According to Entertainment Weekly, Amazon is developing a new show that will give viewers a deeper look into the life of Hugh Hefner, the 90-year-old adult magazine publisher, businessman, and famous playboy. Hefner is a native of Chicago, a former journalist for Esquire and is also a World War II veteran.
The series starring Hefner, will be titled American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story and will showcase never-before seen footage, interviews, and reenactments to tell the story of how the Playboy founder became famous. Hefner has been closely involved in the production of the docuseries which will consist of 13 episodes. Stephen David Entertainment and Alta Loma Entertainment, the teams behind the show were given access to over 17,000 of never-before-seen footage and over 2,600 scrapbooks from his personal archives.
The docuseries will reveal Hefner’s personal history as well as all the work he’s done at Playboy over the years. But a major focus for the show will be Hefner’s involvement as a social justice advocate earlier in his career. Several decades ago, Hefner ran into issues with the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover, and other institutions because of his controversial magazine.
“It has been a long road in finding the right partners to tell the full story of Playboy as it has unfolded over these past 63 years, and I believe we have found them in the collaborative team of Stephen David Entertainment and Amazon,” stated Hugh Hefner in a statement. “I’m pleased that this docuseries will shed light on what has been an incredible journey and the voice Playboy has had in the discussion of our ever-changing culture. Just as importantly, my hope is that it will inspire others to pursue their dreams.”
American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story debuts on Amazon in 2017.