Tyler Perry Studios Hires Michelle Sneed as President of Production
By Dave McNary
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Tyler Perry Studios has hired veteran television and film production executive Michelle Sneed as president of production and development.
Sneed has spent the majority of her 12-year career in both scripted and unscripted TV. Most recently, she served as BET Networks’ director of physical production from 2015 to 2018. During her tenure with BET Networks, Sneed’s in-house contributions included more than 100 packages of short-form content, original docu-series, and multiple TV specials and tentpole programming.
Sneed spent six years with Studios in production management from 2009 to 2015. She was a member of the original production team at Tyler Perry Studios’ former Greenbriar location, which produced more than 400 episodes of television during her tenure. She will take over the position from Will Areu.
“I’m incredibly excited to welcome Michelle back to the studio,” Tyler Perry said. “She has always been someone who embodies the values of TPS, from the diligent work she’s done in development and production execution, to identifying and curating talent both in front of and behind the camera. Similar to how I’ve always operated in my film and television projects, during her career she has provided opportunities to those whose diverse experiences and stories are often overlooked and untold.”
In 2017, Perry signed a multi-year content partnership with Viacom, in which he is producing original drama and comedy series across the Viacom networks, in addition to having a first-look feature film deal with Paramount Pictures. The first film under the deal is the comedy “Nobody’s Fool,” starring Tiffany Haddish and Tika Sumpter, which will open in theaters in November.
“I am ecstatic to be returning ‘home’ to Tyler Perry Studios, where so much of my career was shaped and developed,” Sneed said. “To have this new opportunity to work alongside Tyler in senior leadership is an opportunity of a lifetime. It’s bigger than me — it’s for the culture.”
TPS’ former studio lot was situated on a 200,000-square-foot former Delta Air Lines campus of over 60 acres in southwest Atlanta. In 2015, it expanded operations with the acquisition of Fort McPherson, a former army base, which sits on over 330 acres. Production is underway at the new studio, which will contain 12 sound stages ranging in size between 10,000 and 60,000 square feet.
