Oprah Winfrey & Lionsgate to Adapt New York Times’ 1619 Project

Oprah Winfrey and Lionsgate have joined forces with Nikole Hannah-Jones and The New York Times to adapt the acclaimed 1619 Project into a portfolio of films, TV programming and other content for a global audience.

As part of the venture, Lionsgate has partnered with Winfrey as a producer who will provide stewardship and guidance to the development and production of The 1619 Project. Hannah-Jones will serve as the creative leader and producer in developing the feature films, TV series, documentaries, unscripted programming and other forms of entertainment. She will enlist Black creative voices to help adapt the project that chronicles the ways that the original sin of slavery in America still permeates all aspects of our society today. Her colleague at The Times Magazine, Caitlin Roper, an editor of The 1619 Project and head of scripted entertainment at The Times, will also produce.

The Times Magazine’s 1619 Project was launched in August 2019 on the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in the English colonies that would become the United States. It examines the legacy of slavery in America and how it shaped all aspects of society, from music and law to education and the arts, including the principles of U.S. democracy itself. Hannah-Jones created and was the architect of the initiative at The Times Magazine, with contributions from Black authors, essayists, poets, playwrights and scholars comprising a special issue of the magazine and a special section in the print edition of The New York Times produced in collaboration with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African-American History & Culture. It was also a five-part podcast.

Hannah-Jones said: “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. Through every step of the process, Lionsgate and its leadership have shown themselves to be that partner and it is a dream to be able to produce this work with Ms. Oprah Winfrey, a trailblazer and beacon to so many Black journalists. I am excited for this opportunity to extend the breadth and reach of The 1619 Project and to introduce these stories of Black resistance and resilience to even more American households.”

Winfrey said: “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. I am honored to be a part of Nikole’s vision to bring this project to a global audience.”

Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer said: “For many Americans, The 1619 Project was a great awakening and a true history that you probably never learned in school. For others, the project was a fresh analysis of the historical record by one of the world’s leading media authorities. We’re proud to partner with The New York Times, Nikole Hannah-Jones and Oprah Winfrey, a creative talent with unparalleled stature, to amplify Nikole’s voice and reach across our worldwide platform to marshal all of our top creative relationships to translate her vision into a canon of storytelling for a global audience.”

Sam Dolnick, New York Times assistant managing editor, said: “Since the publication of The 1619 Project last year, we have been searching for the right partners to expand the reach of its message into film and television while preserving the authenticity of its voice. We believe that Lionsgate and Oprah Winfrey are the perfect combination of partners who understand the editorial integrity of The Times and the gravity of The 1619 Project’s message, and have the reach, resources, compassion and talent relationships to join with us and with Nikole in producing films, television, and other programming for a global audience that do justice to the project.”

Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Chairman Joe Drake and Lionsgate Television Group Chairman Kevin Beggs added: “Nikole Hannah-Jones and her deeply reported journalism has done nothing short of challenging the entire history we thought we knew, revealing the true role of slavery and the impact of racial prejudice in shaping the America of today. The truths she uncovers are painful and disturbing, but we are better for it because her crowning accomplishment in shining a spotlight on the previously untold contributions of Black Americans delivers a powerful message of empowerment and inclusion. That is the message that we want to advance through feature films and television series whose storytelling, breadth of scope and world-class talent do justice to their subject matter.”