Viola Davis & Julius Tennon’s Juvee Productions Inks First-Look Deal With Universal Global Television; Sets ‘Pawn’…

JuVee Productions, the production company founded by Emmy and Oscar winner Viola Davis and producer Julius Tennon, has entered into a first-look deal with Universal Global Television. Under the pact, Juvee will develop and produce series with UGT for all platforms, and has set Pawn, a series adaptation based on an original short story by bestselling author Kennedy Ryan (Before I Let Go, Score), as the first project.

Chantelle Wells (Daredevil: Born Again, Yellowjackets) will pen the Pawn adaptation. Davis, Tennon and JuVee Productions’ Head of TV Andrew Wang will serve as executive producers, alongside Wells and Ryan.

Pawn is a romantic drama series that follows Gina Jones, who makes a deal to become a “pawn” for the St. Louis crime family, the Rossis, in exchange for money to pay for her ailing grandmother’s medical treatments. The Rossis want to take down their rivals, the Norths, by targeting their heir apparent, Drayden, who is also Gina’s new boss. But when Gina and Drayden’s attraction to each other becomes undeniable, she has to navigate both families’ threats and secrets to go from “pawn” to Queen.

“From our first meeting together, we felt uniquely connected on how we plan to bring empowering and fearless voices to the screen,” Davis and Tennon said in a statement. “We have long been fans of Kennedy Ryan since reading her simmering Before I Let Go and Chantelle Wells has worked on some of the most iconic shows of the last decade, carving out her power as a storyteller who is willing to push the boundaries of expectations. To be able to work with these powerhouses to bring Pawn to life with UGT speaks directly as to why we created JuVee.”

Beatrice Springborn, President of Universal Global Television, said: “Viola, Julius and Andrew have built JuVee into a home for dynamic and powerful stories – a commitment we are proud to partner with them on, beginning with the excellent and gripping Pawn.”

Andrew Wang, JuVee Head of TV, added: “We’re so grateful to Beatrice and the incredible team at UGT for joining us in creating this new chapter for JuVee. Their instincts in telling bold, provocative stories aligns with our mission to continue to bring shows that offer a global range of perspectives with characters that redefine the genres they are in.”

JuVee Productions is an artist-driven, Los Angeles-based company that has produced work across film, television, theater and digital platforms. Committed to amplifying both emerging and established voices, JuVee Productions aims to serve as a creative hub for the next generation of storytellers, fostering bold, dynamic narratives that reflect the full spectrum of humanity. JuVee is repped by CAA and Lichter Grossman Nichols Adler Feldman Clark.