Janet Jackson celebrates the fortieth anniversary of her 1982 debut album of the same name with a two-part documentary watched on Lifetime and A&E, the networks announced on Wednesday. Provisionally titled Janet, the documentary will premiere in early 2022.
The pop icon, who along with Randy Jackson serves as executive producer for the project, has provided unprecedented access, and the documentary contains archival footage, never-before-seen home videos and well-known interviews. The two-night film, Four Hours, is directed by Ben Hirsch.
The documentary has been describing her personal life and professional career for three years. It follows Jackson and her family as they mourn her father Joseph, the patriarch of the Jackson dynasty who passed away in 2018. Jackson also discusses her 2004 Super Bowl performance with Justin Timberlake, the death of her brother Michael Jackson, and becoming her mother.
On Wednesday, Lifetime also announced a two-movie deal with another music icon, Reba McEntire. McEntire will produce and interpret two films for the network. The One is a holiday movie with tentative title Christmas in Tune which contains an original song by McEntire. The Other is a non-holiday film, to be developed for 2022.