Lifetime is beefing up its TV film slate for next year, increasing the total to 75 movies and has signed on “Good Morning America” host Robin Roberts to help with the endevor.
The female-skewing network has signed Roberts to a production deal for a series of movies and documentaries that will all fall under the banner, “Robin Roberts Presents.” The network also detailed the first two projects from Roberts.
The first one will focus on African American Gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, whose inspirational music and faith were a great support for Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement. Roberts will executive produce the movie alongside Linda Berman of Lincoln Square Productions, with a script written by Bettina Gilois.
The second project is based on the true story of Alexis Manigo, who at age 18, discovers her real name is Kamiyah Mobley and that she had been abducted as a baby from a Jacksonville, Florida hospital. Roberts and Berman will executive produce this as well, alongside Gary Randall, Michele Samit and Richard Kletter. Samit and Kletter also serve as writers for the script.
Each movie will be followed by a companion documentary that will feature the real-life versions of the characters. The docs will be executive produced by Roberts and John R. Green as a production collaboration between Rock’n Robin and Lincoln Square Productions for Lifetime.
Elsewhere on Lifetime’s movie slate:
- An anthology series with producer Bishop T.D. Jakes, based on Victoria Christopher Murray’s “Seven Deadly Sins” book series. The first three- “Lust,” “Envy,” and “Greed” will air next year.
- Five movies based on V.C. Andrews’ “Casteel” book series. The first of the movies, “V.C. Andrews’ Heaven,” stars Annalise Basso, Julie Benz, Chris William Martin, and Chris McNally.
- “Somebody’s Someone,” based on a memoir about Regina Louise (who will be played by Angela Fairley), a young African-American girl who navigated over 30 foster homes and psychiatric facilities before age 18, and the one woman, Jeanne (Ginnifer Goodwin), who believed in her.
Lifetime is also partnering with the “Be Me Be Free” anxiety empowerment campaign, which encourages teens and young adults to share their own stories in an effort to empower others from feeling alone in their feelings. Lifetime will turn one of the submitted stories into a movie to air next year.