Octavia Spencer is bringing the story of black haircare mogul Madam C.J. Walker to television.
Netflix said Sunday that Spencer will produce and star in a limited series about the outsized life of Sarah Breedlove, who was known professionally as Walker.
The eight-episode drama is based on the book "On Her Own Ground" by A'Lelia Bundles and includes basketball star LeBron James as a producer.
Walker became one of America's first self-made female millionaires by creating and marketing hair products for African-Americans at the turn of the 20th century.
Netflix said the series will detail the hostility, rivalries and tumultuous personal life that marked Walker's life.
Spencer is an Oscar-winning actress whose credits include "The Shape of Water," ''Hidden Figures" and "The Help."
A release date for "Madam C.J. Walker" was not announced.
SMPTE elects board officers, regional governors
SMPTE®,the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has revealed the board officers and regional governors who will serve terms beginning in January 2025.
Three new officers--Richard Welsh as SMPTE president, Eric Gsell as SMPTE executive VP, and Polly Hickling as SMPTE Education VP--have been elected for a two-year term from Jan. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2026. One SMPTE officer, Lisa Hobbs, will be continuing her service as SMPTE secretary and treasurer for another two-year term. Additionally, Raymond Yeung will be stepping into the role of standards VP on Jan. 1, 2025.
“SMPTE’s membership has spoken,” said SMPTE interim executive director Sally-Ann D’Amato. “These officers have been tasked with an important responsibility, one each of them is prepared to tackle head-on. These next two years are looking bright for SMPTE!”
In addition to the officers, 10 regional governors were elected by the Society to serve two-year 2025-2026 terms.
These include the following regional governors, re-elected to continue their service:
Asia-Pacific Region Governor
Tony Ngai, Society of Motion Imaging Ltd.
EMEA - Central & South America Region Governor
Fernando Bittencourt, FB Consultant
United Kingdom Region Governor
Chris Johns, Sky UK.
USA - Central Region Governor
William T. Hayes, Consultant
USA - Eastern Region Governor
Dover Jeanne Mundt, Riedel Communications
USA - Western Region Governor
Jeffrey F. Way, Open Drives
Also elected were four newcomers to the SMPTE Board:
Canada Region Governor
Jonathan Jobin, Grass Valley
USA - Hollywood Region Governor
Allan Schollnick, Voxx... Read More