Oscar winner Octavia Spencer is attached to star in a series adaptation of A’Lelia Bundles’ bestselling biography “On Her Own Ground,” Deadline reports. The book tells the story of Bundles’ great-great-grandmother, legendary African-American entrepreneur and philanthropist Madam C.J. Walker, whom Spencer will play.
As Deadline details, “The daughter of slaves, Walker was orphaned at seven, married at 14, and widowed at 20. She spent the better part of the next two decades laboring as a washerwoman for $1.50 a week. Then — with the discovery of a revolutionary hair care formula for black women — everything changed. By her death in 1919, Walker managed to overcome astonishing odds, building a storied beauty empire from the ground up, amassing wealth unprecedented among black women and devoting her life to philanthropy and social activism. Along the way, she formed friendships with great early 20th century political figures such as W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington.”
The rights to the book have been optioned by Zero Gravity Management, who is behind “Beasts of No Nation.” Spencer will also produce the project, which will be written by Nicole Asher (“Toni Braxton: Unbreak my Heart”) and directed by Kasi Lemmons (“Eve’s Bayou”). The series is still being shopped to networks.
Spencer won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in “The Help” and will next be seen alongside Taraji P. Henson and Janelle Monae in “Hidden Figures,” the true story of the black women involved in the space race. The film will have an Oscar-qualifying run this winter, potentially putting Spencer and her co-stars into the Oscar race.
Having a science-based film starring women, and women of color at that, campaign for and potentially win awards would be not only a huge deal for Hollywood, but for the awards race as well. With three African-American stars, “Hidden Figures” has the potential to help steer #OscarsSoWhite in a more inclusive direction.
