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Mary J. Blige just locked in a major move with Universal Television to bring “Lights Out” to the small screen.
The bestselling sports thriller by Elise Hart Kipness is getting the full production treatment, and the lineup behind it is absolutely stacked with heavy hitters.
According to Deadline, the project’s executive producers include Blige herself alongside Bruce Miller and Milana Edwards-Brooks from Blue Butterfly Productions, plus Debra Martin Chase of Martin Chase Productions and director Liz Friedlander.
The story follows Kate Green, a former Olympic athlete turned sports reporter who’s already dealing with being put on temporary leave from her job when things get way worse.
An NBA superstar named Kurt Robbins gets murdered, and the prime suspect is his wife, who also happens to be Kate’s best friend Yvette.
Kate’s convinced her friend didn’t do it, so she launches her own investigation to clear Yvette’s name while her own life continues falling apart.
Her career’s in limbo, gossip columns are speculating about her future, her kids are struggling, and her estranged father suddenly shows up as the detective assigned to the case.
Blige’s been building Blue Butterfly Productions into a serious force since 2019, and this deal shows she’s not just a music icon anymore.
She’s a Grammy and Emmy winner with an Academy Award nomination, and she’s been expanding her entertainment empire with everything from Lifetime films to documentaries.
Martin Chase Productions has been crushing it too, with Chase becoming the first Black female producer to land a major studio deal and produce films that grossed over half a billion dollars at the box office.
The book itself became an instant Amazon bestseller when Thomas and Mercer released it in 2023, and the third installment “Close Call” just spent four weeks on the USA Today Bestseller List, peaking at number 18.
