Queen Latifah Touted by Will and Jada Smith as the Next Oprah
Is the Queen Latifah the next Oprah? Will Smith and wife Jada Pinkett-Smith seem to think so.
Sony Pictures Television announced last Monday that it's working with the power couple's production company, Overbrook Entertainment, to create a syndicated talk show which would be hosted by Latifah.
Overbrook president Miguel Melendez gushed, "We have known and admired Latifah for over 20 years: dating back to our music days, to her first television role on 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air', and years later when she worked with Jada on the film 'Set It Off'."
Latifah's own management organization, Flavor Unit, will be involved in the production as well. "We share a common vision and have been wanting to collaborate for some time," co-founder Shakim Compere said.
The daytime offering will not premiere until the fall of 2013, probably to make way for the influx of the other would-be Oprahs next fall - Anderson Cooper, Katie Couric and even "Survivor's" Jeff Probst, just to name a few. Sony could have fast-tracked the show's production for next year also, but they chose to give ample time for its development.
Also executive-producing the new talk fest are Latifah and the Smiths, they say.
If that is the case, this project would add to the growing list of endeavors that highlight the couple's long history with the multimedia conglomerate - including the Jada Pinkett-starrer "Hawthorne" on TNT and the 2010 "Karate Kid" remake that served as their son Jaden's debut film.
Latifah, on the other hand, was proven to be a powerhouse herself. She has several albums, movie roles and product endorsements under her belt. The singer-actress is also expected to be seen in two feature flicks next year - returning as Ellie in the fourth 'Ice Age' film and co-starring with country singer Dolly Parton in the musical 'Joyful Noise'.
Aside from her future talk show, she already had her chance in handling a talk show before, the defunct 'Queen Latifah Show', produced by Warner Bros' Telepictures back in 1999. However, it didn't pick up, and only lasted for two seasons.
Will her comeback to daytime TV finally be a successful one?