Premium cable giant Starz has picked up a five-part docuseries on Atlanta strip club Magic City.
“Magic City: An American Fantasy” will explore the history of the legendary club and its influence on the city’s cultural and hip-hop scene.
According to a press release from the network, the series will explore “the full tale of the storied club’s rise to global prominence” that led it to be known as the nation’s “Black Studio 54.” The series will offer an exclusive look into the life and career of founder Michael “Mr. Magic” Barney, who founded the club in 1985, and the lives of the women responsible for developing the club’s distinctive reputation.
Kathryn Busby, president of original programming for STARZ, describes the series as a backstage glimpse at one of the most distinctive incubators for Black culture.
“The docuseries’ unprecedented insider access and history unveiled from those who built its empire is a perfect complement to STARZ’s slate of adult, culture-driving shows,” said Busby.
“From politicians, to artists, to drug kingpins, Magic City has been a home for a broad cross-section of Black Atlanta for decades,” added creator and executive producer Cole Brown. “Everyone should know the unbelievable story of this institution and the man who founded it, and STARZ is the perfect partner to bring it to the world.”
Known as a hotspot for some of the city’s most well-known entertainers, frequent guests included music artists 2 Chainz, Nelly, Killer Mike, Big Boi and NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal. The club is also notorious for being the hangout for notorious drug gang B.M.F., as well as the site for a controversial get-out-the-vote advertisement during Stacey Abrams’ gubernatorial campaign in 2020.
Three frequent club patrons, rapper Darker, Grammy Award-winning producer Jermaine Dupri and actress Jami Gertz, serve as executive producers on the upcoming project.
“When our family became the Majority Owners of The Atlanta Hawks, the Barneys were the very first people to welcome us to the city,” said Gertz in the press release. “They reached out to us with open arms and that great southern hospitality, not to mention the fact that Juju Barney and my sons became fast friends. I am honored to be a part of bringing their family’s story to the world. It’s a tale of tremendous heart and hustle! And a true love letter to our adopted home of Atlanta, Georgia!”
The series is directed by Charles Todd and produced by Scheme Engine, a BIPOC-owned studio with a strong focus on women and minority representation.
The series is slated to air this summer.
