The future just got a little bit brighter because both Mary J. Blige and Oprah Winfrey are stepping back into the world of filmmaking to tell new stories close to their hearts. Knowing the strength of these Hollywood powerhouses, these documentaries are sure to be powerful productions.
In partnership with Sean “Diddy” Combs and Amazon Prime, R&B songstress and boot connoisseur Blige will finally be telling her story onscreen. The unnamed documentary will take Blige’s old and new fans on a journey to the past, meeting her almost 25 years ago when she was not yet a household name. Though My Life was not her first studio album — What’s the Deal was released in 1992 — it was the album that would rocket her into the music mainstream.
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Blige co-wrote 14 of the tracks on My Life, and the songs are very personal as a result. At the time, she was dealing with a slew of private problems; she penned the songs on her sophomore album while battling and addiction to drugs and alcohol, an abusive relationship, and clinical depression. For Blige, music was her therapy, and writing songs like “I’m Goin’ Down” and “Be Happy” for My Life played an essential part in her path towards happiness. She’ll take us along on that emotional journey in the documentary, set for release exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.
Fellow Hollywood icon Winfrey has also taken on another film project of her own, this time a documentary in conjunction with Apple. The documentary, the brainchild of Academy Award-nominated filmmakers Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering, tells the story of a former music executive who has been assaulted by a major figure in the music industry.
The Jane Doe Films/Apple TV collaboration speaks to the nuanced ways in which race, gender, and class intersect in society. It will also spark a timely conversation about the pervasiveness of sexual assault and abuse in media.
This isn't Winfrey's first foray into the world of film; the TV legend has served as an executive producer for a number of films for a long as she's been working. Some of the titles she's produced include Their Eyes Were Watching God, Precious, and Ava DuVernay's Oscar-winning miniseries When They See Us.
Blige’s documentary is currently in production, and Winfrey’s film is slated to premiere in 2020. We can’t wait to see these stories unfold.