Clearly Oprah Winfrey and “Selma” director Ava DuVernay developed a deep bond working together on the film, which Winfrey produced and in which she plays a supporting role.
The TV queen and DuVernay will join forces to create a new original drama series for Winfrey’s OWN television network — and it will mark the first time Winfrey will act in a series on OWN.
The show is inspired by Natalie Baszile’s debut novel, “Queen Sugar.” The contemporary series will focus on a spirited woman who leaves her upscale life in Los Angeles to claim an inheritance from her late father — an 800-acre sugar cane farm in rural Louisiana. The woman’s life and that of her daughter undergo dramatic changes as they attempt to carve out a new lifestyle in a very different environment from the one they knew. DuVernay will write, direct and executive produce the project, which Winfrey will also executive produce, as well as appear in multiple episodes as a recurring character.
Production is slated to begin later this year.
In a statement, Winfrey said, “I loved this book and immediately saw it as a series for OWN. The story’s themes of reinventing your life, parenting alone, family connections and conflicts, and building new relationships are what I believe will connect our viewers to this show.”
