Oprah Winfrey Pays Huge Amount To Apple To Buy Back Rights Of Her Life Documentary And Prevent Its Release
Trigger Warning: This article contains mention of sexual harassment.
Oprah Winfrey has procured back the rights to her Apple TV+ documentary and expunged it from release due to creative disputes. The documentary based on her life was first announced in 2021, helmed by Oscar-winning Kevin Macdonald. He was working with Winfrey’s long-time producer, Lisa Erspamer (The Oprah Winfrey Show) on the project.
According to Page Six, Winfrey and Macdonald fell out after the documentary was filmed, and it’s been on hold ever since. A source told the outlet, “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.”
The 70-year-old billionaire offered Apple directors the money needed to ensure that the documentary was not aired. Winfrey’s spokesperson confirmed the state of affairs whereby she decided to buy back the rights to the production as their partnership with Apple ended. However, she has also lauded Macdonald and Erspamer, saying their creativity and dedication to the project were exceptional, but the film needed to be on hold.
Winfrey did pay a considerable sum to purchase the rights again. However, the outlet’s insiders doubt that it was even in the seven-figure territory. The mogul’s team has suggested that it is simply not time for a documentary about Winfrey’s life.
Oprah’s last project with Apple was titled Sidney devoted to the life of Sidney Poitier. Previously, she was also supposed to take an active part in another Apple TV+ project titled On the Record revolving around a former music executive, who accused Russell Simmons of sexual harassment. However, she withdrew from the project as executive producer shortly before its release, again, citing creative differences.
Recently, Winfrey has announced a new special by CBS, titled An Oprah Special: The Presleys — Elvis, Lisa Marie And Riley. It features an interview with actress Riley Keough wherein she reminiscences time spent with her mother. This special has been engineered to coincide with the launch of Keough’s new book about her mother, Lisa Marie Presley who passed away last year.
Meanwhile, BAFTA and Academy Award winner Kevin Macdonald, who is best known for One Day in September, The Last King of Scotland, and State of Play, has not commented on the matter. His upcoming tie-ups do not mention Oprah Winfrey either. Macdonald’s most recent documentary premiered at the Venice Film Festival, titled One to One: John & Yoko, which centers around John Lennon and Yoko Ono.
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