Apple TV+ announced it was working on a documentary about Oprah Winfrey in 2021, but the film never saw the light of day.
According to a new report from Page Six, the reason the doc was put on hold was because Winfrey bought back the rights to the film about her life to prevent it from being aired.
Oscar-winning filmmaker Kevin Macdonald directed the doc, which highlighted the life and career of the talk show host turned media mogul. However, according to Page Six sources, Winfrey and Macdonald clashed about the project after it was finished.
The documentary was set to be two parts, with MacDonald working on the project with Winfrey’s longtime producer, Lisa Erspamer. According to the official description, the doc would “chronicle 25 years of American history through the lens of Winfrey, who rose from humble roots to become a globally famous talk show host, producer, actress, and philanthropist.”
“Kevin made the film, but Oprah didn’t like it and he refused to change it, and Oprah has paid back her fee to Apple,” an alleged Hollywood source told the publication.
A spokesperson for Winfrey told the outlet, “As the Apple TV+ deal was coming to an end, Ms. Winfrey bought back the rights to her docu-series and has since decided to put the doc on hold.” Winfrey ended her content deal with Apple in September 2022.
“Ms. Winfrey believes Lisa Erspamer and Kevin MacDonald are incredibly talented filmmakers and is grateful for the time and energy they put into the project,” the rep added.
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Another source in Winfrey’s camp denied the speculation that Macdonald refused to make edits, noting that Winfrey simply decided “it wasn’t the right time to do a documentary” before making the move to buy it back.
While buying back the rights to the doc likely cost a significant sum, sources can’t seem to agree on the actual cost. Page Six cites industry sources as speculating Winfrey would have had to pay millions for the rights, while a source “in the know” denied it was in the seven figures.
Winfrey’s previous work with Apple TV+ included the chat show The Oprah Conversations and the mental health special The Me You Can’t See in collaboration with Prince Harry. She also hosted Oprah’s Book Club on Apple Books.
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