Oprah, Lionsgate to help adapt The 1619 Project for film, TV

Oprah Winfrey and Lionsgate are partnering with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones to adapt the The New York Times’ recent project examining the legacy of slavery for film and television. Lionsgate said Wednesday that it will work alongside “The 1619 Project” architect Hannah-Jones to develop a multi-media history of slavery and its effects in America for a worldwide audience.

“The 1619 Project” launched in August 2019 in an issue of The New York Times Magazine to mark the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans to the American continent. The wide-ranging venture examined how the impact of slavery shaped and continues to permeate all aspects of American society. It was also made into a popular podcast.

“We took very seriously our duty to find TV and film partners that would respect and honor the work and mission of ‘The 1619 Project,’ that understood our vision and deep moral obligation to doing justice to these stories,” Hannah-Jones said in a statement.

Hannah-Jones will be a creative leader and producer in developing films, TV series, documentaries and more inspired by the reporting. Winfrey will serve as a producer as well.

“From the first moment I read ‘The 1619 Project’ and immersed myself in Nikole Hannah-Jones’s transformative work, I was moved, deepened and strengthened by her empowering historical analysis,” Winfrey said.

“The 1619 Project” is also being adapted into a series of books.