‘Jason’s Lyric’ Writer Bobby Smith Jr. & Author Brenda Jackson To Launch Film & TV Company To Produce Black Romance Titles
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In a move to expand diverse voices in the romance novel industry, writer Bobby Smith Jr. (Jason’s Lyric) and bestselling Black romance author Brenda Jackson have teamed to launch a film and television company to develop and produce titles from Jackson’s works.
The endeavor will include Jackson’s bestselling titles from her Catalina Cove Series, Madaris Series, Playas Series, Bennett Series, as well as others from her collection of over 130 novels and novellas.
Smith Jr. and Jackson will work together to adapt the novels for the big screen, with Smith Jr. overseeing and writing the film and TV adaptations.
“I am so excited to be joining forces with the great Brenda Jackson to celebrate and bring Black romance and Black love stories to the television screens of the world through the launching of this endeavor. It’s about time that Black love and Black romance truly received the beautiful spotlight that they’ve always deserved.”
“As a romance author, it’s wonderful to write love stories and then see them adapted as movies,” comments Jackson. “I appreciate Bobby for believing in my work and wanting to bring Black love stories to life on the screen. I look forward to working with him in this endeavor. I also look forward to working with Bobby to bring other Black authors’ love stories to the forefront as well.”
Jackson began her professional writing career in 1995 with the release of her first book, Tonight and Forever. Since then she has written over 130 titles, which includes a made-for-television movie by BET, One Special Moment as well as the movies, Truly Everlasting by Five Alive Films and A Brother’s Honor, by Passionflix. She was a 2012 NAACP Image Award Nominee for Outstanding Literary Fiction for her book, A Silken Thread; and was named Romance Writers of America’s Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award recipient for 2012.
Smith Jr. recently sold his feature pitch Inner City Symphony, about the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles and its founder, artistic director and longtime conductor Charles Dickerson III, to Disney + with Brigham Taylor producing; as well as the sci-fi actioner Burst for Sobini Films and the ACJ Film Fund. Smith launched his career with the critically acclaimed Jason’s Lyric starring Jada Pinkett Smith, Allen Payne, Forest Whitaker, and Anthony ‘Treach’ Criss of the famed hip-hop group Naughty By Nature. Smith Jr.’s production company Ashore Entertainment has several upcoming productions that will be announced in the near future as part of its 2021 slate.
Smith Jr. is repped by attorney Mark Temple. Jackson is repped by attorney Garrett Johnson.
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