She wasn't expect to be there, but Oprah Winfrey shocked the audience when she appeared at Apple's It's Showtime event Monday in Cupertino, California. The 65-year-old daytime TV icon appeared on the event's pitch black stage to unveil a slew of new project for the upcoming Apple+ streaming service. In addition to two new documentaries, she announced a revamped video version of her popular book club.
The Academy Award winner made her surprise appearance after a dramatic video which promised a 'voice that we have all been missing.'
She appeared in a white shirt jacket with a long, thin bow tie, black slacks and a pair of short black boots. Oprah spoke in dramatic language about the importance of her new projects with Apple. 'There has never been a moment quite like this one. We have this unique opportunity to rise to our best selves in how we use — and choose to use — both our technology and our humanity,' she said. 'We're all at a crossroads where we get to decide if we want to reach beyond the borders of our hearts and minds to face the daunting challenges of our time.'
After the preamble, she got down to business, announcing a new documentary she'll be producing tentatively titled Toxic Labor. The new film will explore the 'toll of sexual harassment, assault and violation in the workplace.' Oprah also has a multi-part documentary series in the works that's currently untitled, but will focus on the impact of mental illness. The show will address how the 'scourge of depression and anxiety, post-traumatic stress, addiction, trauma, and loss is just devastating lives daily across the globe,' she explained. 'And what I know is, if we do our jobs right, we're going to replace shame and we're going to replace stigma with wisdom, with some compassion and with honesty.'
Oprah's original book club was started in 1996 and came to an end in 2011. A version 2.0 was started in 2012 with a greater focus on online accessibility and social media. Her new collaboration with Apple seems like a logical extension of the goals of the newer book club. Despite the optimistic tone of the event, release dates weren't provided for any of the upcoming projects, though more information will presumably be available last this year. One of her fellow presenters also drew online criticism. After trying to change the rules for Oscar eligibility that were perceived as an attack on Netflix by some, Spielberg drew criticism for collaborating with a rival streaming service.
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