Selwyn Seyfu Hinds

Last updated

Selwyn Seyfu Hinds
Born
NationalityAmerican
Alma mater Princeton University
Occupations
  • screenwriter
  • comics author
  • film producer
  • journalist

Selwyn Seyfu Hinds is an American screenwriter, comic book writer, film producer and former editor and journalist. He has been editor-in-chief of the hip-hop magazine The Source . He has written for The Twilight Zone 2019 TV series produced by Jordan Peele, and he has been selected to write and co-executive produce the TV series adaptation of Nnedi Okorafor's award-winning novel Who Fears Death?, with George R. R. Martin as executive producer. He is currently serving as creator, showrunner, and executive producer on the Hulu limited series Washington Black, based on the 2018 novel by Esi Edugyan.

Biography

Hinds was born and raised in Georgetown, Guyana, during the 1970s, until his family moved to Brooklyn, New York City in the United States when he was 14 years old in the 1980s. [1] [2]

He graduated from Princeton University, then started working as a journalist for The Village Voice . [3] In the late 1990s, he became a hip-hop critic then editor-in-chief at The Source magazine. As such, he is deemed to have played an important role in the hip-hop scene, helping to propel the careers of artists like Jay-Z or Lauryn Hill and creating space for hip-hop culture on the internet. [3] [4]

In 2012, Hinds wrote a supernatural comic book, Dominique Laveau: Voodoo Child, drawn by African-American comic-artist Denys Cowan, and published by Vertigo Comics. [3]

In 2017, it was announced that Hinds was to be the writer and co-executive producer of the TV series adaptation of Nnedi Okorafor's award-winning science-fiction novel Who Fears Death?, with George R. R. Martin as executive producer. [5] [6] [7] [8]

In 2019, Hinds is remarked for writing an episode of The Twilight Zone 2019 reboot TV series produced by Jordan Peele. The episode is called "Replay" and was said to be a "superior episode" by The Atlantic. [9] CNET also focused on this particular episode because of its treatment of racial issues. [10] Hinds commented on this opportunity for people of color, saying there was "a moment in Hollywood where our voice is coming to prominence". [10]

In 2021, Hinds, co-producing with Sterling K. Brown, sold a limited series adaptation of the novel Washington Black to Hulu. Hinds is serving as creator, showrunner, and executive producer. [11] In 2022, he formed Mad Massive Entertainment, a film and television production company with a television overall at Universal Content Productions. He also signed a deal to adapt the graphic novel series The Sixth Gun for television. [12]

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References

  1. Hinds, Selwyn Seyfu (November 14, 2018). "Opinion | Hip-Hop and Comics Speak the Same Language". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  2. International, Public Radio. "A New York Immigrant, Marvel's Stan Lee and His Legacy". WSKG. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 Lewis, Miles Marshall (July 22, 2016). "COMIC RELIEF:Selwyn Seyfu Hinds Talks 'Dominique Laveau' and Growing Up Hip-Hop". EBONY. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  4. Miss2Bees (September 15, 2017). "Former Editor-in-Chief of The Source Magazine Selwyn Seyfu Hinds Will Write HBO Series 'Who Fears Death?'". The Source. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  5. Andreeva, Nellie (September 14, 2017). "'Who Fears Death' Post-Apocalyptic Drama Set at HBO With George R.R. Martin & Michael Lombardo Producing". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  6. "Selwyn Seyfu Hinds To Write Adaptation Of Author Nnedi Okorafor's "Who Fears Death" For HBO Series". Blackfilm – Black Movies, television, and Theatre News. September 14, 2017. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  7. "George R.R Martin produira une série post-apocalyptique pour HBO | SYFY France". www.syfy.fr (in French). Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  8. Holloway, Daniel (September 14, 2017). "'Game of Thrones' Creator George R.R. Martin's 'Who Fears Death?' Adds Michael Lombardo, Selwyn Seyfu Hinds". Variety. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  9. Gilbert, Sophie (April 3, 2019). "What the 'Twilight Zone' Reboot Is Missing". The Atlantic. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  10. 1 2 Trenholm, Richard. "The Twilight Zone episode Replay takes aim at police shootings: 'This is urgent'". CNET. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  11. White, Peter (October 4, 2021). "Sterling K. Brown & Selwyn Seyfu Hinds' Adaptation Of 'Washington Black' Lands Limited-Series Order At Hulu". Deadline. Retrieved July 31, 2022.
  12. Maas, Jennifer (March 2, 2022). "Selwyn Seyfu Hinds Signs Overall Deal With UCP, Will Adapt Graphic Novel 'The Sixth Gun' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved July 31, 2022.