Damon and Affleck’s production co. to adopt inclusion riders

Producing partners Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have announced that they will adopt the inclusion rider agreement in all their future production deals through their Pearl Street company.

Fanshen Cox DiGiovanni made the announcement Monday night via Twitter at the South by Southwest Film Festival. The move came a week after Frances McDormand sparked interest and support for the term after she concluded her Oscars best actress acceptance speech by saying, “I have two words to leave with you tonight, ladies and gentlemen: inclusion rider.”

Michael B. Jordan announced on March 7 that he would add the inclusion rider to all projects produced by his company, Outlier Society Productions.

Cox DiGiovanni referred to Jordan in her announcement, saying, “Thank you for always supporting broader representation in the industry. On behalf of Pearl Street Films, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Todd, Drew Vinton & I will be adopting the #InclusionRider for all of our projects moving forward.”

In the press room backstage at the 90th Academy Awards, McDormand explained an inclusion rider can be added to contracts so that at least 50 percent of the cast and crew have to be diverse. The topic of diversity and inclusion in Hollywood has gained momentum in recent months and continued following the massive success of Ryan Coogler’s “Black Panther,” in which Jordan stars as the villain.

Kalpana Kotagal, one of the lawyers behind the inclusion rider, and Stacy Smith of the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, said, “It’s great to see Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and the Pearl Street Films team using their influence to create opportunities for people from underrepresented groups to enter the industry. The Inclusion Rider is an important tool for Hollywood, and other industries, to create workplaces that truly reflect our diverse world.”