Hollywood superstar, Viola Davis is set to play former US First lady, Michelle Obama, in a new White House drama series, titled “First Ladies” currently in the works at Showtime, in conjunction with Lionsgate Television.
It’s fair to say that Davis’ potential next TV role will come with a lot of pressure, judging by her previous roles in How to get away with murder, Fences, Widows among a long list of others.
Showtime has given the prospective one-hour drama a three-script commitment, with novelist Aaron Cooley on board to write and executive produce, Varietyreports.
The series will unravel the personal and political lives of First Ladies from throughout history, with season one focusing on Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford and Michelle Obama. “First Ladies” will turn its lens on the East Wing of the White House, as opposed to the West, where many of history’s most impactful and world-changing decisions have been hidden from view, made by America’s charismatic, complex and dynamic First Ladies.
Davis and her partner Julius Tennon serve as non-writing executive producers on the project via their JuVee Productions banner, alongside Cathy Schulman via Welle Entertainment, Jeff Gaspin via Gaspin Media, and Brad Kaplan via LINK Entertainment.
Recently, The Obamas also made a leap into content production themselves via their newly launched Higher Ground Productions. So far, the company’s originals slate is staying away from anything directly involving politics, with “Bloom,” an upstairs/downstairs drama series set in the world of fashion in post-WWII New York City, and a feature film adaptation of author David W. Blight’s “Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom” high up on the list.
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