'Waiting To Exhale' TV Series Reboot Produced By Lee Daniels Lands At ABC With Penalty

EXCLUSIVE: ABC has given a script commitment with penalty to Waiting To Exhale, a drama series followup to the 1995 film, from Lee Daniels (Empire) and 20th Television, where Daniels is under a deal.

Tembi Locke, Attica Locke Courtesy of Bob McGowan; AP

Written by Attica Locke (When They See Us) and Tembi Locke (Never Have I Ever) and directed by Anthony Hemingway (Genius: Aretha), Waiting To Exhale is infused with the humor, sensuousness, and sincerity of the groundbreaking and beloved original film. The TV reimagining looks at the next generation of our women through the lens of the tangled friendships and complicated lives of their daughters.

The Locke sisters executive produce with Daniels and Marc Velez via Lee Daniels Entertainment, Hemingway and 3 Arts’ Richard Abate, Jermaine Johnson and Will Rowbotham. Terry McMillan, author of the novel on which the film was based, is consulting producer. She teased the Waiting To Exhale series adaptation on Twitter earlier this month. There are no current plans for Tembi Locke, who is an actress, to appear in the potential show.

Lee Daniels, Anthony Hemingway AP; Michael Buckner/Deadline

The 1995 Waiting to Exhale feature, directed by Forest Whitaker in his directorial debut, starred 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 Television’s film studio sibling, 20th Century Studios, distributed the film, which grossed over $81 million worldwide and continues to be referenced in pop culture today.

Lee and 20th TV, part of Disney TV Studios, have been working on bringing Waiting To Exhale to television for a while. The TV series adaptation went through multiple incarnations with different creative auspices until Lockes’ take gained traction.

Daniels, co-creator of Fox drama series Empire and Star, is wrapping up his latest feature film, The United States vs. Billie Holiday, a drama centered around the court case of famed singer Billie Holiday. His other notable film credits include The Butler, Monsters Ball and Precious.

Actress Tembi Locke’s best selling memoir From Scratch is being adapted into a Netflix limited series starring and executive produced by Zoe Saldana and produced by Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine.