A new rumor claims that DMZ director and Naomi showrunner Ava DuVernay’s deal with Warner Bros. is over.
This new rumor comes from The Hollywood Reporter’s Lesley Goldberg who writes, “Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that the prolific multihyphenate has opted to end her overall deal with the studio following the conclusion of her five-year deal. The rich pact, which DuVernay signed in late 2018, officially ends May 31.”
Goldberg adds, “Sources say Warners and DuVernay’s decision to let the deal expire was a mutual one and was made months ago.”
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Goldberg speculates that with the TV deal ending she will focus on her film slate, which includes the film Caste.
According to her company’s website, DuVernay also has an upcoming animated show titled Wings of Fire at Netflix.
DuVernay’s deal with Warner Bros. Television included the aforementioned Naomi series at The CW and DMZ at HBO Max. It also featured OWN’s Queen Sugar.
The Naomi series was cancelled after a single season on The CW. The series premiered with only 802,000 people tuning in. At the show’s finale only 428,000 people watched. The show had an average audience of 522,000 through the first season with an abysmal .08 in the 18-49 demographic.
The series received an abysmal 4.8 out of 10 from IMDb users.
DuVernay’s four-episode DMZ series on HBO Max did not fare any better. The series starring Rosario Dawson received a 5.4 out of 10 from IMDb users.
The series did not chart on Nielsen’s Top 15 Streaming Programs (Overall) nor on their Top 15 Streaming Programs (Originals).
Queen Sugar concluded its seventh season on OWN in 2022. The first season premiere brought 2.68 million viewers and had a strong .68 rating in the 18-49 demographic. The first season would average 1.769 million viewers and .51 rating.
By its seventh season the show only averaged viewership of 460,000 with a .07 rating in the 17-49 demographic.
The series has an overall rating of 7.8 out of 10 from IMDb users.
DuVernay was also previously attached to a New Gods film that was scrapped in pre-production. She also infamously threatened to discriminate against white men when it came to hiring for films.
In reply to a lengthy Twitter thread from Nicole French attempting to shame Hollywood editors who objected to an editor explicitly seeking out black union editors, DuVernay tweeted, “Everyone has a right to their opinion. And we – Black producers with hiring power – have the right to not hire those who diminish us. So, to the white men in this thread… if you don’t get that job you were up for, kindly remember… bias can go both ways. This is 2020 speaking.”
What do you make of DuVernay’s deal with Warner Bros. Television reportedly ending?