EXCLUSIVE: Oprah Winfrey is getting the treatment of a biographical documentary after Apple TV + ordered a double part focusing on the billionaire multi-hyphenate.
Oscar winner Kevin MacDonald is rejoining Emmy nominated producer Lisa Erspamer and her Happy Street Entertainment banner on the project. The pair previously made Whitney Houston’s bio doc Whitney.
Winfrey was known to be a fan of this film, having tweeted on Erspamer in 2018 calling the film “fearless”. Winfrey and Erspamer have also had a long-standing relationship since when he produced The Oprah Winfrey Show for a decade between 1999 and 2009.
The new doc will narrate 25 years of American history through the lens of a program and a woman who grew up from humble roots to become a world-famous talk show host, producer, actress and philanthropist. MacDonald is directing Emmy nominee Rolake Bamgbose, who is acting as a showrunner.
The project joins a growing list of makeshift programs that Apple is working with Harpo de Winfrey after the two companies struck a multi-year deal in 2018. They include The Oprah Conversation, Oprah’s Book Club and Oprah Talks COVID-19, that are all broadcasting.