Mara Brock Akil “That Would Be My Dream” for ‘Girlfriends’ Storyline in a Film

Show creator Mara Brock Akil says she would be “very open” to a proper ending of the fan-favorite 2000s-era sitcom, ‘Girlfriends‘ storyline in a film. The Black woman-led television series followed the lives of attorney turned restaurateur, Joan (Tracee Ellis Ross), real estate entrepreneur, Toni (Jill Marie Jones), legal assistant turned authoress Maya (Golden Brooks), and professional student turned musician Lynn (Persia White), and the male friend, lawyer/partner, William (Reggie Hayes).

The creator behind Netflix’s Forever spoke to Deadline following her panel conversation at the invitation-onl y event A Day of Unreasonable Conversation.

“I’m starting to believe that sometimes your greatest pain can be your greatest joy,” Akil began. “That was very painful to not be able to finish the story of those four women and William, but now it’s interesting because, back in the day, the limitations of the network, it was not gonna reach you and other audiences around the world, so I think the fact that it’s been on Netflix, it is proving that great storytelling that’s relatable and complex and fun and messy is what has a huge world audience, so I’m really thankful that the show’s been able to prove [itself] and find new audiences even in yourself who want more, [who think,] ‘That’s not enough,’ and they’re like, ‘We want the ending.’”

Akil continued, “That’s a long preamble basically to say I would be very open to completing the story in a film. I think that would be very fun, that would be my dream. But it needs the right resources and support and the right distribution – it needs the right package to be treated as the gem that it is. Because it has been that little engine that could, and I want people to see the majesty, the greatness of it, and how it really is a conversation still for today around the world.”

Girlfriends debuted Sept. 11, 2000 and has been streaming on Netflix since September 2020. The cast of the show recently celebrated its 25th anniversary.