Elgin James Inks Overall Deal With Fox 21 Television Studios

Denise Petski
·3 min read

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Mayans M.C. co-creator and showrunner Elgin James is expanding his relationship with Fox 21 Television Studios, signing a multi-year overall deal with the studio behind the Sons of Anarchy spinoff. The pact covers development, writing and directing for television and streaming projects.

James took over as showrunner for season 3 of Mayans M.C. last November following the firing of series co-creator Kurt Sutter.

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“I am deeply grateful for the endless support Dana Walden has shown me from the beginning, and the trust Bert Salke, Craig Hunegs, Jane Frances and everyone else at Fox 21 and Disney continue to show. They took a chance on me a few years ago and have tirelessly championed me ever since. I’m honored and excited to be able to call Fox 21 Television studios home and to continue this journey with these incredibly protective and creative partners.”

Sutter was let go at the end of season 2 of Mayans M.C. following an investigation into complaints from writers, producers, cast and crew alleging a hostile work environment on the show.

“Over the past two seasons of Mayans MC we’ve come to know and love Elgin,” said Bert Salke, President, Fox 21 Television Studios. “He has an incredibly fresh and modern vision and is proving to be a great leader. We’re loving the ride on Mayans and look forward to seeing what else he creates in the future.”

James was a fixture in Boston’s hardcore punk scene and a member of a multi-ethnic national street gang that targeted neo-Nazi skinheads. After spending a decade and a half in the gang, James left for Los Angeles where he was shepherded by the Sundance Institute Feature Film program, and through filmmaking learned how to express himself through art instead of violence.

James wrote, directed and scored his debut film, Little Birds, starring Juno Temple and Leslie Mann, which was nominated for the Grand Jury prize at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, and nominated for Best International Feature Film at the Zurich Film Festival. Little Birds was released by Millennium Entertainment and won a National Board of Review award.

While in prison, James co-wrote the script Lowriders for Imagine Entertainment and Universal Pictures, released in theaters in 2017. James is repped by WME, Hunting Lane and Tara Kole at Gang, Tyre, Ramer & Brown.

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