Jody Watley Inks Talent Deal With Ozy; Biopic In The Works

Erik Pedersen
·3 min read
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Ozy has inked Jody Watley to a talent deal that includes a biopic on the Grammy-winning R&B singer-songwriter-producer.

OZY and Watley have begun the search for writers to attach to the project.

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<img class="size-medium wp-image-1234730468" src="https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ozy.jpg?w=300&quot; alt=" - Credit: Ozy/Twitter" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ozy.jpg 1000w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ozy.jpg?resize=150,84 150w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ozy.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ozy.jpg?resize=600,338 600w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ozy.jpg?resize=125,70 125w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ozy.jpg?resize=660,370 660w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ozy.jpg?resize=910,511 910w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ozy.jpg?resize=681,383 681w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ozy.jpg?resize=450,253 450w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ozy.jpg?resize=250,140 250w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ozy.jpg?resize=296,166 296w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ozy.jpg?resize=248,139 248w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ozy.jpg?resize=200,112 200w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ozy.jpg?resize=270,152 270w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ozy.jpg?resize=60,34 60w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ozy.jpg?resize=352,198 352w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ozy.jpg?resize=110,62 110w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ozy.jpg?resize=285,160 285w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ozy.jpg?resize=320,180 320w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ozy.jpg?resize=640,360 640w, https://deadline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/ozy.jpg?resize=800,450 800w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Ozy/Twitter

“When I heard Jody’s story — one of overcoming the odds, of the power of positivity, of defying expectations — I knew it was one we had to share,” said Chris Rantamaki, executive director of Ozy Studios. “Fans will be surprised that Jody has overcome so many formidable challenges in her life that she has never revealed publicly. She is now ready to break her silence and we are honored she trusts us to tell her story.”

A former Soul Train dancer, Watley started out as part of the Los Angeles-based vocal trio Shalamar, which scored a Top 10 single with “The Second Time Around” in 1979 and continued charting into the mid-’80s. Her first solo hit was “Looking for a New Love,” which spent four weeks at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in in 1987, and five of her next seven singles went Top 10. They included “Don’t You Want Me,” “Everything” and “Real Love,” which also peaked at No. 2.

Her 1989 hit “Friends” featured Eric B. and Rakim.

Said Ozy CEO Carlos Watson, who interviewed Watley on The Carlos Watson Show: “The moment I met Jody, I knew there was something special about her. There’s so much about Jody that people don’t know. I want to share the incredible story of the woman behind the music.”

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