Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer is the latest big name that will star in a Netflix property. She is set to star in a limited series titled Madam C.J. Walker, which is based on the titular black hair care pioneer. The series was announced on Sunday as a part of Netflix’s portion of the Television Critics Association summer press tour.
The series will be based on the book On Her Own Ground by A’Lelia Bundles, and will tell the “untold and highly irreverent story” of how Sarah Breedlove, who later came to be known as Madam C.J. Walker, overcame a hostile country, tumultuous marriages and petty rivals to become America’s first black, self-made female millionaire.
Nicole Asher (Toni Braxton: Unbreak My Heart) will pen all eight episodes of the series, with Janine Sherman Barrois (Claws) and Elle Johnson acting as showrunners. Spencer will also executive produce the series alongside NBA superstar LeBron James.
On Her Own Ground is the latest acclaimed book to become the basis of a TV mini-series recently, following in the footsteps of Big Little Lies, Sharp Objects, and the upcoming adaptation of Little Fires Everywhere. Netflix will be hoping Madam C.J. Walker can have the success of those first two shows. Getting Spencer on board to star is a great start to making that happen.
Interestingly, this series isn’t the only show produced for a streaming company that Spencer will be headlining. She’s also set to star in Apple’s upcoming drama series Are You Sleeping, alongside a star-studded cast which includes Aaron Paul, Lizzy Caplan, Ron Cephas Jones, Elizabeth Perkins and Mekhi Phifer, with Reese Witherspoon on board as executive producer.
Apple are keeping their in-development shows under wraps, possibly for a big collective premiere at some point, so it’s unclear which series is likely to hit eyeballs first.
#Peace.Love.MadamCJWalker
