Gina Prince-Bythewood

Director / Writer / Producer

Award-winning director/writer/producer Gina Prince-Bythewood is one of the most versatile storytellers working in film and television. Known for her authentic character-driven work, Prince-Bythewood has directed and written such influential feature films as LOVE & BASKETBALL, THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES and BEYOND THE LIGHTS.

Most recently from Prince-Bythewood is the action-drama feature, THE OLD GUARD, which she directs and stars Charlize Theron and Kiki Layne. A Netflix original feature, it is based on the popular comic book series created by author Greg Rucka and illustrator Leandro Fernández. The blockbuster is already among the Top 10 most popular Netflix films of all time since its July 10 release with Prince-Bythewood becoming the first Black female director on the list.

Other recent credits for Prince-Bythewood include the special event series, SHOTS FIRED which she and her husband Reggie Rock Bythewood served as Series Creators and Executive Producers. The ten-hour series for Fox examined the dangerous aftermath of two racially charged shootings in a small Southern town. In addition, Prince-Bythewood directed the pilot for Marvel’s CLOAK & DAGGER, which launched to strong reviews and viewers, starring breakout actors Olivia Holt and Aubrey Joseph as two teenagers with newly acquired superpowers who are mysteriously linked to one another.

Prince-Bythewood’s next feature film will be directing the historical epic, THE WOMAN KING for TriStar Pictures, starring Viola Davis. THE WOMAN KING is inspired by true events that took place in The Kingdom of Dahomey, one of the most powerful states of Africa in the 18th and 19th centuries. The story follows Nanisca (Davis), General of the all-female military unit, and her daughter Nawi, who together fought the French and neighboring tribes who violated their honor, enslaved their people, and threatened to destroy everything they’ve lived for.

For television, Prince-Bythewood will direct the first episode and serve as an Executive Producer of ABC’s limited series WOMEN OF THE MOVEMENT. The series, set to debut in 2021, will be comprised of six episodes focusing on Mamie Till Mobley, who devoted her life to seeking justice for her son Emmett Till following his brutal murder in the Jim Crow South, and is inspired by the book “Emmett Till: The Murder That Shocked the World and Propelled the Civil Rights Movement” by Devery S. Anderson. WOMEN OF THE MOVEMENT is being written and Executive Produced by Marissa Jo Cerar and executive produced by Jay-Z, Jay Brown and Tyran “Ty Ty” Smith of Roc Nation; Will Smith and James Lassiter of Overbrook Entertainment; Aaron Kaplan, Dana Honor and Michael Lohmann from Kapital Entertainment; Prince-Bythewood; Rosanna Grace of Serendipity Film Group; Alex Foster and John Powers Middleton of The Middleton Media Group; and David Clark at Mazo Partners.

In August, Prince-Bythewood and Reggie Rock Bythewood signed a mutli-year first-look deal with Touchstone Television (formerly Fox 21 Television Studios) under their production company, Undisputed Cinema. The multi-year deal covers television projects for broadcast and streaming platforms. The versatile duo’s Undisputed Cinema produces timely and timeless character-driven stories aimed to challenge audiences’ perspectives in different ways. Undisputed Cinema’s stories show humanity on-screen and create deep connections driven to build empathy between their characters and their viewers

An advocate for equal representation in film and television on-screen and behind-the-scenes, Prince-Bythewood funds a scholarship for African American students in the film program at UCLA, her alma mater.