LOS ANGELES and TORONTO — Independent entertainment company Boat Rocker announced today it has struck a first-look deal with Canadian brothers, actors and producers Shamier Anderson (above, left) and Stephan James (right).
“Under the deal, Anderson and James, the stars of Boat Rocker’s highly anticipated series Invasion and Beacon 23, respectively, will develop and produce original television projects for the company under their Bay Mills Studio banner,” reads a Boat Rocker press release.
Anderson is starring in the Boat Rocker-produced series Invasion, created by producer Simon Kinberg, which will premiere on Apple TV+ on Oct. 22. James is an executive producer and lead actor, opposite Lena Headey, in Boat Rocker and Spectrum’s upcoming psychological sci-fi thriller Beacon 23 for AMC Networks.
“It’s been a tremendous experience working with Shamier in our Apple series Invasion and we’re so excited Stephan signed on to star in Beacon 23,” said Katie O’Connell Marsh, vice-chair of Boat Rocker Studios, in the press release.
“Through our many conversations it became clear that putting together a larger deal to help Shamier and Stephan further their goals and aspirations in building Bay Mills Studios was such a logical and exciting next step. Their creative passion and vision for the future is inspiring and matched by our mutual ambitions.”
Anderson was named a TIFF Rising Star in 2019. He is currently co-writing the story for an original motion picture screenplay Super High for New Line Cinema. He will also executive produce the film, which stars Andy Samberg, Common and Craig Robinson. He has previously starred in Netflix’s Stowaway opposite Anna Kendrick, Toni Collette and Daniel Dae Kim and in Halle Berry’s directorial debut Bruised for Netflix, which premiered at TIFF 2020. Anderson is currently starring in John Wick 4.
James is an Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated actor and producer. He previously starred in Amazon’s Homecoming opposite Julia Roberts, in Ava DuVernay’s Selma, in Barry Jenkins’ If Beale Street Could Talk and Quibi’s #FreeRayShawn. He will next appear in National Champions and is currently in production on Apple TV+ drama series Surface.
In 2016, Anderson and James co-founded B.L.A.C.K. and they currently serve as chairs and co-founders of The Black Academy, “which aims to combat systemic racism while honoring, celebrating, and inspiring Black talent in Canada,” the press release says.
The Black Academy’s award show, which will celebrate established and emerging Black Canadian talent across film, TV, music, sports and culture, is being produced by Insight Productions, a Boat Rocker Company. Earlier this year, Anderson and James announced an exclusive three-year partnership with CBC to broadcast the award show, which is planned for fall 2022.
“We are incredibly excited to join forces with Boat Rocker to bring riveting content to the thriving television landscape,” said Anderson and James. “As a whole, co-chairmen David Fortier and Ivan Schneeberg and vice-chair Katie O’Connell fundamentally believe in our creative ambitions and reflect much of the visionary storytelling we admire as artists.
“Our goal through Bay Mills Studios is to help shift the cultural paradigm in giving a platform to inspired and underrepresented voices, changing the way we see the world through art. We couldn’t ask for a better partner in daring to dream as much as we do, all while having the global reach to encourage others to do the same.”
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Photo supplied by Boat Rocker.
