Oprah Winfrey is once again teaming up with her "Selma" director, Ava DuVernay: The pair will collaborate on a new drama series for OWN, on which Winfrey is scheduled to have a recurring role.

DuVernay will make her first foray into telelvision with "Queen Sugar," a series based on the novel by Natalie Baszile. The "Selma" filmmaker is writing, directing, and executive producing the show, which marks Winfrey's acting debut on her eponymous network.

"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."

"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 director added on Twitter that she wanted to emulate other filmmakers who've worked in television, including Jill Soloway, David Fincher, Steven Soderbergh, Cary Fukunaga, and Steve McQueen. DuVernay also highlighted the medium's allowance for more time -- and thus more freedom -- to tell a story.


Production on "Queen Sugar" is expected to start later this year. No word yet on a potential premiere date.

[via: Variety, Ava DuVernay]

Photo credit: Paras Griffin via Getty Images