A “Barbershop” TV series has been greenlit at Amazon Prime Video, Variety has learned.
The show will connect to the universe of the “Barbershop” film franchise, with Jermaine Fowler attached to star. Marshall Todd, who co-wrote the original film, is writing the series and executive producing. The announcement was made during Amazon’s upfronts presentation to advertisers in New York on Monday night.
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The official description states the show “revolves around Travis ‘Trav’ Porter (Fowler), who endeavors
to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, a legendary barber at the iconic ‘Calvin’s’ barbershop in
Chicago. And while the barbers are new, the shop remains just as lively, the customers just as argumentative, and the fades are still the dopest in the city — because at Calvin’s, the community comes together for way more than just a haircut.”
Along with Todd, Max Searle serves as executive producer and co-showrunner. Kevin Hart, Bryan Smiley, and Mike Stein for executive produce via Hartbeat Productions. Cameron Burnett and Autumn Bailey-Ford executive produce on behalf of Prominent Productions, with George L. Tillman and Robert Teitel of State Street Pictures also executive producing. Tiffany Brown will co-executive produce for Hartbeat. The series is produced by Amazon MGM Studios.
“We are thrilled to announce a new series based on the hilarious and innovative world of ‘Barbershop’ for
our global Prime Video customers,” said Vernon Sanders, global head of television at Amazon MGM Studios. “The television adaptation of this iconic film franchise is in excellent hands with co-showrunners
Max Searle and Marshall Todd. We couldn’t be happier with their collaboration and hard work to bring
Calvin’s Chicago-based barbershop to life for a new audience on Prime Video.”
This is now the second “Barbershop” TV series. Showtime previously aired a sitcom based on the films with Omar Gooding in the lead role, though it lasted for just one season. The first “Barbershop” film was released in 2002 followed by sequels in 2004 and 2016. There was also the spinoff film “Beauty Shop” starring Queen Latifah in 2005. The three main films have grossed nearly $200 million worldwide.
An accomplished stand up comedian, Fowler broke out onscreen with his starring role in the CBS multi-cam “Superior Donuts.” His other TV credits include the FX limited series “A Murder at the End of the World” and the truTV sketch comedy series “Friends of the People.” He will next be seen in the Tracy Morgan comedy series “Crutch” at Paramount+ and “Only Murders in the Building” Season 5. Fowler has starred in films like “Coming 2 America,” “Sorry to Bother You,” “Judas and the Black Messiah,” and “Ricky Stanicky.”
He is repped by UTA, Entertainment 360, and Yorn Levine.
It was first reported that a “Barbershop” series was in the works at Amazon back in 2023, upon the completion of Amazon’s acquisition of MGM. Series takes on “Robocop” and “Poltergeist” are also in development, while a “Legally Blonde” prequel is currently in production.
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