Kenya Barris' Khalabo Ink Society Strikes Development Deal with Audible
Audible Inc., the leading creator and provider of premium audio storytelling, today announced an exclusive worldwide multi-project development deal with award-winning multi-hyphenate Kenya Barris and his production company, Khalabo Ink Society. Projects from the collaboration will range across genres including original scripted multi-cast fiction, unscripted nonfiction, audio-documentary, and journalistic audio. Further expanding its creative footprint, Khalabo Ink Society has also launched a dedicated audio content division in support of the prolific deal. Working alongside Founder/CEO Barris, the audio content team will be led by Head of Audio Production, Gila “WeezyWTF” Shlomi.
Zola Mashariki, Head of Audible Studios, commented: “Audible is honored and ecstatic to collaborate with Kenya Barris and his team at Khalabo Ink Society through this vast collaboration. Consistently pushing the creative envelope, Kenya is a world class creator who has the deft ability to address complex issues with fearlessness, depth and levity. His brilliant approach to storytelling will resonate widely and we simply can’t wait to share it with our global audience.”
Barris commented, “Audio is a space that I’ve been eager to explore and I’m beyond excited to be working with Audible as we expand Khalabo’s storytelling in this way. As a creator, the purpose of art has always been about starting conversations and I cannot wait to share new stories and ideas through audio, where conversation is the art.”
This deal follows Audible’s recently announced production and development deals with top industry creatives such as Team Coco, Steph Curry’s Unanimous Media, Kevin Hart’s HartBeat Productions, Charlamagne tha God’s CTHA World Productions, Treefort Media, Topic Studios and The SpringHill Company, founded by LeBron James and Maverick Carter. Projects produced via this new exclusive deal will join a series of best-in-class Audible Originals including recent releases like the #1 New York Times best-selling audio fiction The Sandman from Neil Gaiman, performed by James McAvoy, Kat Dennings and Michael Sheen, Jesse Eisenberg’s When You Finish Saving the World, The Pursuit of Healthiness with Blake Griffin, A Total Switch Show created in collaboration with Team Coco and performed by Zoey Deutch, Lea Thompson, Bradley Whitford and a full cast, Broadway Video’s Hit Job performed Keke Palmer and Pete Davidson, Russell Brand’s Revelation, Beginner’s Mind written and performed by Yo-Yo Ma, the upcoming second season of Letters from Camp, produced and performed by Jamie Lee Curtis, James Patterson’s The Coldest Case starring Aaron Paul, among many more.