Showtime Limited Series on Lena Horne being Developed, Jenny Lumet to Write and Direct

Posted on by Darlen Vazquez-Rojas

A Showtime limited series is in the works about the life of American icon, Lena Horne.

What we know:

  • The series is still in the works with no official date. However, the Showtime limited series will be directed and written by the singer’s granddaughter, Jenny Lumet.
  • The limited series, Blackbird: Lena Horne and America, will mostly focus on the span of 60 years of Horne’s life and her experience as a Cotton Club dancer. Granddaughter of Lena Horne explained that the inspiration for the title came from her late grandmother’s favorite poem, Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird by Wallace Stevens.
  •  Twitter followers responded positively regarding the limited series with the following statements:

  • The American Icon is also known for her Civil rights activism during World War II when she refused to perform “for segregated audiences or for groups in which German prisoners of war were seated in front of Black servicemen.” The series will also focus on her deepest relationships with Paul Robeson, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Joe Louis, Billie Holiday, Hattie McDaniel, and Orson Welles.
  • Lena Horne’s granddaughter, Jenny Lumet, said the following about the show:

“Lena’s story is so intimate and at the same time, it’s the story of America- America at its most honest, most musical, most tragic and most joyous. It’s crucial now. Especially now. She was the love of my life.”

  • Lena Horne still is being celebrated today for her work as an actress, singer, and dancer in her time. She starred in many films, including Stormy Weather, The Wiz, and Cabin in the Sky. She also won 4 Grammy Awards throughout her career.

The official date for the series has not been released yet. This work will be the latest project about a prominent Black American and the story of her life which impacted the world.

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