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Viola Davis

Source: Angela Weiss / Stringer / Getty

The two-time Oscar nominee and Emmy winner Viola Davis has signed a lucrative deal with ABC.

According to The Hollywood Reporter,  the How To Get Away With Murder star has signed a pact that has ” Davis and her partner Julius Tennon will develop new projects for broadcast, cable, and streaming services through their production company, JuVee Productions, for ABC Studios and its cable/digital division ABC Signature.” In addition, they will bring in Andrew Wang to serve as head of development who oversaw Bravo’s successful attempt into “scripted programming,” Jezebel noted.

The goal is to bring more diverse productions to the small and streaming screens.

“Viola Davis’ award-winning work in theater, film and television has provided a powerful foundation to advocate for greater opportunities for communities that are traditionally underrepresented in film and television, and to tell the stories that haven’t but need to be told,” said Wang.

He added, “Viola and Julius’ determination to provide these opportunities, and to tell these stories, through new voices and fresh perspectives, in any format, is what excited me about joining the team at JuVee Productions. We’re thrilled to be working with our partners at ABC Studios to bring JuVee’s vision to life … finding new storytellers and bringing their distinct points of view and character journeys to the screen.”

Davis stresses, “We started JuVee because we wanted to see narratives that reflected our multiethnic and multifaceted culture. We wanted to be a part of classic storytelling, and we didn’t want to wait.”

Meanwhile, JuVee is developing the legal drama Conviction for cable networkTNT, with Debra Martin Chase and writer Ayanna Floyd (Empire), a project based on the real life story of Kym Worthy, the “toughest” chief prosecutor in Michigan.

This comes days after fellow Shondaland star Kerry Washington signed a similar deal. In a statement, Washington said, “It’s an honor to be at a point in my career when I can help generate projects that that are exciting, necessary, and truly reflect the world around us.

She added: “I’m grateful to be on this journey with ABC, a network that remains unparalleled in its commitment to inclusive storytelling.”

We are here for all of this.  Get your coins and your voices out there ladies!

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