Steven Canals has fox-tastic deal…
The Afro-Latino queer writer and Pose co-creator has signed an overall deal with 20th Century Fox Television, a label of Disney Television Studios.
“Steven is the embodiment of the original voice we’re always looking for at this studio and like so many others I was captivated by his groundbreaking and award-winning seriesPose,” said Carolyn Cassidy, President of Creative Affairs, 20th Century Fox Television. Howard[Kurtzman] and I couldn’t be happier that he chose 20th to develop his new projects and feel extremely lucky to be in business with this gifted and talented writer whose storytelling is as specific as it is universally relatable.”
Co-created and executive produced byCanals, Ryan Murphyand Brad Falchuk, the Emmy– and Golden Globe-nominated and Peabody Award-winning drama series Pose was named one of the Best TV Programs of the Year by the American Film Institutein 2018 and 2019. It recently finished its second season on FX and will return for a third season this year.
Pose,which features the largest number of trans actors in series-regular roles ever for a scripted series, explores the juxtaposition of several segments of life and society: the underground ball culture, the rise of the Trump-era luxury universe and the downtown social and literary scene that came to define New York in the 1980s.
“For this Bronx bred storyteller, I’m thrilled by this new chapter,” said Canals. “Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined having supportive co-conspirators like Dana Walden, Craig Hunegs, Carolyn Cassidy, Howard Kurtzman and their teams. I’m grateful to be partnering with 20th to continue creating original content that centers diverse voices and moves the industry’s needle toward more inclusion and equity.”
A 2015 graduate of UCLA’s MFA Screenwriting program, Canals began his journey as a storyteller in high school, producing the documentary short Turf Violence: What’s It All About? co-funded by HBO Family. He went on to earn a BA in Cinema, and a Masters in Student Affairs & Diversity from Binghamton University. While attending UCLA, Canals served as a research assistant at Hungry Jackal Productions. In 2016, Canals was a staff writer on Freeform’s Dead of Summer, the same year his short film, Afuera, premiered at the LA Film Festival. He made his television directorial debut with the eighth episode of the second season of Pose titled “Revelations.”