Salma Hayek is developing a new comedy series for HBO Max titled A Boob’s Life. HBO’s plans to produce A Boob’s Life comes after the news of Ventanarosa signing a two-year first-look deal with HBO Max in 2020. The series is based on an upcoming critically-acclaimed part-fiction part-memoir novel by writer Leslie Lehr entitled A Boob’s Life: How America’s Obsession Shaped Me…and You, which is set to publish on March 2.
In addition to her multiple acting roles, Hayek is a successful producer through her company Ventanarosa. Since its founding in 1999, Ventanarosa has been behind many critically acclaimed projects, including the 2002 film Frida, starring Hayek in her breakout role as Frida Kahlo. Frida won Hayek a slew of Best Actress nominations, including an Oscar nomination. Ventanarosa also produced the fan-favorite television show Ugly Betty, which ran from 2006 to 2010.
Now, ET reports Hayek's Ventanarosa will produce A Boob’s Life for HBO Max. The show will center around a newly 40-year-old woman named Leslie whose life is upended when her breasts begin talking to her. Hayek and Lehr will executive produce the show along with Cynthia Mort, who will also be the showrunner. Cynthia Mort started her career working as a writer on the sitcom Roseanne and has since created the HBO series Tell Me You Love Me and directed the 2016 Nina Simone biopic, Nina. Other executive producers on the project include Jose Tamez and Siobhan Flynn from Ventanarosa Productions and Julie R. Snyder and Melissa Oman from Wheeler Girl Productions.
In a statement, Salma Hayek praised HBO Max for being “insightful and bold enough” to take on this story. A Boob’s Life, as Hayek states, uses “breasts as a metaphor” for the scrutiny and double standards women are often subjected to. Hayek says the goal is to “give the breast a voice that takes us through the life of a woman from a unique perspective” that is rarely depicted in mainstream media.
This news comes on the heels of the 54-year-old Mexican-American actress having to justify posting vacation pictures, often of her in just a bikini, on her Instagram. Although she admitted some of her followers might be tired of it, she has no plans to stop celebrating her body. Looking to the future, Salma Hayek has a few projects in the works, including Marvel’s Eternals and Amazon Prime’s Bliss. The themes of A Boob’s Life also fall in line with Hayek’s activism and humanitarian work, including spreading awareness of domestic and other violence against women and immigrants' discrimination.
A Boob’s Life is the newest in a long line of women-led women-focused television shows, such as Little Fires Everywhere, Killing Eve, and upcoming shows like the recently announced Apple TV+ drama Lessons In Chemistry starring Brie Larson. Since the Me Too movement garnered popularity in Hollywood in 2017, many shows centering around women's empowerment and the complexities of being a woman have graced our screens. While Hollywood still has a problem with diversifying those stories, Salma Hayek usually brings a Latina perspective to everything she produces, which may, perhaps, include a diverse cast for A Boob’s Life as well.
Source: ET