Lifetime inks major deals with Queen Latifah, Taraji P. Henson, Taye Diggs, Sherri Shepherd, and more

 Lifetime’s latest Upfront brought good news for Queen Latifah, Taraji P. Henson, Taye Diggs, and Sherri Shepherd.

Lifetime is gearing up to make a serious investment in Black storytelling.

On Wednesday, March 4, during its Upfront presentation, the network revealed it is taking its first foray into microdramas while also inking deals for new projects with several key players in Black Hollywood, including Queen Latifah, Taraji P. Henson, Taye Diggs, and Sherri Shepherd, according to Deadline.

“Queen Latifah and Taraji P. Henson are extraordinary talents and dynamic producers who share Lifetime’s passion for telling powerful stories about women,” said Elaine Frontain Bryant, executive vice president and head of programming for A&E, Lifetime and LMN. “Both have helped shape our legacy with impactful, culturally resonant projects, and we are excited to have them back in the Lifetime family, creating new films with us as we continue to expand our slate with bold, female-driven storytelling.”

Queen Latifah will executive produce three new Lifetime original movies through her production company, Flavor Unit Entertainment, alongside her longtime producing partner Shakim Compere, per Variety. The projects mark another chapter in the rapper-turned-mogul’s longstanding relationship with the network, where she has previously produced and starred in several films centered on women’s stories.

Henson is also expanding her producing footprint at Lifetime. The Oscar-nominated actress will executive produce two original films through her production company, TPH Entertainment, in partnership with Fox Entertainment Studios. Production will be overseen by her head of production and development, Jamila Jordan-Theus. Details about the films have not yet been announced.

Meanwhile, Diggs is stepping into a slightly different lane as Lifetime experiments with a new storytelling format designed for mobile viewing. The actor will executive produce “Tides of Temptation,” a premium “microdrama” made for vertical viewing on phones. The short-form series will serve as a digital companion to Lifetime’s upcoming Love of a Lifetime movie “Terry McMillan Presents: Paradise with You.”

Creator, musician and actor Q Stenline, also known as SwagBoyQ, stars in the project alongside Troy Brookins, who also co-produces, Mea Wilkerson and David John Craig. Diggs executive produces alongside Autumn Federici and Shelby Stone.

Equally exciting, the network also announced that Shepherd is returning to star in and executive produce the film “Angel in the Rubble.” The movie will be based on the bestselling book “Angel in the Rubble: The Miraculous Rescue of 9/11’s Last Survivor” and tells the remarkable true story of Genelle Guzman, a New York City transit worker who was buried beneath the collapse of Tower One during the Sept. 11 attacks but managed to survive after being trapped for 27 harrowing hours.