Anthony Hemingway & Taraji P. Henson Reunite For Animated Series ‘Unmentionables’; Director’s Development Slate Expands With MMA Movie, More

Dominic Patten
·5 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

EXCLUSIVE: There’s going to be an imperial reunion of sorts on Unmentionables.

In development, the adult animated series about mismatched underwear and the millennial human who wears them will be executive produced by Anthony Hemingway and Taraji P. Henson. The Emmy-winning director was behind the camera of Fox’s landmark Empire. Multiple Emmy nominee Henson was of course the unflinching Cookie Lyon on the primetime hip hop soap created by Lee Daniels and Danny Strong.

More from Deadline

Created by Young Sheldon and Netflix’s Special vets Danielle Pinnock and Punam Patel, Unmentionables will also see Taraji P. Henson Productions’ Christine Conley as an EP, along with Whitney Davis for Anthony Hemingway Productions.

“I’m incredibly grateful and blessed to have an intelligent and thoughtful team of collaborators that align with my vision which is focused on telling meaning stories that shape culture, shift the narrative and change lives,” Hemingway told Deadline.

Both Henson and Hemingway have overall deals with 20th Century Fox TV. Pinnock is repped by Global Artists Agency, Aligned Entertainment and lawyers Hansen, Jacobson. Patel is repped by APA and Management 360.

Hemingway, repped by WME and M88, is already at work as a director and EP on the burgeoning LA Law sequel unveiled late last year for ABC and has been opening his slate of late to involve even more collaborators.

<img class="wp-image-1234822109 size-medium" src="https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AHEM-Logo-Shiny-Boots.jpeg?w=300&quot; alt=" - Credit: AHP" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AHEM-Logo-Shiny-Boots.jpeg 2048w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AHEM-Logo-Shiny-Boots.jpeg?resize=150,150 150w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AHEM-Logo-Shiny-Boots.jpeg?resize=300,300 300w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AHEM-Logo-Shiny-Boots.jpeg?resize=1024,1024 1024w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AHEM-Logo-Shiny-Boots.jpeg?resize=1536,1536 1536w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AHEM-Logo-Shiny-Boots.jpeg?resize=225,225 225w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AHEM-Logo-Shiny-Boots.jpeg?resize=193,193 193w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AHEM-Logo-Shiny-Boots.jpeg?resize=93,93 93w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AHEM-Logo-Shiny-Boots.jpeg?resize=62,62 62w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AHEM-Logo-Shiny-Boots.jpeg?resize=100,100 100w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AHEM-Logo-Shiny-Boots.jpeg?resize=60,60 60w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AHEM-Logo-Shiny-Boots.jpeg?resize=352,352 352w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AHEM-Logo-Shiny-Boots.jpeg?resize=1472,1472 1472w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AHEM-Logo-Shiny-Boots.jpeg?resize=1104,1104 1104w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AHEM-Logo-Shiny-Boots.jpeg?resize=912,912 912w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AHEM-Logo-Shiny-Boots.jpeg?resize=550,550 550w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AHEM-Logo-Shiny-Boots.jpeg?resize=470,470 470w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AHEM-Logo-Shiny-Boots.jpeg?resize=110,110 110w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AHEM-Logo-Shiny-Boots.jpeg?resize=285,285 285w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AHEM-Logo-Shiny-Boots.jpeg?resize=240,240 240w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AHEM-Logo-Shiny-Boots.jpeg?resize=320,320 320w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AHEM-Logo-Shiny-Boots.jpeg?resize=480,480 480w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AHEM-Logo-Shiny-Boots.jpeg?resize=640,640 640w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AHEM-Logo-Shiny-Boots.jpeg?resize=600,600 600w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AHEM-Logo-Shiny-Boots.jpeg?resize=800,800 800w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AHEM-Logo-Shiny-Boots.jpeg?resize=768,768 768w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AHEM-Logo-Shiny-Boots.jpeg?resize=1280,1280 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />AHP

In addition to previously announced projects like the Blair Underwood-starring LA Law and the Sir Lady Java feature with Pose star Hailie Sahar in the transformational title role, Hemingway and Simon Mirren’s 3-year old AHP shingle has at least one more new film and series in the hopper.

Michael, set in the world of mixed martial arts, tells the tale of a deaf African-American man who gets back in the ring to overcome poverty and gain a chance to reunite with his 3-year-old son, who is spiraling in foster care. Aretha helmer Hemingway is set to direct and produce the movie with Mirren. Derex Brady and M.D. Walton will produce under their Skyscope Pictures banner, with Walton serving as writer. Lyah LeFlore-Ituen will also serve as an EP.

For the small screen, AHP has the U.S. adaption of Open House from Georgia Dolenz and Emmy-winning SNL and Veep vet Steve Koren. Based on the 2019 film of the same name, Open House focuses on a Brit real estate agent who is trying to use a documentary about gentrification as a ticket to fame and fortune. Hemingway will EP with Sean Hoagland, and Ashoka Thomas is serving as co-EP for AHP.

Dolenz is repped by CESD and Grant Management, Koren is repped by Verve and 3 Arts.

Best of Deadline

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.