Oprah Buys Back the Rights to Documentary to Keep it off Apple TV+
The documentary is unlikely to see the light of day now, as the legendary talk show host now has complete control over it.
It was supposed to be the crown jewel of a relationship that helped get Apple TV+ off the ground in 2019. Instead, it will likely never be seen by audiences at all. That’s the summation of the saga surrounding a documentary on the life of Oprah Winfrey. The billionaire media mogul and legendary talk show host reportedly paid handsomely to get the doc pulled from Apple’s schedule, despite the fact that it had already been completed.
Key Details:
- Page Six reports Oprah paid to reclaim the rights to a documentary that was due to be shown on Apple TV+.
- Sources say that Oprah was unhappy with the final edit of the film, but the director reportedly refused to change it.
- Oprah ended her content deal with Apple in September 2022.
The documentary was first announced as a two-part series back in 2021. That was in the heyday of a deal between Winfrey and Apple that was designed to bring a certain level of prestige and gravitas to the then-burgeoning streamer. At the time, Apple CEO Tim Cook praised Winfrey for her contributions to Apple TV+ in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, she had launched an interview show in June 2020 called “The Oprah Conversation.”
The now shelved documentary was supposed to be the cherry on top of Oprah’s relationship with Apple, and Academy Award-winner Kevin Macdonald was lined up to direct. Macdonald even finished the doc, but according to Page Six, Oprah has paid a hefty sum to buy back the rights in order to prevent it from ever being shown.
The report indicates that Macdonald and Winfrey disagreed on the film’s final edit. Winfrey did not like the finished product, but Macdonald refused to change it, and ever since, its release has been on an indefinite hold.
“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,” a “well-placed Hollywood source” informed Page Six.
Oprah’s camp did not confirm that version of events, saying simply that it “wasn’t the right time to do a documentary.”
“As the Apple TV+ deal was coming to an end, Ms. Winfrey bought back the rights to her docuseries and has since decided to put the doc on hold,” Oprah’s representatives said. “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.”
Espramer worked on “The Oprah Winfrey” show for 10 years as a producer, and met Macdonald when the two worked on the biopic “Whitney” centering on superstar Whitney Houston. Winfrey and Espramer are close, but the relationship between the two apparently hasn’t been enough to override the megastar’s reported concerns about the film.
Whatever the reasoning, it’s clear that the documentary on Winfrey’s life won’t be available to stream any time soon. Viewers can still stream one season of “The Oprah Conversation,” featuring guests like Will Smith, Eddie Murphy, and Elliot Page on Apple TV+, however.
Apple TV+
Apple TV+ is a subscription video streaming service for $9.99 a month that includes high-quality original shows and movies including Best Picture winner “CODA,” popular sitcom “Ted Lasso,” and dramas like “The Morning Show” and “Severance.” Apple TV+ is also home to MLB baseball games on Friday nights and MLS Season Pass.