Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sandra Day O’Connor Limited Series in the Works From Alyssa Milano, Nina Tassler, Denise Di Novi (EXCLUSIVE)
A limited series based on the lives of Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the first and second women to serve as Supreme Court justices, is in development.
Variety has learned exclusively that Alyssa Milano’s Peace by Peace Productions and PatMa Productions, founded by Nina Tassler and Denise Di Novi, have partnered to develop the Linda Hirschman biography “Sisters in Law.”
The book tells the story of the groundbreaking judges, and how their careers have shaped the legal framework of modern feminism, including employment discrimination, abortion, affirmative action, sexual harassment, and many other issues. Ginsburg was also the subject of the recent documentary film “RBG,” which is set to be released theatrically on May 4.
Milano, Tassler, and Di Novi will serve as executive producers on the series.
“I’m thrilled to be bringing the story of these two amazing women and their relationship to screens,” Milano said. “If there’s one thing that really stands out in the past year, it’s the importance of women supporting other women. Which is why it means so much to be working with PatMa, a company that truly values and nurtures female empowerment.”
In addition to this project, Milano has a deal to develop, executive produce and star in “Alyssa Milano For Mayor” with A+E Studios for Lifetime. She will next be seen in the Netflix series, “Insatiable,” starring opposite Debby Ryan and Dallas Roberts, in the drama based in the world of beauty pageants. Milano is also very active politically, including being a major advocate of the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. She is also actively involved in NoRA (No National Rifle Association).
“We deeply admire Alyssa’s political activism, and are in awe the impact she has made on so many of the feminist causes she supports,” said Tassler. “Her values are aligned with the mission of our company, and we couldn’t be more excited to partner with her on this ambitious series.”
In early 2018, Di Novi and former CBS Entertainment chairwoman Tassler launched PatMa Productions, an independent studio that aims to amplify diverse voices. PatMa has already set up partnerships with a number of organizations promoting diversity, inclusion, and human rights, among them the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, the Center for Popular Democracy, and Planned Parenthood.
“The relationship between Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg is complex and rich; a rarity among women at this level of power,” said DiNovi. “From opposite backgrounds and ideologies, they worked together and made an indelible mark on women’s history. We intend to explore how they rose from their early days as lawyers to their arrival at the Supreme Court, forging what would become one of the most powerful professional relationships in American history.”
Milano is repped by CAA.
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