The Black List and Sony Pictures Animation had launched their Writers Program in April 2022. Filmmaker named Fredrick Leach has been announced as the first-ever Writers Program Fellow.
As per a Deadline report, Leach will spend the next six months as an in-house writer for Sony Pictures Animation, where he will craft dialogue for custom animation pieces, dive into scripts on the development slate, pitch his own ideas, and much more.
The Sony Pictures Animation x The Black List Writers Program aims to identify and nurture writers representing Sony Pictures Animation’s diverse and global audience. The partnership was the first program on blcklst.com to specifically target diverse writers in animation.
“We are very excited to hit the ground running with Fredrick for this inaugural writers program. Fredrick’s professional background, transitioning from teaching into screenwriting, gives him a perspective that is evident in his work, and his sensibilities and attitude make him a great fit for Sony Pictures Animation. We are grateful to our partners at The Black List for their efforts in helping us identify such a strong candidate for our program,” Sony Pictures Animation president Kristine Belson mentioned in the Deadline report.
Leach draws inspiration from his unique experiences growing up bi-racial in Texas to craft narratives that are often ignored in Hollywood. He started working on shows including Hello, Cupid and so on. He had also worked on a feature film Caged Birds.