The deal for Smiley’s book (scheduled to be released in June of next year) includes the rights to adopt another Smiley book based around the author and television host’s interactions with poet Maya Angelou.
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Warner Bros. Television is working up a drama looking into Michael Jackson’s final days after signing a development deal with author and broadcaster Tavis Smiley.
This will be turned into a new TV series on Warner Bros.
In “My Journey With Maya”, Smiley shares personal memories of his longtime friendship with the renowned poet. In addition to the TV project, Smiley and Tony-winning director Kenny Leon are developing a stage play surrounding the April 2015 work of the same name.
All three books are published by Little, Brown and Company, and written by Smiley with David Ritz. He has also written the books How to Make Black America Better: Leading African Americans Speak Out, What I Know for Sure: My Story of Growing Up in America, and The Rich and the Rest of Us: A Poverty Manifesto with Dr. Cornel West.
Cited by Time magazine as one of the world’s 100 most influential people, Smiley has also been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In the tome, Smiley recounts the last 16 weeks in the life of the King of Pop, who died in June, 2009, reported Deadline.
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The news comes several months after Warner Bros.
