“She’s Gotta Have It” is among Spike Lee’s standout films, and now the groundbreaking 1986 movie is being adapted into a 10-episode series for Netflix.
On Sunday, Netflix aired a special commercial during the BET Awards featuring its black-led shows that ended with a teaser for Lee’s new series, announcing that it will be released this Thanksgiving. It officially marks Lee’s first TV series.
The film, which followed a young black woman in Brooklyn ― played by actress Tracy Camilla ― who is busy juggling life, school, friends and lovers, became an instant classic and grossed more than $7 million at the box office. It also helped to catapult Lee’s career and helped pave the way for black independent filmmakers.
“‘She’s Gotta Have It’ has a very special place in my heart,” Lee said about the film, according to Deadline. “We shot this film in 12 days [two six-day weeks] way back in the back back of the hot summer of 1985 for a mere total of $175,000. Funds that we begged, borrowed and whatnot to get that money.”
“We are getting an opportunity to revisit these memorable characters who will still be relevant and avant-garde 3 decades later,” he wrote.
Lee is set to direct all episodes of the TV series, which will also be executive produced by his wife, Tonya Lee Lewis, whom he gave credit for pitching the idea to transform the film into a series.
“It was my wife, Tonya Lewis Lee, producer in her own right, who had the vision to take my film from the big screen and turn it into an episodic series,” he said. “It had not occurred to me at all. Tonya saw it plain as day. I didn’t.”
Check out Netflix’s announcement drop in the video above.
Before You Go
