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Marlon Wayans to Star in Starz Series Book of Marlon

Starz announced today it is in development on Book of Marlon, a comedy inspired by the life and career of actor-comedian Marlon Wayans. Wayans will portray himself in the lead role and will also co-write and executive produce.

In the half-hour project, Wayans will play a fictionalized version of himself, exploring his professional life as a comedian and actor, as well as his personal life, as he attempts to reconcile being a good person and loving father with being Marlon.

Marlon Wayans to Star in Starz Series Book of Marlon

“We are beyond thrilled to develop this sophisticated and hilarious series with Marlon, Diallo, Bashir and Rick, who each bring their own level of artistry and authenticity to everything they touch,” said Kathryn Busby, President, Original Programming at Starz.

“I’ve long admired Diallo’s and Bashir’s work, and I’m excited to be working on a project as special as this with the incomparable Marlon Wayans at the center.”

Marlon Wayans

“We’re excited to be in business with such enthusiastic partners. Starz is a big brand, and we are happy to bring some smiles to the table,” said Marlon Wayans.

“It’s great to know that we can push the envelope and get into some good, fun trouble with this project on this platform. Diallo and Bashir are good friends and great collaborators. ‘Book of Marlon’ will be smart, fun, and twisted with a dash of heart and a whole lot of unapologetic humor.”

“We believe Marlon is a once-in-a-generation talent, and we’re thrilled to finally be working with him in this capacity on a show,” said Riddle and Salahuddin.

“We can’t wait for people to get a glimpse of what his real life is like, and we can’t thank Starz enough for allowing us to do so in an unflinchingly honest way.”

Through their overall deal with Warner Bros. Television, Diallo Riddle (Marlon, Insecure) and Bashir Salahuddin (Top Gun: Maverick, The Dropout), creators of Sherman’s Showcase and South Side, have been tapped to serve as showrunners of Book of Marlon.

They will executive produce along with Wayans, Rick Alvarez (Marlon, Sextuplets), and 3 Arts Entertainment’s Michael Rotenberg (Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe, Silicon Valley). Wayans, Riddle, Salahuddin, and Alvarez will co-write the pilot episode.

Book of Marlon will be produced by Warner Bros. Television for STARZ. Director of Original Programming Alex Alberts, Senior Vice President of Original Programming Kathryn Tyus-Adair, and Senior Vice President of Unscripted Programming Alice Dickens-Koblin will oversee the series on behalf of STARZ.

Marlon Wayans is an actor, producer, comedian, writer, and film director. His films have grossed more than $736 million domestically and $1 billion globally. As a standup comedian, he is selling out nationwide and adding shows every weekend.

Marlon Wayans hit a career milestone with his highly anticipated first-ever stand-up comedy special Woke-Ish, which premiered on Netflix in February 2018.

Next up, Wayans can be seen this Fall in Netflix’s The Curse of Bridge Hollow, which he produced and stars in. He recently wrapped up production on Ben Affleck’s Nike drama for Amazon Studios, Skydance Sports, and Mandalay Pictures.

Wayans can most recently be seen starring as Ted White in MGM’s Aretha Franklin biopic, Respect, opposite Jennifer Hudson. In 2020, he starred in Sofia Coppola’s Apple-A24 movie On the Rocks opposite Rashida Jones and Bill Murray. His other credits include Sextuplets, NBC’s Marlon, Naked, Fifty Shades of Black, the A Haunted House films, and White Chicks.

Wayans signed an overall deal with HBO Max to perform a standup special and host a multi-act special. This resulted in his specials, Marlon Wayans: You Know What It Is and Marlon Wayans Presents: The Headliners, which are currently streaming on the service.

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