Comedian Druski is taking his viral comedy to Netflix after signing a multi-year partnership with the streaming platform that includes a new series starring fellow comedian Mike Epps.
The deal will begin with Collect & Praise, a semi-scripted comedy series inspired by Druski's viral sketch portraying a flashy megachurch pastor. Epps will play a deacon in the fictional church, which faces scandals and controversy. The series is scheduled to premiere December 1, according to Variety.
The original sketch, Mega Church Pastors Love Money, went viral in January, sparking conversations about wealthy religious leaders and the culture surrounding megachurches.
According to Deadline, Druski independently financed the series before Netflix acquired it. The partnership also includes additional original programming from his production company, 4LIFERS Entertainment, and the licensing of several existing projects, including Coulda Been Love, Coulda Been Daddy and Coulda Been Records Auditions.
The deal marks a significant milestone for Druski, who previously discussed facing rejection from major entertainment companies while pitching his projects. During an appearance on The Diary of a CEO podcast, he explained that those setbacks pushed him to finance and release his own productions.
Druski said the partnership will give him and his team at 4LIFERS Entertainment the opportunity to expand their work beyond social media and reach audiences around the world.
“I’ve built my platform by creating characters and comedy that resonate with people,” Druski said of the newly announced deal in a statement shared with Complex on Monday (November 2).
“This partnership with Netflix will give me the resources to build on that comedy foundation and bring my work to a new global audience. It’s a tremendous opportunity for our team at 4LIFERS Entertainment to expand our reach, develop original programming for the masses, and take our creativity to new heights.”
The Netflix announcement comes days before Druski makes his hosting debut on Saturday Night Live on November 7.
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