Hollywood power broker DeVon Franklin has inked a deal with 20th Century Fox. Under the multiyear pact, Franklin will produce and develop film content for the studio through his Franklin Entertainment banner, where he serves as president and CEO. A producer, preacher, and New York Times best-selling author, Franklin works on both black-themed and mainstream projects. His career string of box-office hits includes The Pursuit of Happyness, Hancock, The Karate Kid remake, Heaven Is for Real, and Miracles From Heaven.
“We’re excited to welcome DeVon Franklin into the Fox family,†Stacey Snider, chairman and CEO of 20th Century Fox Film said in a statement. “He has great taste and a real feel for inspirational stories.”
“I am deeply committed to producing inspirational content of faith that reaches audiences all around the world,†added Franklin in a released statement. “This is why I’m so excited to join the Fox family. I am incredibly grateful for the support for my vision of creating uplifting content for the masses.â€
Top Black Hollywood Studio Executive
The 38-year-old filmmaker skyrocketed from an intern at Will Smith’s Overbrook Entertainment to a senior vice president at Sony Entertainment
. A man of the cloth–he’s ordained–Franklin had his hands in developing and supervising movies geared toward the urban and faith-based markets for Sony Pictures divisions, Columbia and TriStar Pictures.Prior to launching Franklin Entertainment, Franklin served as a senior vice president of production at Columbia TriStar Pictures–making him one of the highest-ranking African American executives in Hollywood’s studio system as well as one of the youngest to reach that rank. Among the movies he has shepherded through production, distribution, and marketing are Not Easily Broken, Jumping the Broom, and the Sparkle remake; all three films were produced by Bishop T. D. Jakes.
Franklin most recently developed and produced the hit faith-based film Miracle From Heaven, which starred Jennifer Garner and Queen Latifah. According to Franklin’s camp, the film, which reportedly received a rare A+ CinemaScore, was made for a modest $15 million and has earned more than $73 million at the worldwide box office, making it one of most successful faith-based films to date.
The Moneymaking Machinery
Franklin remains at the forefront of the movie-making machinery as he is currently working on several projects, including the high-profile reboot of He-Man
 and the Masters of the Universe franchise. Also in development is the highly anticipated remake of the 1975 classic film Cooley High at MGM.Franklin recently released his second book, The Wait, which he co-wrote with his wife, actress Meagan Good. The book became a New York Times bestseller, selling more than 125,000 copies to date. Additionally, Franklin reportedly has amassed more than 1 million followers on social media through his daily inspirational posts.