Warner Bros. Television Group is joining forces with talk show host, author and philanthropist Tavis Smiley to develop a scripted series about renowned poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou.
The series will be adapted from Tavis’ book My Journey with Maya, which recounts his near 30-year friendship with the famed poet.
Warner Bros. is also developing a series with Tavis about Michael Jackson’s final days.
This particular series will be adapted from Tavis’ upcoming book Before You Judge Me: The Triumph and Tragedy of Michael Jackson’s Last Days.
Per Deadline:
Set to be published in June 2016, “Before You Judge Me” is described as a taut novelistic rendering of the final months in the life of the iconic pop star, chronicling his constant hunt for privacy in a life that was more public than almost any other, and the pressures he endured as someone whose fame made him socially fragile and almost unable to live.
In “My Journey With Maya,” published in April 2015, Smiley shares personal memories of his 28-year friendship with poet, historian, filmmaker and civil rights activist Angelou. In addition to the TV project, Smiley and Tony-winning director Kenny Leon (“A Raisin In The Sun”) are developing Maya as a stage play.
