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Jamal Sims, a longtime choreographer and performer who frequently appears on RuPaul’s Drag Race, will direct the dance-themed film Major for 20th Century Studios, Deadline reports.
Having previously helmed the 2018 documentary, When the Beat Drops, the project serves as Sims’ directorial debut for a narrative feature. Producers include H.E.R., Oprah Winfrey, Scott Sanders, Carla Gardini and Mara Jacobs.
With a screenplay by Lauren Ashley Smith (HBO’s A Black Lady Sketch Show), Major follows a ballet prodigy who, in an effort to escape the demands of the form and her parents, joins a majorette dance squad at a Historically Black College in Atlanta. Now a struggling team, she attempts to use her talents to bring the group back to its former glory.
Sims’ choreography credits include The Lion King 30th Anniversary at the Hollywood Bowl, Encanto at the Hollywood Bowl, and Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration, all of which garnered him Emmy nominations. He was also nominated for his choreography in the Paramount+ musical series Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, in which he also served as a director.
Other onscreen credits include Hairpray, Footloose, Aladdin, Descendants 3, Encanto, and 13: The Musical, for which he won a Chita Rivera Award. He often serves as a guest judge and choreographer for RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Photo Credit: Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for MTV
