Hillary Clinton, Steven Spielberg Join Forces To Adapt Suffragette Drama ‘The Women’s Hour’ For TV

The Obamas aren’t the only politicians getting into the TV game. This afternoon, Hillary Clinton announced that she will be partnering with Steven Spielberg to bring Elaine Weiss’ book The Woman’s Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote to the small screen. Clinton and Spielberg will both serve as executive producers on the project, which follows the decades-long fight to grant women the right to vote and ratify the 19th Amendment. Joining Clinton and Spielberg as producers are Weiss and Amblin TV co-presidents Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey.

Spielberg’s production company, Amblin Television, has optioned the rights to Weiss’ book, but they have yet to decide whether the project will emerge as a TV movie or limited series. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the production company will shop The Woman’s Hour to premium cable networks like HBO, Showtime, and Starz and streaming platforms, including Netflix, Apple, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu.

“I am thrilled to be working with Elaine, Steven and everyone at Amblin Television on bringing this important project to audiences everywhere,” said Clinton. “At the heart of democracy lies the ballot box, and Elaine Weiss’ unforgettable book tells the story of the female leaders who — in the face of towering economic, racial and political opposition — fought for and won American women’s right to vote. Unfolding over six weeks in the summer of 1920, The Woman’s Hour is both a page-turning drama and an inspiration for everyone, young and old, male and female, in these perilous times. So much could have gone wrong, but these American women would not take no for an answer: their triumph is our legacy to guard and emulate.”

The Woman’s Hour will be Clinton’s first time stepping into an executive producer role, and The Hollywood Reporter writes that she is hoping to take an active role in the project. A writer is not yet attached to the upcoming TV movie or limited series, but Clinton is expected to be “actively involved” in the search for a writer, the development process, and casting.