Tracee Ellis Ross to Lead Daria Spinoff Jodie for MTV

MTV’s Daria has been an iconic series even after its end in 2002, and now fans are getting a spinoff in the form of Jodie, which will star Black-ish’s Tracee Ellis Ross, according to Deadline.

Jodie will focus on Daria’s good friend Jodie Landon, whom Ellis will voice, and will follow her navigating through life all while starting her first post-college job in tech. With other beloved Lawndale High students to make appearances, the series is set to “satirize workplace culture, Gen Z struggles, the artifice of social media and more,” according to Deadline.

“I am thrilled to bring this project to life with MTV, both as executive producer and by voicing Jodie’s character,” said Ross via Deadline. “Being able to give voice to fresh, feminist and unexplored stories of young women excites me.”

The series will not only feature the “sarcastic, black girl magic” Jodie is so well known for, but also stands as the first adult animated show in almost 20 years that will star a black woman.

The series will be created and written by Grace Nkenge Edwards (HBO’s Insecure), and will see Ross and MTV’s Trevor Rose, Morgana Rosenberg and Amy Doyle in the executive producing roles.

“Given the passion for these characters, there was only one person who could build upon the legacy to reimagine Jodie for a whole new generation, and that person is Tracee Ellis Ross,” said Chris McCarthy, president of MTV, per Deadline. “This marks another exciting step forward for MTV Studios as we build out a wide new slate based on the rich characters from the history in MTV Animation.”