Janet Mock’s Huge Netflix Move Makes Her First Trans Woman to Land Overall Deal With Major Studio

Mock will write, direct, and executive produce upcoming Netflix projects including Ryan Murphy's 'Hollywood.'

June 19, 2019

Janet Mock has made history.

The Pose producer/writer has landed a three-year, multimillion dollar deal with Netflix, making her the first black trans woman to secure an overall deal with a major studio. (Transparent creator Jill Soloway, who identifies as nonbinary and gender-nonconforming, has a multiyear production deal with Amazon.)

Mock confirmed her Netflix partnership in a video shared on social media.

"You know, 84 percent of Americans say that they don't know and/or work with a trans person," Mock said in the video. "And so, there's potential now with Netflix's worldwide audience to introduce millions, hundreds of millions of viewers, to trans people and showing people who may not understand us that we can tell our own stories."

Under the deal, Mock will direct, write, executive produce, and develop a number of "hush hush projects," one of which will be a half-hour drama and another will be a college series. HuffPostsays the work will focus on "historically underrepresented stories." Netflix will also have a first-look option on her feature film projects.

"As a best-selling author, producer and director, Janet Mock has demonstrated she knows how to bring her vision to thrilling, vivid life," said Cindy Holland, Netflix's VP of original content. "She’s a groundbreaker and creative force who we think will fit right in here at Netflix."

According to Variety, Mock will also produce Hollywood, a Netflix original series by Ryan Murphy who also created Pose. The outlet reports Mock will continue to write and direct for Pose, despite her landmark deal.