Marlon Wayans to Lead Starz Comedy Book of Marlon, Based on His Life
Art will imitate life very, very closely for Marlon Wayans, who is set to lead an autobiographical comedy series now in development at Starz.
Wayans will star in, co-write and executive-produce Book of Marlon, a half-hour project inspired by the comedian’s life and career. He’ll 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,” the official synopsis reads. (The project was initially in development at HBO Max.)
Longtime collaborators Diallo Riddle and Bashir Salahuddin (Sherman’s Showcase) — who inked an overall deal with Warner Bros. TV in 2020 — will serve as showrunners on Book of Marlon and will exec-produce with Wayans, Michael Rotenberg (Insecure) and Rick Alvarez, who has worked with Wayans on numerous past projects.
“We are beyond thrilled to develop this sophisticated and hilarious Black series with Marlon, Diallo, Bashir and Rick, who each bring their own level of artistry and authenticity to everything they touch,” said Kathryn Busby, Starz’s president of original programming. “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.”
Added 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. 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.”
Wayans previously starred in his own sitcom Marlon, which aired on NBC for two seasons in 2017 and 2018, and led the five-season sitcom The Wayans Bros. with real-life brother Shawn Wayans on The WB (1995-99). More recently, he appeared in the freshman finale of Peacock’s Bel-Air.
