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IMDbPro

Gina Prince-Bythewood

  • Writer
  • Producer
  • Director
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Gina Prince-Bythewood in Half the Picture (2018)
Stars Viola Davis, Lashana Lynch, John Boyega, Sheila Atim, Thuso Mbedu, and director Gina Prince-Bythewood divulge their challenging and costly experiences with the visceral stunt and fight choreography on 'The Woman King.'
Play clip3:23
Why 'The Woman King' Stunts Had to Be 90 to 100% Real
2 Videos
24 Photos
Gina Prince-Bythewood (Writer/Producer/Director) studied at UCLA Film School, where she received the Gene Reynolds Scholarship for Directing and the Ray Stark Memorial Scholarship for Outstanding Undergraduate. She was a member of UCLA's track and field team, qualifying for the Pac-10 Championships in the triple jump.

Upon her graduation, she was hired as a writer on the television series "A Different World." She continued to write and produce for network television on series such as "Felicity," "South Central," and "Sweet Justice" before making the transition to directing.

Prince-Bythewood wrote and directed the widely-acclaimed feature film "Love and Basketball", which premiered at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival. Prince-Bythewood won an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay and a Humanitas Prize for her work on the film. She followed that success with the HBO film "Disappearing Acts."

In 2008, she wrote and directed the celebrated adaptation of the best-selling novel, "The Secret Life of Bees." The film won two People's Choice Awards and two NAACP Image Awards. Her third feature "Beyond the Lights" came in 2014 and garnered an Oscar nomination for best song and landed on a number of top critics Best of 2014 lists including the NY Times, Washington Post and Vulture.

She is the first Black woman to direct a superhero film, "The Old Guard," based on the celebrated graphic novel by Greg Rucka for Skydance and Netflix. It premiered on Netflix July 10, 2020 to record ratings, and 6th most popular film of all-time on Netflix.

Prince-Bythewood, along with her husband Reggie Rock Bythewood, created and produced "Shots Fired," a ten hour special event series for Fox, which premiered in 2017. TIME magazine praised, "An achievement...a testament to how ambitious even broadcast television has become."

She directed the pilot for the Marvel series "Cloak and Dagger" starring Olivia Holt and Aubrey Joseph, which debuted to record ratings for Freeform. She directed the pilot for the ABC limited event series "Women of the Movement," about Mamie and Emmett Till which is currently at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.

She directed the feature film "The Woman King" for Tri-Star and Sony. The historical epic action drama features an amazing ensemble including Oscar-winner Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, John Boyega, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim and Adrienne Warren, releasing theatrically September of 2022.

She is proud to fund a scholarship for African American students in UCLA's film program. She resides in Southern California with her husband Reggie and their amazing sons, Cassius and Toussaint.
BornJune 10
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornJune 10
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
      • 21 wins & 31 nominations total

    Photos24

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    Known for

    Love & Basketball (2000)
    Love & Basketball
    7.2
    • Writer
    • 2000
    Nate Parker and Gugu Mbatha-Raw in Beyond the Lights (2014)
    Beyond the Lights
    6.8
    • Writer
    • 2014
    Charlize Theron, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Matthias Schoenaerts, Luca Marinelli, Marwan Kenzari, and KiKi Layne in The Old Guard (2020)
    The Old Guard
    6.7
    • Director
    • 2020
    Viola Davis, Lashana Lynch, John Boyega, Sheila Atim, and Thuso Mbedu in The Woman King (2022)
    The Woman King
    6.8
    • Director(directed by)
    • 2022

    Credits

    Edit
    IMDbPro

    Writer



    • Children of Blood and Bone
      • screenplay by
      • In Production
      • 2027



    • Mekhi Phifer, Sanaa Lathan, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Russell Hornsby, Julian McMahon, and Uzo Aduba in The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat (2024)
      The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat
      6.3
      • screenplay (as Cee Marcellus)
      • 2024
    • Sanaa Lathan in Nappily Ever After (2018)
      Nappily Ever After
      6.4
      • written by (as Cee Marcellus)
      • 2018
    • Sanaa Lathan and Stephan James in Shots Fired (2017)
      Shots Fired
      6.7
      TV Series
      • created by
      • written by
      • story by (creator) ...
      • 2017
    • Great Performers: L.A. Noir (2016)
      Great Performers: L.A. Noir
      5.4
      Video
      • Writer
      • 2016
    • Nate Parker and Gugu Mbatha-Raw in Beyond the Lights (2014)
      Beyond the Lights
      6.8
      • written by
      • 2014
    • The Secret Life of Bees (2008)
      The Secret Life of Bees
      7.2
      • screenplay
      • 2008
    • Reflections (2007)
      Reflections
      4.6
      TV Short
      • Writer
      • 2007
    • Love & Basketball (2000)
      Love & Basketball
      7.2
      • written by
      • 2000
    • Scott Foley, Keri Russell, and Scott Speedman in Felicity (1998)
      Felicity
      6.9
      TV Series
      • written by
      • 1999
    • Damn Whitey
      6.2
      Short
      • written by
      • 1997
    • Jenifer Lewis in Courthouse (1995)
      Courthouse
      5.4
      TV Series
      • two episodes (as Gina Prince)
      • 1995
    • Sweet Justice (1994)
      Sweet Justice
      6.8
      TV Series
      • story
      • 1995
    • CBS Schoolbreak Special (1984)
      CBS Schoolbreak Special
      6.9
      TV Series
      • written by (as Gina Prince)
      • 1995
    • Larenz Tate, Tina Lifford, Keith Mbulo, and Tasha Scott in South Central (1994)
      South Central
      7.4
      TV Series
      • Writer
      • 1994
    • Jasmine Guy, Sinbad, Darryl M. Bell, Charnele Brown, Kadeem Hardison, Dawnn Lewis, Lou Myers, Cree Summer, and Glynn Turman in A Different World (1987)
      A Different World
      7.1
      TV Series
      • written by (as Gina Prince)
      • 1992–1993

    Producer



    • Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Aaron Pierre in Genius (2017)
      Genius
      8.2
      TV Series
      • executive producer
      • 2024
    • Swagger (2021)
      Swagger
      7.3
      TV Series
      • consulting producer
      • 2023
    • Gina Prince-Bythewood, Meko Winbush, Kumail Nanjiani, and Issa Rae in Project Greenlight: A New Generation (2023)
      Project Greenlight: A New Generation
      5.5
      TV Series
      • executive producer
      • 2023
    • Women of the Movement (2022)
      Women of the Movement
      7.2
      TV Series
      • executive producer
      • 2022
    • Olivia Holt and Aubrey Joseph in Cloak & Dagger (2018)
      Cloak & Dagger
      6.6
      TV Series
      • executive producer
      • 2018
    • Sanaa Lathan and Stephan James in Shots Fired (2017)
      Shots Fired
      6.7
      TV Series
      • executive producer
      • 2017
    • Daddy's Girl (2007)
      Daddy's Girl
      7.5
      TV Movie
      • producer
      • 2007
    • Reflections (2007)
      Reflections
      4.6
      TV Short
      • co-producer
      • 2007
    • Biker Boyz (2003)
      Biker Boyz
      4.7
      • producer
      • 2003
    • Scott Foley, Keri Russell, and Scott Speedman in Felicity (1998)
      Felicity
      6.9
      TV Series
      • consulting producer
      • 1998–1999
    • Jenifer Lewis in Courthouse (1995)
      Courthouse
      5.4
      TV Series
      • co-producer (as Gina Prince)
      • 1995

    Director



    • Children of Blood and Bone
      • Director
      • In Production
      • 2027



    • Viola Davis, Lashana Lynch, John Boyega, Sheila Atim, and Thuso Mbedu in The Woman King (2022)
      The Woman King
      6.8
      • Director (directed by)
      • 2022
    • Women of the Movement (2022)
      Women of the Movement
      7.2
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2022
    • The Golden Girls: Reimagined
      2.6
      Short
      • Director
      • 2020
    • Charlize Theron, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Matthias Schoenaerts, Luca Marinelli, Marwan Kenzari, and KiKi Layne in The Old Guard (2020)
      The Old Guard
      6.7
      • Director
      • 2020
    • Olivia Holt and Aubrey Joseph in Cloak & Dagger (2018)
      Cloak & Dagger
      6.6
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2018
    • Sanaa Lathan and Stephan James in Shots Fired (2017)
      Shots Fired
      6.7
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2017
    • Great Performers: L.A. Noir (2016)
      Great Performers: L.A. Noir
      5.4
      Video
      • Director
      • 2016
    • Nate Parker and Gugu Mbatha-Raw in Beyond the Lights (2014)
      Beyond the Lights
      6.8
      • Director
      • 2014
    • The Secret Life of Bees (2008)
      The Secret Life of Bees
      7.2
      • Director
      • 2008
    • Reflections (2007)
      Reflections
      4.6
      TV Short
      • Director
      • 2007
    • Tichina Arnold, Terry Crews, Tequan Richmond, Vincent Martella, Tyler James Williams, and Imani Hakim in Everybody Hates Chris (2005)
      Everybody Hates Chris
      7.6
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2005
    • Golden Brooks, Jill Marie Jones, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Persia White in Girlfriends (2000)
      Girlfriends
      7.3
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2005
    • Bernie Mac in The Bernie Mac Show (2001)
      The Bernie Mac Show
      7.2
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2003
    • Wesley Snipes and Sanaa Lathan in Disappearing Acts (2000)
      Disappearing Acts
      6.2
      TV Movie
      • Director
      • 2000
    • Love & Basketball (2000)
      Love & Basketball
      7.2
      • Director
      • 2000

    • In-development projects at IMDbPro

    Videos2

    Why 'The Woman King' Stunts Had to Be 90 to 100% Real
    Clip 3:23
    Why 'The Woman King' Stunts Had to Be 90 to 100% Real
    IMDb's ABCs of the Spiderverse
    Video 2:18
    IMDb's ABCs of the Spiderverse
    IMDb's ABCs of the Spiderverse
    Video 2:18
    IMDb's ABCs of the Spiderverse

    Personal details

    Edit
    • Official sites
      • Instagram
      • X
    • Alternative names
      • Cee Marcellus
    • Born
      • June 10
      • USA
    • Spouse
      • Reggie Rock BythewoodMay 24, 1998 - present (2 children)
    • Other works
      Directed music video for Fat Joe feat. Tony Sunshine "All I Need."
    • Publicity listings
      • 2 Interviews
      • 2 Articles
      • 2 Magazine Cover Photos

    Self-verified on IMDbPro

    • Gender / Gender identity
      • Female

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Ran competitive track at UCLA, where she also attended film school.
    • Quotes
      "On my set, people have to respect the actor's process. I totally respect what actors do. I give them whatever time they need and I never scream out directions from the camera. I take the time to walk up to them and talk to them personally." (from "Gina Prince-Bythewood's Disappearing Acts" by Monice Mitchell, DGA Magazine, January 2001, 25:5, 51-53.)

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