Hulu Snatches Up Rights To “The 1619 Project”

Hulu has landed itself the rights to The 1619 Project, a docu-series that devles into the effects of slavery.

The 1619 Project, based on materials from Nikole Hannah-Jones’ acclaimed special issue of The New York Times Magazine which examines the impact of slavery on American history. Launched in August 2019, on the 400th anniversary of the first Africans arriving in Virginia, the Times‘ 1619 Project issue connected the legacy of slavery in America with accounts of systemic and brutal racism that endures in American life today, whether in law, education or the arts.

The special issue also stirred historical debate as it argued for the consequences of slavery dating back to 1619 and the contributions of Black Americans over four centuries to be put at the center of American history. Hannah-Jones, a Times staffer who created the project, was awarded the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary for her introductory essay.

Hulu secured U.S. rights as part of a distribution agreement between Lionsgate and Disney General Entertainment Content’s BIPOC Creator Initiative led by Tara Duncan. The docuseries is the first screen project to come out of the prodcution pact, formed by Hannah-Jones, the Times, and Harpo Films.