Reginald Hudlin Renews Universal Content Productions Deal

Ruby Mateo has joined Hudlin Entertainment as head of development and will focus on the company’s scripted efforts.

Reginald Hudlin is staying put at Universal Content Productions.

The producer of the 2020 Primetime Emmys has renewed his first-look deal with the Universal Studio Group-backed division and tapped Ruby Mateo to head development.

Under the pact, Hudlin Entertainment will continue to develop and produce scripted fare for the Beatrice Springborn-led studio, with Mateo steering the production company’s slate of movies, TV, award shows, documentary series and comic book publishing.

The news comes as Hudlin is directing a Sidney Poitier doc for Apple as well as a feature doc, Number One on the Call Sheet, featuring the biggest Black stars in Hollywood. His company will also produce the live-action DC Comics feature Static Shock, based on the character from Hudlin’s publishing imprint, Milestone Media.

“Throughout my whole career, I’ve created work in a variety of genres, from comedies like

House Party to dramas like Marshall, and UCP has embraced that wide range of genres that interests me,” Hudlin said. “As we continue to grow and expand, we are keen on further developing our many outstanding projects — while still putting emphasis on quality Black entertainment with a global appeal. Our partnership with UCP, along with Ruby’s experience in not only film and television but also sports and live event productions, gives me the utmost confidence that we will be successful in connecting with the large audience hungry for the kind of stories we tell.”

In addition to the 2020 Emmys, Hudlin has also produced Amazon’s Phat Tuesday: The Era of Hip Hop Comedy, this year’s NAACP Image Awards and TNT’s Friday Night Vibes with Tiffany Haddish.

“We are thrilled to extend our relationship with Reggie and welcome Ruby to the UCP family,” said Springborn, who serves as UCP president. “Reggie’s talent is limitless from producing the NAACP Image Awards and Primetime Emmy Awards to producing and directing documentaries like The Black Godfather to writing The Black Panther comics. He is a trailblazer, trendsetter, tastemaker and the definition of the type of talent we want to collaborate with.”

Mateo, for her part, comes to Hudlin Entertainment from Netflix, where she was on the streamer’s studio film team. Before that, she helped oversee production for films such as Cherry and Extraction for AGBO. The AFI MFA producing program graduate also spent time producing at ESPN.

“I’m beyond excited to work with Reggie and our great partners at UCP,” said Mateo. “I grew up watching Reggie’s work, and he was one of the first people I saw that showcased stories and people that I could relate to — so I look forward to supporting him and passing our stories on to the next generation.”

Hudlin is repped by CAA and Fox Rothschild.