A Boob’s Life TV Deal? The night I decided to write a book about boobs, the title flashed in my mind like a movie marquis. I could see it. But never in my wildest dreams did I imagine other people could see it, too.

Two producers (with boobs) got a sneak peek. They wooed me over lunch in Beverly Hills and brunch at a beach club in Malibu. That alone was thrilling. Then, they brought it to Salma Hayek.

Clearly, Salma has a lot of boob power. She can relate to the highlights and hazards of living in a woman’s body. And not only is she an award-winning actress, humanitarian, and producer, but she also has a super successful production company called Ventanarosa.

When we spoke on the phone – long distance from London to Los Angeles – she told me she was “obsessed” with my book. That’s the word she used, I swear. She had lots of great ideas, but like in the movies, she had me at Hello. Now her company, with the same brilliant producers who brought us Frida, The Prophet, Ugly Betty, and the current Spanish-language hit, Monarca, are spearheading A Boob’s Life.

Together, they enlisted a high-class showrunner, then got on a Zoom call from all corners of the world to pitch making my book into a 30-minute comedy series. There were seven people discussing A Boob’s Life to the team at HBOMax, where Ventanarosa has a first-look deal. I don’t know how many were there in total, because I was not invited. After my initial surprise, I was relieved.

Here’s why:
A. I feared being nervous and saying the wrong thing.
B. My presence may have made others uncomfortable and limited how freely they could talk.
C. I was represented by 322 pages of print, 16 pages of color photos, and 8 pages of footnotes!
D. These people were professionals who believed in my book so much, they were investing untold hours preparing for this meeting with the goal of getting a green light.

It worked. We are now officially “in development.” There are many steps to climb in this long process, and they all start with the pilot script. The showrunner, an experienced TV writer who started with Rosanne, Will & Grace, and her own HBO show, is writing it now.

Yes, there’s a good chance Salma Hayek will be in the show. But I can’t tell you what part she’ll play. You’ll laugh so hard, you might wet your pants.

Don’t worry, Warner Media, the empire that owns HBO Max, also hired me as Executive Producer. I started out in the film business, working in production after winning a student Emmy in film school. I’ve written and sold screenplays and had one produced as a successful indie film and TV movie. This, however, is the big time. And since A Boob’s Life is a memoir, HBO Max is getting the rights to my life. Not my whole life, but my boob life – every word in the book. So, as an Executive Producer, I get to advise on every script, every actor, and generally be a pain in the butt. But I won’t do that.

I want to be a source of inspiration, to help make the show a hit.

While the actor who plays me will be the star, “Leslie” is now a character on a TV show. So, if it helps to turn one of my daughters into a son, so be it. The book is my baby. And it’s the true story.

Most books don’t get optioned until after they’re on the bestseller list. But Melissa Oman and Julie R. Snyder believed in my manuscript when I was still polishing the first draft. This was a gamble for all three of us. Since then, a team of people helped: my book agent, Lisa Leshne, my film agent, Mary Pender, and my lawyer, Alan Sacks.

If not for the pandemic, we’d be popping champagne at that swanky beach club in Malibu today. Instead, I sent them champagne-flavored gummy bears.

Honestly, I couldn’t be more grateful, or more thrilled. Or more curious about who will play me…

Here’s Peanut, auditioning for a part.

Thanks for letting me share this exciting news with you. There’s more to come!
Warmly,
Leslie