In a recent story for Vanity Fair, Jordan’s big ambitions are top of mind, including his plan to be, in the words of journalist Joe Hagan, nothing less than “a one-man movie studio whose every move has a dollar sign attached to it & for whom nothing is left to chance.” Jordan is well on his way to that, too, bolstered by “multi-million-dollar endorsement deals, his own production company & a new marketing/consulting start-up in the works.”
He’s currently building out his production company as “an engine for movies and TV shows that will define his brand.” And Jordan is already targeting the up-and-coming talents he wants to grow, plus known quantities he’s eager to work alongside. “I want to create projects for Brad Pitt, but at the same time I want to be able to create a movie for Will Smith, or Denzel, or Lupita, or Tessa,” Jordan told Vanity Fair. “It’s gonna be eclectic. It’s gonna be animation. It’s gonna be non-scripted. It’s gonna be digital. It’s gonna be film, television. It’s gonna be video games.”
After best actress Frances McDormand used her Oscar speech to call for the use of inclusion riders, Jordan quickly jumped on the concept & promised that his own productions would adhere to new standards to employ racially & gender-diverse film crews. Within a few months, Jordan had gotten Warner Bros. to institute the use of inclusion riders across the entire studio.
That’s not to say that Jordan is putting his on-screen endeavors on hold. Far from it, he's reprising his role as Adonis Johnson in "Creed II" this month (Thanksgiving day). He also has a hearty number of projects currently in the works, including the Netflix series “Raising Dion” (which he will star in & produce), plus producing the feature film “Just Mercy,” the OWN series “David Makes Man” & the historical epic “The Liberators.” He’ll also star in the Ta-Nehisi Coates-penned “Wrong Answer,” directed by his “Black Panther” & “Fruitvale Station” helmer Ryan Coogler. Jordan's even gearing up for his directorial debut with an adaptation of the best-selling novel “The Stars Beneath Our Feet.”
Earlier this year, Jordan had a cameo in the sci-fi feature “Kin,”
which he also executive-produced, His involvement was a surprise
kept under wraps by filmmakers Jonathan & Josh Baker. As they
explained to IndieWire after the film debuted, Jordan got involved in
the film simply because it was something that interested him & he wanted to support. “Michael is a sci-fi fan, a fan of comic books, a fan of cool, new, unique concepts & diverse casts,” Jonathan Baker said earlier this year. “So, we’re kinda perfect for his tastes. … It turns out, we’re all on a very similar page, in our taste level in cinema, also being comic book fans, a whole bunch of stuff. He basically said, ‘Hey, guys it’s up to you, any way you want to use me, I’m ready to help you out with this.’”
That’s the kind of hands-on challenge Jordan seems intent on keeping up, one built on his desire to lift up new talent, tell new stories, and use his name for entertainment good. “We don’t have any mythology, black mythology, or folklore,” Jordan told Vanity Fair. “Creating our own mythology is very important because it helps you dream. You help people dream.”
Written by Kate Erbland
