Oprah Winfrey Returning to TV With Queen Sugar From Selma's Ava DuVernay

OWN will air Queen Sugar with Winfrey executive producing

By Chris Harnick Feb 02, 2015 7:28 PMTags
Oprah Winfrey, Ava DuVernayMichael Kovac/Getty Images for AFI

Oprah Winfrey is returning to TV. The iconic talk show host and actor is teaming up with Ava DuVernay of Selma fame for Queen Sugar, a series based on the novel of the same name. The series will air on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network.

Winfrey will executive produce and appear in a recurring role. DuVernay is set to write, direct and executive produce the series. Production is scheduled to begin later this year.

"I loved this book and immediately saw it as a series for OWN," Winfrey said in a statement. "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."

Natalie Baszile's novel follows a "spirited woman" who leaves an upscale Los Angeles life behind to claim an inheritance from her recently deceased dad: an 800-acre sugar cane farm in Louisiana.

"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 said in a statement.  "To bring this kind of storytelling to life alongside Oprah for her network is wildly wonderful. I'm excited about what's in store."

The two recently worked together on Selma. DuVernay tweeted more thoughts on the series after the news broke.

"Been wanting to move like Soloway, Fincher, Soderbergh, Fukanaga, McQueen. Take your time to tell a story. Hours. Freedom. Thanks, @Oprah," she said.

This is the first time Winfrey will appear in a scripted series on OWN. Her other TV acting credits include 30 Rock, Ellen and Brewster Place. She was nominated for an Oscar for her work in The Color Purple and is also up for another for producing Selma.