On the heels of directing one of the most talked about movies of the year, Ava DuVernay is once again teaming up with Oprah Winfrey for her newest project. DuVernay’s new scripted series, based on the novel Queen Sugar, is heading to OWN, Winfrey’s cable network, with Winfrey as the executive producer and a series regular.
According to TV Media Insights, production on the drama is scheduled to begin later this year. The project will mark DuVernay’s first scripted TV drama, as well as the first time Winfrey appears as an actress in a series on her own network.
Queen Sugar, by Natalie Baszile, is the story of a woman and her teenage daughter who leave their life in Los Angeles and head to Louisiana after the woman inherits her father’s 800-acre sugarcane farm.
“I loved this book and immediately saw it as a series for OWN,” said 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,” DuVernay added. “To bring this kind of storytelling to life alongside Oprah for her network is wildly wonderful. I’m excited about what’s in store.”