Former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau is launching a new production company with his longtime chief of staff, Katie Telford, and is expected to make the announcement at the Toronto International Film Festival today, according to reports from The Canadian Press.
Called Hope & Hard Work, the company will develop scripted and unscripted projects, some already underway. Trudeau and Telford are attached as executive producers on two of the first projects. Perry Chafe’s Closer by Sea, a Newfoundland-set coming-of-age novel, will get its own film adaptation, as will Uzma Jalaluddin’s murder mystery Detective Aunty. Both novels were best-sellers in Canada.
It’s a big career change for Trudeau, who resigned as prime minister in January 2025 after nearly a decade in office. Since leaving politics, the former school teacher has moved into the global speaking circuit, including an appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos where he discussed the growing importance of soft power, including the influence of culture and entertainment.
In the past year, his relationship with pop star Katy Perry has also kept him in the orbit of the global entertainment business, while his eldest son Xavier Trudeau is pursuing his own career as a musician.
