# DeVon Franklin
**DeVon Franklin** (born 1978) is an American film and television producer, New York Times bestselling author, and ordained Seventh-day Adventist preacher, known for producing faith-based and inspirational films such as *Miracles from Heaven*, *Breakthrough*, *The Star*, and *Flamin' Hot*[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2035952/?showAllCredits=true). He heads Franklin Entertainment, a Los Angeles multimedia firm, as its president and CEO, holding a first-look film arrangement with [Paramount Pictures](https://www.edgepedia.org/paramount-pictures), a second-look film arrangement with Netflix, and an overall arrangement with CBS TV Studios[2](https://devonfranklin.com/about/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1978; grew up in Livermore, Pleasanton, Richmond, and Oakland in the East Bay[3](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/devon-franklin.html) • [4](https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/devon-franklin-how-the-bay-area-shaped-a-hollywood-trailblazer/) |
| Education | Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, University of Southern California[2](https://devonfranklin.com/about/) |
| Studio career | Intern for Will Smith at Overbrook Entertainment, then studio executive at MGM, then Senior Vice President of Production at Columbia Pictures[5](https://www.productionlist.com/production-role/devon-franklin) • [6](https://thegrio.com/2012/01/31/2012-devon-franklin/) |
| Current role | President and CEO, Franklin Entertainment; deals with Paramount Pictures, Netflix, and CBS TV Studios[2](https://devonfranklin.com/about/) |
| Notable productions | *The Pursuit of Happyness*, *The Karate Kid*, *Jumping the Broom*, *Heaven Is for Real*, *Miracles from Heaven* (2016), *The Star* (2017), *Breakthrough* (2019), *Flamin' Hot* (2023), *Kingdom Business*, *Relationship Goals*[7](https://guideposts.org/articles/positive-living/entertainment/movies-and-tv/devon-franklin-on-greenlighting-faith/) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2035952/?showAllCredits=true) • [5](https://www.productionlist.com/production-role/devon-franklin) |
| Books | *Produced by Faith* (2011), *The Wait* (New York Times #2 bestseller, with Meagan Good), *The Success Commandments*, *The Truth About Men*, *The Hollywood Commandments*[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2035952/?showAllCredits=true) • [2](https://devonfranklin.com/about/) |
| Recognition | Variety "Top 10 Producers to Watch"; Ebony "Top 100 Influential African-Americans in America"; Hollywood Reporter top 35 executives under 35[2](https://devonfranklin.com/about/) • [6](https://thegrio.com/2012/01/31/2012-devon-franklin/) |
| Academy role | Board of Governors member and Co-Chair of the Representation and Inclusion Taskforce, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences[2](https://devonfranklin.com/about/) |
## Early life and education
Franklin was born in 1978 and grew up in the [East Bay](https://www.edgepedia.org/east-bay) cities of Livermore, Pleasanton, Richmond, and Oakland; a 2025 CBS profile says he was born in Livermore, while other profiles list San Francisco as his birthplace[3](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/devon-franklin.html) • [4](https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/devon-franklin-how-the-bay-area-shaped-a-hollywood-trailblazer/). His father, Donald Ray Franklin I, lost his job and left the family as his drinking worsened, and died of a heart attack when DeVon was 9 years old, an event Franklin has said defined his childhood[8](https://secure.cbn.com/700club/guests/bios/devon_franklin_051211.aspx) • [4](https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/devon-franklin-how-the-bay-area-shaped-a-hollywood-trailblazer/) • [7](https://guideposts.org/articles/positive-living/entertainment/movies-and-tv/devon-franklin-on-greenlighting-faith/). He was the middle child of three boys and was raised by his single mother, Paula, his grandmother, and his aunts; the family at times relied on welfare[4](https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/devon-franklin-how-the-bay-area-shaped-a-hollywood-trailblazer/). After his father's death, he has said, church and going to the movies became his therapy, and the church his family established in Oakland was a place of refuge[4](https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/devon-franklin-how-the-bay-area-shaped-a-hollywood-trailblazer/).
Franklin has said his desire to make films began in childhood, and that his passion for storytelling grew from hours spent in church pews and movie theaters[9](https://monarchmagazine.com/article/devon-franklin/) • [4](https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/devon-franklin-how-the-bay-area-shaped-a-hollywood-trailblazer/). He attended the [University of Southern California](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-southern-california), where he earned a [Bachelor's degree](https://www.edgepedia.org/bachelors-degree) in Business Administration and began interning for actor [Will Smith](https://www.edgepedia.org/will-smith)[2](https://devonfranklin.com/about/) • [5](https://www.productionlist.com/production-role/devon-franklin).
## Studio executive years
**From intern to executive.** Franklin's first industry position was an internship at Handprint Entertainment, a company that represented Will Smith and [Jennifer Lopez](https://www.edgepedia.org/jennifer-lopez); with no assignment given, he created his own role by filing papers, organizing systems, and running errands, and later became an assistant at Will Smith's Overbrook Entertainment[10](https://www.forbes.com/sites/desjahaltvater/2026/03/27/devon-franklin-on-historic-collaboration-hollywood-hits-and-origins/). He then worked as a studio executive at [Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer](https://www.edgepedia.org/metro-goldwyn-mayer) before moving to [Columbia Pictures](https://www.edgepedia.org/columbia-pictures)[6](https://thegrio.com/2012/01/31/2012-devon-franklin/).
When [Sony Pictures](https://www.edgepedia.org/sony-pictures) bought MGM in 2004, Franklin survived the sale and continued his climb, becoming vice president of production and later Senior Vice President of Production at Columbia Pictures[11](https://www.christianitytoday.com/2011/08/whos-next-devon-franklin/) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2035952/?showAllCredits=true). There he oversaw projects including *The Pursuit of Happyness*, *The Karate Kid*, and *Jumping the Broom*, and, per his IMDb biography, he was one of the highest-ranking African-American studio executives in the industry[11](https://www.christianitytoday.com/2011/08/whos-next-devon-franklin/) • [7](https://guideposts.org/articles/positive-living/entertainment/movies-and-tv/devon-franklin-on-greenlighting-faith/) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2035952/?showAllCredits=true).
## Franklin Entertainment
Franklin formed Franklin Entertainment, which contemporaneous accounts described as newly formed in 2011, when he was writing *Produced by Faith*[11](https://www.christianitytoday.com/2011/08/whos-next-devon-franklin/) • [7](https://guideposts.org/articles/positive-living/entertainment/movies-and-tv/devon-franklin-on-greenlighting-faith/); a 2025 CBS profile states he launched his own production company in 2014[4](https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/devon-franklin-how-the-bay-area-shaped-a-hollywood-trailblazer/), and the two accounts differ on the founding year. The company produces inspirational and commercial content, and his films have grossed over $175 million at the box office according to his official biography[2](https://devonfranklin.com/about/).
**Signature productions.** Franklin produced *Heaven Is for Real* (2014) and *Miracles from Heaven* (2016), the latter made for a modest $15 million and grossing $73 million at the worldwide box office, which makes it one of the top-grossing faith-based films of all time[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2035952/?showAllCredits=true). He executive-produced the animated film *The Star* (2017), with [Oprah Winfrey](https://www.edgepedia.org/oprah-winfrey), Tyler Perry, and [Michelle Rodriguez](https://www.edgepedia.org/michelle-rodriguez) among the voice cast; it was the first faith-based animated film released by a major Hollywood studio since *The Prince of Egypt*[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2035952/?showAllCredits=true). He produced *Breakthrough* (2019), the true story of a mother who prays her son back to life after he fell through a frozen lake[9](https://monarchmagazine.com/article/devon-franklin/), and *Flamin' Hot* (2023), the story of the creation of Flamin' Hot Cheetos[2](https://devonfranklin.com/about/). In television, the company produced the BET+ series *Kingdom Business*[5](https://www.productionlist.com/production-role/devon-franklin), and *Relationship Goals*, starring [Kelly Rowland](https://www.edgepedia.org/kelly-rowland) and Method Man, hit number one on Amazon Prime[10](https://www.forbes.com/sites/desjahaltvater/2026/03/27/devon-franklin-on-historic-collaboration-hollywood-hits-and-origins/).
Franklin describes his project selection as a combination of intuition and three criteria: a concept he responds to, characters he roots for, and commercial viability[10](https://www.forbes.com/sites/desjahaltvater/2026/03/27/devon-franklin-on-historic-collaboration-hollywood-hits-and-origins/). He counts *Flamin' Hot* as a faith film because, in addition to telling a rags-to-riches story, it is about perseverance and family bonds[12](https://www.thewonderproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Well_Religious-Hollywood-PU_16368697.pdf).
**Current slate.** His credits include *Masters of the Universe* (2026), *Ruth & Boaz* (2025), and *R and B*, a modern-day Southern retelling of the biblical love story of Ruth and Boaz developed with [Tyler Perry](https://www.edgepedia.org/tyler-perry) under a Netflix deal[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2035952/?showAllCredits=true) • [5](https://www.productionlist.com/production-role/devon-franklin) • [12](https://www.thewonderproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Well_Religious-Hollywood-PU_16368697.pdf). Forbes describes a first-look partnership with Tyler Perry among his current arrangements[10](https://www.forbes.com/sites/desjahaltvater/2026/03/27/devon-franklin-on-historic-collaboration-hollywood-hits-and-origins/).
## Books, ministry, and advocacy
Franklin is the author of several books: *Produced by Faith* (2011), which uses the filmmaking process as a parallel for pursuing one's dreams[6](https://thegrio.com/2012/01/31/2012-devon-franklin/); *The Wait*, co-written with actress [Meagan Good](https://www.edgepedia.org/meagan-good) and a New York Times number-two bestseller[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2035952/?showAllCredits=true); *The Success Commandments*; *The Truth About Men*; *The Hollywood Commandments*; and *Live Free: Exceed Your Highest Expectations*, released May 4, 2021[2](https://devonfranklin.com/about/).
As a preacher, Franklin has spoken about faith and work throughout his Hollywood career; he said in a 2011 interview that his faith had not cost him opportunities, saying "No, I've been embraced"[13](https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2011/05/04/interview-produced-by-faith-author-devon-franklin/). Oprah Winfrey has called him "a different kind of spiritual teacher for our times", and Beliefnet named him one of the "Most Influential Christians Under 40"[2](https://devonfranklin.com/about/).
Within the [Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences](https://www.edgepedia.org/academy-of-motion-picture-arts-and-sciences), Franklin serves on the Board of Governors and co-chairs the Representation and Inclusion Taskforce; he spearheaded the initiative to implement diversity and inclusion standards for Oscars eligibility[2](https://devonfranklin.com/about/).
## Personal life
Franklin married actress Meagan Good in 2012; after nine years of marriage the couple announced in December 2021 that they were filing for divorce[3](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/devon-franklin.html). In 2023 he began dating fitness trainer Maria Castillo; the two became engaged in December 2024 and married in July 2025[3](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/devon-franklin.html). He lives in Los Angeles[2](https://devonfranklin.com/about/).
In recent years Franklin has also acted, playing Pastor Jeff in *Divorced Sistas* (2025–2026), Nurse Roy in *Soul on Fire* (2025), and roles in *Jesus Revolution* (2023) and *Kingdom Business* (2022)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2035952/?showAllCredits=true).
## References
1. [DeVon Franklin, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2035952/?showAllCredits=true)
2. [About DeVon, Franklin Entertainment](https://devonfranklin.com/about/)
3. [Devon Franklin: Age, Bio, Family, Famous Birthdays](https://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/devon-franklin.html)
4. [Devon Franklin: How the Bay Area shaped a Hollywood trailblazer, CBS San Francisco (November 20, 2025)](https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/devon-franklin-how-the-bay-area-shaped-a-hollywood-trailblazer/)
5. [DeVon Franklin, Production List, Film & Television Industry Alliance](https://www.productionlist.com/production-role/devon-franklin)
6. [TheGrio's 100: DeVon Franklin, Faith-based movie executive brings out the spiritual side in movies, TheGrio (January 31, 2012)](https://thegrio.com/2012/01/31/2012-devon-franklin/)
7. [DeVon Franklin on Greenlighting Faith, Guideposts](https://guideposts.org/articles/positive-living/entertainment/movies-and-tv/devon-franklin-on-greenlighting-faith/)
8. [DeVon Franklin: Living a Vibrant Christian Faith, CBN 700 Club](https://secure.cbn.com/700club/guests/bios/devon_franklin_051211.aspx)
9. [Devon Franklin, Monarch Magazine](https://monarchmagazine.com/article/devon-franklin/)
10. [DeVon Franklin Breaks Down His Hollywood Rise And Landmark Collaboration, Forbes (March 27, 2026)](https://www.forbes.com/sites/desjahaltvater/2026/03/27/devon-franklin-on-historic-collaboration-hollywood-hits-and-origins/)
11. [DeVon Franklin Keeps the Faith in Hollywood, Christianity Today (September 2011)](https://www.christianitytoday.com/2011/08/whos-next-devon-franklin/)
12. [Religious Hollywood, The Wonder Project](https://www.thewonderproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Well_Religious-Hollywood-PU_16368697.pdf)
13. [Interview: 'Produced By Faith' Author Devon Franklin, Breitbart (May 4, 2011)](https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2011/05/04/interview-produced-by-faith-author-devon-franklin/)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Film people and crafts › Directors, producers, and screenwriters › Film producers › American and Canadian film producers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license