LeBron James to produce series on first black female millionaire, Madam C.J. Walker

LeBron James is on a roll. After being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, James is now set to produce a series on streaming service Netflix. The show will focus on the life of 1900s beauty connoisseur, Madam C.J. Walker.

Walker is credited as being the first African-American female self-made millionaire.

James is executive producing the project along with members of his production company named SpringHill Entertainment. Co-founder, Maverick Carter and Walker’s great-great-granddaughter, A’Lelia Bundle will serve as consultants. Kasi Lemmons, the director of films Eve’s Bayou and Talk to Me is on board to direct the first episode.

Octavia Spencer, most known for her breakout roles in The Help and Hidden figures will enact the role of Walker.

Carter stated, “It’s so exciting for all of us to keep building SpringHill, see it mature, and continue to find its voice. We are really focused on growing with authenticity and substance.” “For us, this is totally about great stories and great partners. Partnering with Octavia to tell the story of Madam C.J. Walker is the ideal first project for SpringHill to take an important step into scripted drama.”

The series, will be based on the book titled, On Her Own Ground; authored by Bundle and is sectioned out into eight parts.

The rights to the book were optioned to formulate into a show by Zero Gravity in 2016. The deal stated that Spencer would act and produce and Lemmons would serve as the director.  In 2017, James and SpringHill Entertainment hopped on board to solidify the deal.

Walker, originally named Sarah Breedlove was born to enslaved parents. At the age of seven she became orphaned, she married at 14 and in 1906 began her million-dollar hair enterprise.