Karine Jean-Pierre is producing a thriller about dangerous secrets and power

Former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre is entering the movie business with a thriller about wealth, power, and the secrets people keep to protect both.

Jean-Pierre has signed on to produce Terroir, which follows a migrant farmworker and a disgraced wine critic drawn into the dangerous world of a prestigious family vineyard. For the Black lesbian immigrant who broke barriers as President Joe Biden’s chief spokesperson, the project adds filmmaking to a public career that has since included a memoir and a break with the Democratic Party.

The project, announced Thursday and still in development, was written by Jesse Harris, who will also direct. His previous thriller, Borrego, starred Lucy Hale. Production is targeted for spring 2027.

Jean-Pierre sees a connection between the work ahead and her job at the White House.

Related: Karine Jean-Pierre on misinformation, the White House, and making queer history (exclusive)

“People may see politics and filmmaking as completely different worlds, but I actually see a lot of overlap,” she told The Advocate exclusively. “The biggest difference is that behind the White House podium, you’re responding to events in real time and communicating under intense pressure. Filmmaking is a longer creative process.”

“But at their core, both are about storytelling, bringing people together around an idea, and connecting with an audience in a meaningful way.”

Jean-Pierre served as press secretary for more than two years and eight months, from May 2022 through the end of Biden’s presidency in January 2025 — longer than her two immediate successors combined. Karoline Leavitt served about 19 months under President Donald Trump before leaving in August to spend more time with her children. Leavitt’s replacement, Katie Zacharia, was removed in October after only five days.

Born in Martinique to Haitian parents, Jean-Pierre immigrated to the United States as a child and grew up in New York City. She became the first Black person and first out LGBTQ+ person to serve as White House press secretary. She brought identities long excluded from that position to one of the government’s most visible jobs.

In Terroir, a charismatic winemaker is determined to preserve his family’s legacy. The farmworker and wine critic uncover disturbing secrets, but people intent on keeping the truth buried try to stop them, according to the announcement.

The filmmakers describe the project as combining psychological suspense with folk horror to examine wealth, power and privilege. Jean-Pierre said its focus on whose experiences are recognized helped draw her to it.

Related: Karine Jean-Pierre explains why her new memoir, Independent, is a manifesto for a fractured democracy

“As someone who has spent much of my career working to ensure that people feel seen, heard, and represented, TERROIR resonated with me immediately,” she said in the announcement.

She added, “Jesse has created a compelling thriller that not only keeps audiences engaged, but also explores larger questions about power, opportunity, and whose stories are centered in our culture.”

The move follows her 2025 memoir, Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines.

In an interview with The Advocate about the book last October, Jean-Pierre discussed leaving the Democratic Party and criticized its leadership’s treatment of Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris. She also challenged Democrats who had retreated from defending transgender people, arguing that protecting vulnerable communities should remain central to the party’s purpose.

“The Democratic Party needs to be fighting for all vulnerable communities. Period. Full stop,” she told The Advocate at the time.

Harris said Jean-Pierre’s experience communicating ideas would be an asset to the production.

“Karine has an extraordinary ability to communicate big ideas and bring people together around them, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have her on board,” he said in the announcement.

“Stories have the power to spark conversation, deepen understanding, and challenge us to see the world from a different perspective,” Jean-Pierre said in the announcement. “That’s what makes this project so exciting, and I’m proud to help bring it to audiences.”