Universal Pictures has entered a first-look deal with Edith’s Daughter, Cynthia Erivo‘s production company.
This new pact expands upon the creative relationship between the Oscar nominated and Tony, Emmy and Grammy winning actress and Universal following her starring role as Elphaba in Jon M. Chu’s Wicked which is set to take the world by storm this weekend with a $175M global opening.
“Cynthia’s world-class talent is matched only by her unwavering commitment to authenticity, representation, and empathy as a storyteller,” said Peter Cramer, President of Universal Pictures. “She has inspired us all throughout the making of Wicked, and we are so honored that she has chosen to partner with Universal to help amplify her mission at Edith’s Daughter. We couldn’t be more excited for the road ahead.”
“Having spent the last 3 years collaborating with Donna Langley, Peter Cramer and the team at Universal on Wicked, I’ve experienced first-hand the love and fearlessness with which they tell stories and uplift storytellers. I’m absolutely overjoyed to take this next step in our partnership with our first look deal. This is not just a milestone for my production company, but a testament to the power of storytelling and the importance of diverse voices in film. I can’t wait to bring our visions to life and share them with the world!” said Erivo, Edith’s Daughter founder.
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Erivo launched Edith’s Daughter in 2020 with the mission of making content that uplifts, normalizes and expresses the beauty of people who are often overlooked and underrepresented. Solome Williams is EVP of Edith’s Daughter and leads all TV, film, and unscripted development and production with Juliet Phillips as Creative Executive.
Edith’s Daughter’s first movie, Drift, starring Erivo, premiered as an official selection at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival where it received a 74% certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. The label is currently shepherding a remake of the 1979 Bette Midler film The Rose for Searchlight Pictures as well as the story on the remarkable life of Sarah Forbes Bonetta, a 19th Century Nigerian princess “gifted” to Queen Victoria with Benedict Cumberbatch’s SunnyMarch and BCC. For TV, Edith’s Daughter is developing the series Raising Wild at Apple producing alongside Renee Zellweger and Toluca Pictures.
Erivo returns in Wicked Part Two on Nov. 21, 2025. She received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for Focus Features’ Harriet in which she played the title role of Harriet Tubman. She also received an original song Oscar nom for that film for the single “Stand Up”. She burst onto the West End and Broadway stages in the 2015-2017 revival of The Color Purple,” winning the 2016 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. Erivo received a Primetime Emmy Limited Series Best Actress nom for her turn as Aretha Franklin in NatGeo’s Genius and she won a Daytime Primetime Emmy for Outstanding On-Camera Musical Performance in a Daytime Program for her Color Purple performance on Today.
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