady Sketch Show, the Project Greenlight revival, and last year’s Keke Palmer/SZA comedy film One Of Them Days.)
Unsurprisingly, both sides of the deal are currently in honeymoon mode, with Paramount calling Rae ” a true creative force whose work consistently feels fresh, funny, and deeply human. She epitomizes the kind of exceptional artist we’re proud to partner with across film and TV to break new ground in elevated storytelling.” Rae, meanwhile, is a tad more measured, simply noting that, “I’m so looking forward to starting this next chapter with the incredible team at Paramount to tell stories for and by the diverse communities that have supported my work over the years.”