Tessa Thompson’s Viva Maude Inks First-Look Film Pact With Amazon MGM Studios

Anthony D'Alessandro
·2-min read

Primetime Emmy nominee Tessa Thompson’s Viva Maude has closed a multiyear first-look film deal with Amazon MGM Studios.

The actress, who has starred in the studio’s movies Creed III and Sylvie’s Love, launched her production company Viva Maude in 2020. The label’s mission is “to influence culture through projects that defy categorization and are manifestly entertaining,” per the press release.

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Viva Maude is already in business with Amazon MGM Studios, under its Orion Pictures banner, on Hedda, a reimagination of Henrik Ibsen’s famed 1891 stage play Hedda Gabler, written and directed by Nia DaCosta and starring Thompson. Cameras are currently rolling on the pic.

In 2021, Kishori Rajan, known for her work on Random Acts of Flyness, teamed with Thompson to further expand Viva Maude’s portfolio in production and development, serving as SVP Development & Production. Viva Maude counts a slate of more than 20 movies and TV projects across several genres including narrative, documentary, and unscripted content. Among Viva Maude’s notable projects are The Secret Lives of Church Ladies at Max and an adaptation of Luster for HBO.

“Tessa Thompson is a true force and an extraordinarily talented actor and producer,” said Julie Rapaport, Head of Film Creative and Strategy at Amazon MGM Studios, and Alana Mayo, Head of Orion Pictures. “As we continue production on Hedda, we could not imagine a better time to formalize our relationship with Viva Maude. We look forward to continuing our work together to develop inclusive and impactful stories that uplift, inspire, and entertain.”

Said Thompson, “I founded Viva Maude to create more room: room for our collaborators to think more boldly, room for artists to grow in new ways, room for dreaming bigger as to what a production company can do. Amazon MGM/Orion Pictures prove themselves time and time again to be true partners in creating ambitious work, and I’m thrilled for Viva Maude to have such thoughtful leadership in our corner.”

Last year, Thompson reprised her role as Bianca in Michael B. Jordan’s Creed III, which became the highest-grossing Creed movie with more than $276 million in worldwide box office. In addition to starring in Prime Video’s Sylvie’s Love, she also served as EP on the movie, which made its world premiere at Sundance; the pic scored a 2021 Primetime Emmy nom in the Outstanding Television Movie category. She had another Sundance premiere in 2021, Passing, on which she also starred and EP’ed. Her feature credits include Thor: Love and Thunder, Creed, Creed II, Men in Black: International, Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Endgame, Little Woods, Annihilation, Sorry to Bother You, Selma, Dear White People and the HBO series Westworld.

Thompson is repped by WME, Mosaic and Jeff Bernstein at Jackoway Austen Tyerman.

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