‘Waiting To Exhale’ TV Series In The Works With Lee Daniels Producing, Anthony Hemingway Directing
Via Deadline, Terry McMillan, the novelist behind the 1992 NYT bestseller, Waiting to Exhale, announced via Twitter that a television adaptation is in the works with Lee Daniels attached to produce and Anthony Hemingway on board to direct.
“So, WAITING TO EXHALE is going to be a TV series,” McMillan wrote in a Twitter post. “Produced by Lee Daniels. Attica Locke and Tembi Locke are writing. Anthony Hemingway will direct. I lucked out.”
Deadline has confirmed that this project has long been in development at 20th Television, where Daniels currently has an overall deal in place. Hemingway will also serve as an executive producer. The information McMillan provided is limited and the timeline for this project is unclear.
Waiting to Exhale was adapted into a romance feature in 1995, directed by Forest Whitaker — his directorial debut — and starring Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett, Lela Rochon, and Loretta Devine. The stylish pic centered around four Phoenix-residing women navigating their complex relationships with the men in their lives as well as with one another.
20th Century Fox distributed the film, which grossed over $81 million worldwide and continues to be referenced in pop culture today.
Following the success of the Waiting to Exhale book, McMillan wrote the sequel Getting to Happy. She’s is also the author of How Stella Got Her Groove Back, which was adapted into a feature starring Bassett and Taye Diggs.