Lifetime‘s Upfront presentation on Wednesday unveiled new talent deals, movies, and the network’s first foray into micro-dramas.
Details on all the deals and projects can be found below.
TALENT DEALS:
Queen Latifah and Taraji P. Henson are the latest to join Lifetime’s list of creative partners, joining the ranks of Mary J. Blige, Toni Braxton, and Robin Roberts.
Queen Latifah signed on to executive produce three new Lifetime original movies through her production company, Flavor Unit Entertainment, alongside her longtime producing partner, Shakim Compere.
Henson will executive produce two new original films for Lifetime through her production company, TPH Entertainment, in partnership with Fox Entertainment Studios. Production will be overseen by her head of production and development, Jamila Jordan-Theus. Details on the projects will be announced at a later date.
“Queen Latifah and Taraji P. Henson are extraordinary talents and dynamic producers who share Lifetime’s passion for telling powerful stories about women,” said Elaine Frontain Bryant, Executive Vice President and Head of Programming, A&E, Lifetime and LMN. “Both have helped shape our legacy with impactful, culturally resonant projects, and we are excited to have them back in the Lifetime family, creating new films with us as we continue to expand our slate with bold, female-driven storytelling.”
MICRODRAMA GREENLIGHT:
Lifetime is entering the vertical storytelling space with Tides of Temptation, a premium microdrama feature that serves as a digital offshoot of Lifetime’s upcoming Love of a Lifetime original movie Terry McMillan Presents: Paradise with You (details below under “2026 Love of a Lifetime Film Slate.”)
Creator, musician and actor Q Stenline aka SwagBoyQ, Troy Brookins (who also co-produces), Mea Wilkerson and David John Craig star in the vertical. The project is executive produced by Taye Diggs, Autumn Federici, and Shelby Stone.
“When we first heard the pitch from Autumn and Taye for a micro drama connected to a movie, it felt like a smart, strategic way to enter the vertical space,” said Rob Sharenow, President of Programming, A+E Global Media. “It allows us to expand the world of the film while meeting audiences wherever they are, without compromising on storytelling quality or production value.”
Diggs added, “We approached this as a fully realized dramatic project, not just short-form content. It’s an opportunity to bring emotional depth and visual ambition into a format designed for today’s audiences.”
The microdrama’s official logline: Set within the same emotionally charged world introduced in Terry McMillan Presents: Paradise with You, Tides of Temptation deepens the drama. Set on the lush island of Nevis, paradise hides a dangerous undercurrent… and beautiful young Constance (Wilkerson) is trapped inside of it. Her life is controlled by her demanding brother Malik and her abusive boyfriend Wes. When ambitious young athlete Jamal (SwagBoyQ) enters her life and confronts the dangerous world around her, everything fractures. And as Jamal and Constance fall hard for each other, they soon come to realize their dangerous new love could cost them everything.
Troy Brookins co-produces. Gary and Edmund Entin directed from a script by Nanea Miyata with a story by Ejay Jamison. The premiere date for Tides of Temptation will be later this year, following the debut of Terry McMillan Presents: Paradise with You.
2026 LOVE OF A LIFETIME FILM SLATE:
Lifetime has greenlit three new original movies under its highly successful Love of a Lifetime banner, continuing the franchise’s tradition of delivering romance grounded in emotional, authentic love stories. More info on each title can be found below.
Love, Again
Starring Valerie Bertinelli, Henry Czerny and Eric McCormack
Caroline (Bertinelli) and Henry (Czerny) have shared a nearly perfect life and marriage for almost three decades. Their world shifts dramatically when Henry is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s. As her soulmate gradually slips away, Caroline finds unexpected solace in a friendship with Leo (McCormack). As Henry’s memory fades, Caroline must navigate the unimaginable journey of losing her lifelong partner while finding strength in a new friendship.
Love, Again is produced by Front Street Pictures and Grossbart Kent Productions. Jack Grossbart and Linda Kent serve as Executive Producers on Love, Again. In addition, Valerie Bertinelli, Marc Schwartz, Robert Murdoch, Nic Altobelli, Allen Lewis, Marnie Young also executive produce. David Strasser directs from a script by Nancey Silvers.
When I Said I Do
Executive Produced By Clint Black and Lisa Hartman Black
Ali Corley stars as a widowed search-and-rescue K-9 handler who rebuilt her life after losing her husband in the line of duty. Fiercely devoted to her family and her high-risk career, she is reluctant to open her heart again. When she meets seasoned rescue specialist Shawn Willis, a man grappling with his own painful past, their connection forces them both to confront grief, fear and the true meaning of commitment.
When I Said I Do is produced by ITV America Nashville and Happy Accidents for Lifetime. Clint Black and Lisa Hartman Black serve as executive producers, alongside Adam Reed for ITV America and Holly Hines and Eric Jarboe for Happy Accidents. Stefan Brogren directs from a screenplay by Bart Baker.
Terry McMillan Presents: Paradise with You
Executive Produced By and Starring Taye Diggs and Heather Hemmens with Cynthia Bailey
Carter (Diggs), an NFL superstar on the brink of retirement, retreats to the Caribbean island of Nevis to reset and recharge. There, he meets Simone (Hemmens), an interior decorator rebuilding her life after betrayal. What begins as a passionate island romance becomes complicated when they discover they’re competing for the same coveted estate, forcing them to choose between passion, pride, and the future if they’re brave enough to claim it. Cynthia Bailey stars. Troy Brookins and SwagBoyQ appear in the film and its companion microdrama.
Terry McMillan Presents: Paradise with You is produced by The Ninth House in association with Motion Entertainment, a WPP Media company. Taye Diggs, Heather Hemmens and Terry McMillan executive produce. Richard Foster and Chet Fenster executive produce for Motion Entertainment. Autumn Federici, Jake Helgren and Shelby Stone serve as producers for The Ninth House. Patricia Frontain directs from a script by Ejay Jamison.
A fourth film has also been greenlit outside of the Love of a Lifetime banner, from longtime collaborator and journalist Robin Roberts.
Angel In The Rubble
Based on the Bestseller Angel in the Rubble: The Miraculous Rescue of 9/11’s Last Survivor
The film recounts the extraordinary survival of Genelle Guzman (Sherri Shepherd), a NYC transit worker who was buried beneath the collapse of Tower One on 9/11 and trapped for 27 harrowing hours. As she fought to stay alive, Genelle reflected on her life and the faith she had left behind, praying for deliverance and promising to change if given another chance.
Her prayers were answered when a man named Paul found her in the debris and remained by her side until rescuers pulled her to safety—the final survivor recovered from Ground Zero. When Genelle later searched for Paul to thank him, no one could confirm he was ever there, leading her to believe he was an angel sent to save her and guide her toward the renewed life she had promised while buried beneath the rubble.
Angel in the Rubble is produced by Rock’n Robin Productions and Lighthouse Pictures in association with Motion Entertainment, a WPP Media company. Executive producers are Robin Roberts, Linda Berman, Anne Carlucci and Sherri Shepherd. Jameson Parker and Gemma Martini serve as executive producers for Lighthouse. Richard Foster and Chet Fenster executive produce for Motion Entertainment. The script is written by Robert Eisele.
