Sterling K. Brown is deepening his roots at Hulu. After starring in the iconic ABC series “This Is Us” (and later reteaming with creator Dan Fogelman for “Paradise”), the Emmy winner and Oscar nominee is back at the streamer with the novel adaptation of “Washington Black.”
Brown stars in and executive produces the series based on Esi Edugyan’s bestselling novel of the same name about a young boy who leaves a plantation in the 1800s and embarks on an adventure around the world. The official synopsis reads: “‘Washington Black’ follows the 19th-century odyssey of George Washington ‘Wash’ Black, an eleven-year-old boy (Ernest Kingsley Jr.) born on a Barbados sugar plantation, whose prodigious scientific mind sets him on a path of unexpected destiny. When a harrowing incident forces Wash to flee, he is thrust into a globe-spanning adventure that challenges and reshapes his understanding of family, freedom, and love. As he navigates uncharted lands and impossible odds, Wash finds the courage to imagine a future beyond the confines of the society he was born into.”
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Rupert Graves, Iola Evans, Edward Bluemel, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Eddie Karanja, and Tom Ellis co-star alongside Brown. The project was announced in 2021.
“Washington Black” is produced by 20th Television Production in association with Indian Meadows Productions and The Gotham Group. Along with Brown, Selwyn Seyfu Hinds, Kimberly Ann Harrison, Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Wanuri Kahiu, Mo Marable, Rob Seidenglanz, Jeremy Bell, Lindsay Williams, D.J. Goldberg, Jennifer Johnson, and Anthony Hemingway also executive produce. Esi Edugyan is co-producer.
Hinds and Harrison are the showrunners for the series, which is among IndieWire’s most anticipated series of the season. IndieWire’s Proma Khosla wrote that “Washington Black” is the top pick for Hulu debuts this July.
Brown previously told IndieWire’s Anne Thompson he selects his roles based on which speak to him. “[I want to] keep surprising people as much as I possibly can,” he said. “I enjoy making people feel. […] I will go where the story is, where the best story is told, with wonderful creative partnerships. I’m happy to be in a place where I have choice. That’s a rarity in this business.”
“Washington Black” premieres July 23 on Hulu. Check out the trailer below.
