Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his longtime chief of staff, Katie Telford, have ventured into the entertainment industry by launching a new media and entertainment production company named Hope & Hard Work. The company’s name is inspired by a slogan used by Trudeau and the Liberal Party during his nine-year tenure as prime minister, which concluded in 2025.
Hope & Hard Work will focus on creating scripted and unscripted content, including documentaries, docuseries, television series, and feature films. The company has already begun work on several projects. One of these projects is “Closer by the Sea,” a television adaptation of Perry Chafe’s popular coming-of-age novel set in Newfoundland. Additionally, they are adapting Toronto author Uzma Jalaluddin’s mystery novel, “Detective Aunty,” for television, where Trudeau and Telford will serve as executive producers.
Trudeau and Telford aim to offer a diverse and thoughtfully curated lineup of content that prioritizes audience-driven storytelling, resonating both in Canada and internationally. They expressed their belief in the unifying power of compelling narratives to bring people together, fostering empathy and understanding.
Following his resignation in January 2025, Trudeau, aged 54, has engaged in public speaking engagements worldwide, including appearances at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Notably, he has been romantically linked with pop star Katy Perry since stepping away from politics. Trudeau’s foray into the entertainment sector mirrors that of former U.S. President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama, who established the production company Higher Ground in 2018. Similarly, in 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, launched Archewell Productions after relinquishing their royal duties.