News round-up: ITV America’s Sirens reveals ‘Baddies’; Cineflix sells ‘Ordinary Woman’ S2

Marsai Martin

Sirens unveils ‘Baddies’ with 16-year-old Marsai Martin

ITV America-owned Sirens Media has partnered with 16-year-old Marsai Martin and her production banner Genius Entertainment to develop and produce Baddies (working title).

The new unscripted series, currently being taken to market, will spotlight the impact of previously unsung, trailblazing Black women who have helped shape American culture.

The show will feature Martin as she explores the women’s lives and delve into how they played a vital role in defining moments in American history.

Martin, who stars in ABC’s hit sitcom Black-ish, is the youngest person ever to executive produce a major studio film with 2019’s Little, which she starred in, alongside Issa Rae and Regina Hall.

She has also gained credits on Netflix’s The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and HBO’s A Black Lady Sketch Show, among many others.

“Our team continues to be blown away by Marsai on multiple levels,” said Sirens president Jessica Sebastian-Dayeh. “She’s a creative force of nature and an important voice in our culture, and aside from her obvious talents on camera, is a very deft and thoughtful executive behind the scenes. We’re proud to partner with her and Genius on this series that will shed light on vital stories in imaginative and unexpected fashion.”

Martin added: “Black women have always contributed to American culture. They’ve just never gotten the recognition. This show is a fun way of letting people know how dope we are.”

An Ordinary Woman

SBS, Canal+ claim Russian drama

Cineflix Rights has acquired distribution rights to the second season of award-winning Russian drama An Ordinary Woman and struck deals in Australia and Poland.

The 8 x 60-minute Russian drama, from 1-2-3 Production and Look Film, tracks the life of a woman living a seemingly ordinary life in Moscow, but who is really running a clandestine network of prostitutes.

The show, which became the first Russian drama to be shortlisted for the Séries Mania festival in 2018, has had its first two seasons sold to SBS Australia and Canal+ Poland.

TVNZ has also taken the first season while other deals, including in the US, are in the pipeline, Cineflix said.