Viola Davis and husband Julius Tennon’s company, JuVee Productions, is partnering with EveryWhere Studios to produce a movie adaptation of Rachel Lloyd’s critically acclaimed novel “Girl’s Like Us.”
“Girls Like Us: Fighting for a World Where Girls Are Not for Sale” is Lloyd’s true story about falling prey to the world of commercial sex exploitation and escaping to dedicate her life to fight that very industry.
“Viola and I are thrilled to work with the team at EveryWhere Studios,” Tennons said. “We’re moved by Rachel’s story and impressed by her commitment to helping these girls find their voice and changing the narrative on how society views them.”
Lloyd is an author and activist as well as the founder and executive director of GEMS, Girls Educational and Mentoring Services, which she began when she was just 23 years old and newly transplanted to New York. Through her work at GEMS over the past 19 years, she has impacted the lives of thousands of trafficked and exploited girls and young women. Lloyd was a leading advocate for New York’s Safe Harbor for Exploited Youth Act, the first law of its kind in the country to protect rather than punish trafficked youth. She has received many fellowships and honors, including the prestigious Reebok human rights award and the national crime victims’ service award.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Viola, Julius, and their team,” said EveryWhere Studios CEO Tom Mazza. “We couldn’t ask for a more perfect synergistic partner than JuVee, with a common vision for storytelling and passion for bringing issues that plague our society to the big screen.”
WME represents Rachel Lloyd.
