Washington Black is an upcoming nine-part television series for Hulu. It is an adaptation of the book of the same name by Esi Edugyan.
Premise
The setting is Barbados and Nova Scotia in the early 1800s. An eleven year-old boy (Kingsley) is forced to flee his home on a sugar plantation in Barbados after a shocking death. He comes under the wing of Medwin Harris (Brown), who himself had a traumatic childhood as a Black refugee in Nova Scotia.[1]
Cast
Ernest Kingsley Jr. as George Washington 'Wash' Black
In March 2019 the rights for the novel were bought by 20th Television in association with Indian Meadows Productions, Anthony Hemingway Productions and The Gotham Group in a competitive situation.[2] In September 2019, it was reported that an adaptation of the novel was in development at Hulu with Sterling K. Brown attached as producer.[3] In October 2021, it was announced that Hulu had given the production a series order to a limited television adaptation of the novel consisting of nine episodes. The project will be produced by 20th Television with Sterling K. Brown and Selwyn Seyfu Hinds as executive producers.[4] Hinds is adapting the novel and showrunner for the series alongside series writer Jennifer Johnson. The directors are Wanuri Kahiu and Mo Marable.[5]
Casting
in November 2021, Ernest Kingsley Jr. was cast as title character George Washington ‘Wash’ Black, alongside Sterling K. Brown as Medwin Harris, with Iola Evans also cast as Tanna Goff.[6]
