Former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau and his longtime chief of staff, Katie Telford, have announced the launch of a new media and entertainment production company named Hope & Hard Work. The company’s name is derived from 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 producing a variety of content, including documentaries, docuseries, television series, and feature films. The company has several projects already in progress, with one of them being “Closer by the Sea,” a TV adaptation of Perry Chafe’s popular coming-of-age novel set in Newfoundland. Additionally, they are working on adapting Toronto author Uzma Jalaluddin’s mystery novel, “Detective Aunty,” for television, where Trudeau and Telford will serve as executive producers.
Trudeau and Telford emphasized that their lineup is diverse and thoughtfully selected to provide audience-driven storytelling that resonates both nationally and internationally. They expressed a commitment to using storytelling as a tool to foster empathy and understanding in a world that can often feel divided.
Following his resignation in January 2025, Trudeau, aged 54, has been engaged in public speaking engagements worldwide, including at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where he was accompanied by his girlfriend, pop star Katy Perry, with whom he started a relationship post-resignation.
Trudeau’s foray into the entertainment industry mirrors the actions of former U.S. president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama, who launched the production company Higher Ground in 2018. Similarly, in 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, established Archewell Productions after stepping back from their royal duties.