Issa Rae Productions will release a new web series that follows a transgender woman living in New Orleans as she navigates her sexual identity and forges a path to stardom.
Dui Jarrod’s highly-anticipated series King Ester is set pre-Hurricane Katrina as the storm looms over the city and affects the lives around Ester. The series stars Rowin Amone, Pose’s Angelica Ross, and Fresh Prince of Bel Air‘s Janet Hubert.
“I’m ecstatic and happy for the opportunity to be a part of the Color Creative family,” Jarrod said in a statement to ESSENCE. “I’ve been extremely conscious about who I align myself with. I love King Ester and my investment in telling the story meant I wasn’t going to join any platform that didn’t affirm the purpose of me creating the series. I feel confident the Issa Rae Productions audience is the perfect fit and will allow Ester into their hearts with empathy and love.”
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King Ester, which received tons of praise earlier this year as it made its way around the festival circuit, is a continuation of the work Jarrod is doing in entertainment. Last year, the director’s web series Brooklyn.Blue.Sky was picked up by BET. Brooklyn.Blue.Sky follows a couple struggling to navigate the complexities of love.
While Rae is set to star in a number of upcoming projects, including Stella Meghie’s The Photograph, she’s also been busy behind the camera. She’s attached as an executive producer on HBO’s A Black Lady Sketch Show, and will executive produce and star in the upcoming comedy The Lovebirds. Rae will also produce a remake of 1996 action-drama Set It Off.
King Ester makes its world premiere October 17 on Issa Rae Presents Youtube channel.
