Antoine Fuqua entered a first-look deal with Netflix. Under his new banner Hill District Media, formerly known as Fuqua Films, the famed director will produce features and documentaries. The extension of his relationship with Netflix comes after the success of the 911 dispatch thriller The Guilty, starring Jake Gyllenhaal.
“Antoine is an impactful storyteller who believes art can create meaningful change in the world,” Tendo Nagenda, vice president of the Netflix Film division, said in a statement. “We had a great collaboration with him on The Guilty and look forward to telling many more stories together in the future.”
Fuqua started his directing career in 1990 as a music video director for artists such as, Hi-Five, Mary J. Blige, Heavy D & The Boyz, Christopher Williams, Toni Braxton, Usher, and more. In 1998, he would make his directorial debut with the action thriller The Replacement Killers. He would follow up his debut with the Jamie Foxx led Bait in 2000. Fuqua is known for working with actor Denzel Washington, who he’s directed in the cult-favorite Training Day, The Equalizer, and The Magnificent Seven, for instance.
“Working with Netflix on The Guilty was such a rewarding experience, both from an artistic and collaborative point of view,” Fuqua told Variety. “I’m beyond excited to continue this relationship and expand our slate of films with a partner that shares our vision at Hill District Media.”
Fuqua is currently directing Will Smith and Mustafa Shakir in the upcoming action thriller Emancipation, a story about a runaway slave that escapes ruthless plantation owners in Louisiana.
