Octavia Spencer, LeBron James team up on Madam CJ Walker TV series
LeBron James’ production company, SpringHill Entertainment, has just added its first scripted drama, a series about Madam CJ Walker that will star none other than Octavia Spencer.
The series will be based on the book “On Her Own Ground” by A’Lelia Bundles, Walker’s great-great-granddaughter. Bundles is also on board to be a consultant for the series about her ancestor.
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Walker was the daughter of slaves and was orphaned at age 7. She was married at 14 and widowed at 20, but after spending another two decades working as a washwoman, she discovered a hair care formula for black women that was nothing short of revolutionary. She then built an empire out of her beauty industry, becoming friends with the likes of W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington before her death in 1919, at which point she had amassed wealth that was simply unheard of for a black woman.
James is set to executive produce the project along with his company’s co-founder, Maverick Carter, and Nicole Asher, who is also set to write for the series. Kasi Lemmons will both direct and executive produce.
According to Variety, it’s likely that the project will go to Netflix, which has taken an interest in the scripted series.
