Starz has picked up the five-part docuseries Magic City: An American Fantasy, about the popular Atlanta strip club known as the Black Studio 54 and its longtime influence on hip-hop. The series created and executive produced by Cole Brown, is slated to debut this summer.
Drake’s DreamCrew Entertainment, Jermaine Dupri, Jami Gertz, majority owners of the Atlanta Hawks, showrunner Bayan Joonam, Devin Amar and Alex Kaplan also serve as executive producers on the project that originally premiered at last year’s SXSW festival. Scheme Engine, a BIPOC-owned studio focusing on women and minority representation, produced alongside Ashley Brooke and Marlowe Blue.
Directed by Charles Todd, Magic City: An American Fantasy, per the logline, tells the full tale of the storied club’s rise to global prominence and how it became the definitive king-maker in the hip-hop community, catering to high-profile celebrities such as 2 Chainz, Nelly, Shaquille O’Neal, Quavo, Killer Mike, Big Boi and others, as well as artists, dancers, and behind-the-scenes players who ensured its iconic status. The series offers an exclusive look into the enigmatic founder, Michael “Mr. Magic” Barney, and the lives of the many women responsible for building the club’s mystique.
“Magic City: An American Fantasy is a riveting behind-the-curtain look at one of the most unique places in Black culture,” said Kathryn Busby, President of Original Programming at Starz. “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.”
The docuseries is connected to at least two of Starz’s most popular series: B.M.F., based on the drug gang Black Mafia Family, and P-Valley, a show from Katori Hall set at The Pynk, a strip club featuring primarily African American female dancers. The real-life Black Mafia Family drug cartel members are said to have frequented Magic City. In 2020, the 40-year-old hotspot was also the site where former Georgia Governor Stacey Abrams’ made her get-out-the-vote announcement.
