Oprah And ‘Selma’ Director Ava DuVernay Are Teaming Up For Drama TV Series

“Selma” director Ava DuVernay is headed to the small screen for a new drama series on OWN with Oprah Winfrey. The series will be based on Natalie Baszile’s first-time novel Queen Sugar, which tells the story of a young black mother who uproots from Los Angeles when her late father mysteriously leaves her an 800-acre sugarcane farm in Louisiana. DuVernay, who previously worked with Winfrey on “Selma,” will write, direct and executive produce the series while Winfrey will executive produce and appear in multiple episodes.

“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. Winfrey also echoed her love for the book upon first reading it, saying 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.”

The Huffington Post