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DATARI TURNER
Executive Producer
One of the most prolific producers in film, Datari Turner is crafting a career like no other. As founder of Datari Turner Productions in 2010, Turner has been a producer who has helped to produce and finance over 30 feature films, including eight films that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival: “Nine Days” (2020), “Ms. Purple” (2019), “A Boy. A Girl. A Dream.” (2018); “Gook” (winner of the NEXT Audience Award in 2017), “Ten Thousand Saints” (2015), “Luv” (2012), “Another Happy Day” (2011) and “Salvation Boulevard” (2011).
Together, Turner’s films have earned 98 festival award nominations. He has worked with four Academy Award winners (Jennifer Connolly, Common, Marisa Tomei and Ellen Burstyn) and 13 Academy Award nominees, including Ethan Hawke, James Franco, Stanley Tucci, Dev Patel, Hailee Steinfeld and Ruby Dee. Possessing a keen eye for talent, Turner gave big-screen debuts to some of the hottest emerging black actors today, including Ryan Destiny (FOX’s “Star”), Michael Rainey Jr. (“Power”) and Meghan Markle (“Dysfunctional Friends”), as well as casting rapper Common in his first lead film role (“Luv”). “Uncorked,” starring Courtney B. Vance and Niecy Nash, and directed by first-time filmmaker Prentice Penny recently had its streaming premiere. Most recently, “Nine Days,” starring Winston Duke and Zazie Beetz, was acquired by Sony Pictures Classics in a high seven-figure deal after winning several awards at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival.
Turner partnered with Oscar winner Jamie Foxx to form a new production company. The duo recently signed an overall deal at Sony Pictures, making it their new home to produce feature films.
Blackfilm.com ranked Datari Turner fourth on the list of Top 10 African-American producers of the decade (2010-2019), only behind Will Packer, Broderick Johnson and Tyler Perry. As of 2022, his most recent produced films include “Day Shift,” starring Jamie Foxx; “The Burial,” starring Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones; and “They Cloned Tyrone,” starring Jamie Foxx and John Boyega.
In television, Turner has produced 250 hours of original programming for networks such as Showtime, WEtv, Netflix, BET, TVOne, Starz and Oxygen. He is the creator of the hit franchise “Growing Up Hip Hop,” currently in its fifth season. Spinoffs include “Growing Up Hip Hop: Atlanta,” now in its third season, and “Growing Up Hip Hop: New York,” which premiered in 2019. In 2019, Turner was nominated for an NAACP Image Award, for producing the critically acclaimed doc series “Shut Up and Dribble,” alongside NBA Superstar Lebron James and his company SpringHill Entertainment.
Cast Photos
Bio
One of the most prolific producers in film, Datari Turner is crafting a career like no other. As founder of Datari Turner Productions in 2010, Turner has been a producer who has helped to produce and finance over 30 feature films, including eight films that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival: “Nine Days” (2020), “Ms. Purple” (2019), “A Boy. A Girl. A Dream.” (2018); “Gook” (winner of the NEXT Audience Award in 2017), “Ten Thousand Saints” (2015), “Luv” (2012), “Another Happy Day” (2011) and “Salvation Boulevard” (2011).
Together, Turner’s films have earned 98 festival award nominations. He has worked with four Academy Award winners (Jennifer Connolly, Common, Marisa Tomei and Ellen Burstyn) and 13 Academy Award nominees, including Ethan Hawke, James Franco, Stanley Tucci, Dev Patel, Hailee Steinfeld and Ruby Dee. Possessing a keen eye for talent, Turner gave big-screen debuts to some of the hottest emerging black actors today, including Ryan Destiny (FOX’s “Star”), Michael Rainey Jr. (“Power”) and Meghan Markle (“Dysfunctional Friends”), as well as casting rapper Common in his first lead film role (“Luv”). “Uncorked,” starring Courtney B. Vance and Niecy Nash, and directed by first-time filmmaker Prentice Penny recently had its streaming premiere. Most recently, “Nine Days,” starring Winston Duke and Zazie Beetz, was acquired by Sony Pictures Classics in a high seven-figure deal after winning several awards at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival.
Turner partnered with Oscar winner Jamie Foxx to form a new production company. The duo recently signed an overall deal at Sony Pictures, making it their new home to produce feature films.
Blackfilm.com ranked Datari Turner fourth on the list of Top 10 African-American producers of the decade (2010-2019), only behind Will Packer, Broderick Johnson and Tyler Perry. As of 2022, his most recent produced films include “Day Shift,” starring Jamie Foxx; “The Burial,” starring Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones; and “They Cloned Tyrone,” starring Jamie Foxx and John Boyega.
In television, Turner has produced 250 hours of original programming for networks such as Showtime, WEtv, Netflix, BET, TVOne, Starz and Oxygen. He is the creator of the hit franchise “Growing Up Hip Hop,” currently in its fifth season. Spinoffs include “Growing Up Hip Hop: Atlanta,” now in its third season, and “Growing Up Hip Hop: New York,” which premiered in 2019. In 2019, Turner was nominated for an NAACP Image Award, for producing the critically acclaimed doc series “Shut Up and Dribble,” alongside NBA Superstar Lebron James and his company SpringHill Entertainment.