Hillary Clinton and Daughter Chelsea to Form Production Company

Hillary Clinton and her daughter Chelsea are forming a production company to pursue film and television projects, making a foray into Hollywood after decades in the public eye.

The two have spoken to studios about financing a pipeline of programs, said people familiar with the matter. They would give a studio first crack at releasing the projects, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are at an early stage.

The family hopes to use film and television to influence culture and society now that Hillary Clinton is out of politics. They plan to focus on stories by and about women. The production company is one of many potential business opportunities that Hillary Clinton, 71, is considering.

Hillary Clinton previously signed on to help produce a TV show with Steven Spielberg. That series, “The Woman’s Hour,” is an adaptation of a book about activists who fought to earn women the right to vote.

The Clintons are following in the footsteps of the Obamas. Former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle created a production company, Higher Ground Productions, and have a deal at Netflix Inc. Their first slate of shows includes an adaptation of Michael Lewis’s book about federal bureaucracy, as well as a drama series about the world of fashion.

Hollywood Base

While actors such as Ronald Reagan have used their Hollywood fame to launch successful political careers, it had been rare for politicians to go the other way. Candidates have long come to Hollywood to raise money, however, and Clinton has a large base of support among donors -- including Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and director J.J. Abrams.

Clinton served as the first lady of Arkansas, the first lady of the U.S., a senator from New York and secretary of state. She twice ran for president, losing to Obama in the 2008 Democratic primary and then to Donald Trump in the 2016 election. Since the 2016 election, she has formed a political action committee, published a memoir and gone on a speaking tour.

— With assistance by Margaret Talev