Justin Trudeau traded political headlines for Hollywood ambitions with a new film and television company. The former Canadian prime minister launched the venture while his romance with Katy Perry continued drawing attention.
Trudeau and former chief of staff Katie Telford introduced Hope & Hard Work at the Toronto International Film Festival. The company planned scripted and unscripted projects built around Canadian stories for audiences worldwide.
Justin Trudeau launches film and TV production company Hope & Hard Work as his romance with Katy Perry continues
As per The Hollywood Reporter, Hope & Hard Work would span film, television, audio and live experiences. Trudeau and Telford said storytelling could help people connect during increasingly divided times. They also highlighted “kindness, optimism, openness” and belief in one another as guiding values.
The company already had several projects moving forward. Closer by Sea, based on Perry Chafe’s novel, stood among its scripted projects. Detective Aunty, based on Uzma Jalaluddin’s book, also landed on the slate. Neshama Entertainment would produce that series, with Trudeau and Telford executive producing.
Deadline described the venture as a “multidisciplinary media and entertainment enterprise.” Its broader slate included Le Collège, set at a prestigious Montreal private school. Power Moves followed a political adviser whose rivalry with a journalist became romantic. Backchannels explored the secretive world surrounding powerful leaders and their chiefs of staff.
Hope & Hard Work also partnered with Earth Tones, run by Aliya Jasmine and Aliza Sovani. The partnership would lead documentaries and docuseries through the company’s unscripted division. Trudeau and Telford said their projects aimed to encourage empathy and understanding across different perspectives.
Meanwhile, Perry kept her own entertainment projects moving. She premiered Katy Perry: The Lifetimes Tour – Live from Paris at the Tribeca Festival. Paul Dugdale directed the concert film, which documented her tour supporting the album 143.
Trudeau and Perry had also appeared together more often on red carpets and social media. Romance rumors first surfaced in July 2025, adding celebrity intrigue to Trudeau’s unexpected Hollywood pivot. Hope & Hard Work and its principals were represented by 3 Arts Entertainment.
