A documentary on Oprah Winfrey is no longer coming to Apple TV+. You might ask why? Well, Winfrey herself has bought back the rights to it, PageSix reports. Reportedly, Winfrey and filmmaker Kevin Macdonald clashed over the final product, with the latter not making requested edits.
A spokesperson for Winfrey explained things a little better: “As the Apple TV+ deal was about to expire, Ms. Winfrey bought back the rights to her docu-series and has since decided to put the doc on hold. 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.” Erspamer previously worked with Winfrey for a long time at OWN, but was fired in 2012.
Winfrey was initially very involved in Apple TV+, even speaking at its launch. She signed a multi-year deal with the platform under which she launched shows such as The Oprah Conversation, but that agreement expired in 2022. It’s unclear how much billionaire Winfrey had to spend to get the rights back, with some sources saying it was in the millions and others claiming it was just six figures.
If you gather Star Trek fans in a room, the conversation will inevitably turn to which film in the series is the worst. The consensus is that The Final Frontier, Insurrection and Nemesis are fighting for the undeserved trophy.
Every film has a small contingent of fans who will defend the campy excesses, boldness and tone of each entry. (I’m a fan of watching The Final Frontier every five years, mostly to enjoy Jerry Goldsmith’s score.) Thankfully, all such discussions will stop forever on January 24, 2024, when Star Trek: Section 31 debuts on Paramount+.