Ava DuVernay
Winfrey to Appear in Recurring Role
Los
Angeles – Oprah Winfrey and award-winning filmmaker Ava DuVernay (“Selma”)
have joined together to create a new original drama series for OWN: Oprah
Winfrey Network. Inspired by the acclaimed novel “Queen Sugar," DuVernay is
set to write, direct and executive produce the project, marking her first
television drama series. Winfrey will executive produce and appear in multiple
episodes in a recurring role. This marks the first time that Winfrey will act
in a series for OWN. Production is scheduled to begin later this
year.
Adapted from the celebrated first-time novel “Queen Sugar” by
Natalie Baszile, the contemporary series will chronicle a spirited woman who
leaves her upscale Los Angeles lifestyle behind to claim an inheritance from
her recently departed father – an 800-acre sugar cane farm in the heart of
Louisiana. Her world and identity are turned upside down as she and her
teenage daughter attempt to navigate a new and very different environment
while rebuilding their farm from scratch. She is met with curiosity and
community, with resistance and romance. It isn’t long before a transformation
begins and she realizes that she’s been living a lot farther from her Southern
roots than mere miles.
“I
loved this book and immediately saw it as a series for OWN,” said Oprah
Winfrey. “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.”
"From
the moment I was introduced to the book, I was captivated by the idea of a
modern woman wrestling with identity, family, culture and the echoes of
history," said DuVernay. "To bring this kind of storytelling to life
alongside Oprah for her network is wildly wonderful. I'm excited about what's
in store."
Winfrey and DuVernay recently worked together on the Academy Award
nominated feature film “Selma," which chronicles the historic 1965 voting
rights campaign led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. DuVernay directed the
acclaimed film, which is produced by Oprah Winfrey, Plan B, Christian Colson
and Pathé. Winfrey has a supporting role in the film portraying civil
rights protestor Annie Lee Cooper.
DuVernay is the first African-American woman nominated for Golden
Globe and Critics Choice Awards for Best Director for "Selma," in addition to
Independent Spirit and NAACP Image Award nominations. She won the Best
Director Prize at the Sundance Film Festival in 2012 for her acclaimed feature
“Middle of Nowhere." Her previous narrative and documentary work includes "I
Will Follow, "Venus Vs.," "My Mic Sounds Nice" and "This is The Life."
Prior to her directorial career, DuVernay worked as a film marketer and
publicist for more than 14 years.
About OWN: OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK
OWN:
Oprah Winfrey Network is the first and only network named for, and inspired
by, a single iconic leader. Oprah Winfrey’s heart and creative instincts
inform the brand – and the magnetism of the channel. Winfrey provides
leadership in programming and attracts superstar talent to join her in
primetime, building a global community of like-minded viewers and leading that
community to connect on social media and beyond. OWN is a singular destination
on cable. Depth with edge. Heart. Star power. Connection.
And endless possibilities. OWN is a joint venture between Harpo, Inc.
and Discovery Communications. The network debuted on January 1, 2011 and
is available in 85 million homes. The venture also includes the
award-winning digital platform Oprah.com. For more
information, please visit http://www.oprah.com/own and http://press.discovery.com/us/own/.
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