Posted by | Ray Cornelius
Last June, we reported that BET had acquired the USA broadcast rights to Lawrence Hill’s award-winning best-selling novel, The Book of Negroes. The network will premiere the film as an original program based on Clement Virgo’s adaptation and features Oscar winning-actors Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Louis Gossett, Jr. First look images emerged recently courtesy of Lyriq Bent’s Twitter page and so far the movie looks like a worthy investment for BET.
As previously reported, The Book of Negroes tells the story of Aminata Diallo (Aunjanue Ellis), a West African slave who is abducted and forced to live in the United States. Somehow, Diallo forges her way to freedom and serves with the British in Revolutionary War, registering her name in the historic “Book of Negroes.” It’s a living document of slaves who requested permission to leave the US for resettlement in Nova Scotia.
Gooding, Jr. stars as Sam Fraunces, a freed slave who runs a tavern and later manages George Washington’s household. Gossett, Jr. plays Daddy Moses, a blind and crippled Methodist preacher, who leads a band of slaves to Freedom in 1776. Bent plays Chekura, who as a young boy, journeys to the US with Diallo but later reunites with her as an adult and has a child with her.
The 6-hour mini-series also stars Ben Chaplin, Allan Hawko and Jane Alexander. Filming took place in South Africa and Canada and will debut within the 2014-15 season.
Take a look at the photos below:
