Frankie Shaw exploded on the scene over the past few years thanks to her critically-acclaimed Showtime series, “SMILF.” And though that series might have come to an untimely end, Shaw’s talent, serving as the creator, star, writer, director, and producer on the series is undeniable. Now, in addition to other projects in the works, Shaw has also agreed to direct a new feature film, based on a bestselling memoir.
According to Deadline, Shaw is set to direct an adaptation of essayist T Kira Madden’s “Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls” memoir for the big screen. In addition to writing the book that serves as the basis for the film, Madden is also on board to pen the script for the feature. ‘Long Live’ tells the story of a queer, biracial teenager that grew up in Boca Raton, Florida, and the issues she dealt with growing up in an area rampant with privilege, racism, white-collar crime, and more.
“T Kira’s story is a lesson in radical self-acceptance, an open-hearted love letter to our pain and our mistakes, and proof that while we are fundamentally shaped by our trauma, it does not have to define us,” Shaw said.
She added, “We feel incredibly lucky and grateful to be working with Kira, an immensely talented writer with a truly singular voice, and we look forward to bringing ‘Long Live’ to life on screen.”
There’s no timetable for when Shaw might begin work on ‘Long Live.’ As mentioned earlier, the filmmaker has a number of projects in the works, including a new HBO limited series titled “Wifey” and a new feature film, produced by Steven Soderbergh, titled “Ultraluminous.” So, if anything, the cancellation of “SMILF” has freed Shaw up to tackle a variety of really interesting projects.