‘Hair Love’ Director Matthew A. Cherry Is Developing His First Animated Feature At Sony Pictures Animation

Matthew A. Cherry, whose animated short Hair Love won the Oscar for best animated short this year, is set to direct his first animated feature at Sony Pictures Animation (SPA).

Here are the details of Tut (working title):

• Tut is described by Variety, which broke the news, as “an afro-futuristic, coming-of-age story of the boy king Tutankhamun.” It “will take audiences on a journey through ancient Egypt and celebrate a culture that introduced the world to countless modern conventions and technologies.”
• The film is based on an original idea by Cherry and Blue Key Entertainment’s Monica A. Young, a producer on Hair Love. It marks a new phase in Cherry’s collaboration with SPA and Karen Rupert Toliver, its executive vice president of creative, which began when the studio acquired Hair Love.
• Cherry has since partnered again with SPA and Blue Key on Young Love, a forthcoming series for HBO Max based on Hair Love. Cherry is a showrunner. Lion Forge Animation, which also worked on Hair Love, is involved too.
• Commenting on Tut, Cherry said he was “beyond excited to explore the magical world of ancient Egypt through the eyes of its youngest ruler, King Tut. I’ve always wanted to dive deeper into the legend of the boy king and we can’t think of better partners to embark upon this journey with than [SPA president] Kristine Belson, Karen Toliver, and the great people at Sony Pictures Animation.”
• Tutankhamun, colloquially known as King Tut, is the most renowned of the Egyptian pharaohs and a big presence in popular culture. He has inspired a number of animated works, including Warner Bros.’s feature Moomios, which is currently in production in Spain.
• Contrary to some reports, Tut will not be Cherry’s feature directorial debut. Before entering animation, he helmed two indie live-action features, The Last Fall and 9 Rides (which was shot entirely on an Iphone 6s). He has also directed many tv episodes, as well as music videos for artists including Snoop Dogg and Michelle Williams (feat. Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland).