EXCLUSIVE: Sanaa Lathan, who was recently Emmy nominated for her role on Succession, is to star as the infamous “psychic” Miss Cleo, in a new drama series.
Legendary Entertainment is developing the project, Miss Cleo, with Lathan as exec producer. Former Sony Pictures Television head of drama Sharon Hall, who exec produced The Expanse, is also exec producing the project through her Mom de Guerre Productions.
Miss Cleo was otherwise known as Youree Dell Harris an actress best known for portraying the spokeswoman for a psychic pay-per-call-minute service called Psychic Readers Networks in a series of commercials between 1997 and 2003. Her tagline was “Call me now!”
In 2002, the Federal Trade Commission charged the company’s owners with deceptive advertising, billing and collection practices. Harris was not indicted but the people behind it agreed to settle by erasing $500M in debt from its victims and paying a $5M fine.
Harris went on to voice a character in the Grand Theft Auto: Vice City computer game. She died in 2016.
Max released a documentary about her life in 2022, Call Me Miss Cleo.
The Miss Cleo series is described as a darkly comedic drama inspired by the true-life story of the star of the psychic pay-per-call service. It will explore how her infamous rise gave way to a contentious court case by the government involving upwards of $500M.
Lathan will star as Miss Cleo in the series, which is being taken out to streamers and broadcasters.
Lathan starred in the 1998 movie Blade, followed by roles in The Best Man, Love & Basketball, Disappearing Acts and Brown Sugar. She played Alexa Woods in Alien vs. Predator and was also in The Best Man Holiday.
Recently, she was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for playing Lisa Arthur in Succession.
Lathan is represented by CAA and Entertainment 360. Hall is represented by Felker Toczek Suddleson Abramson McGinnis Ryan.