Academy Award(R), Golden Globe(R) and Primetime Emmy(R) winner Louis Gossett Jr., Academy Award winner Cuba Gooding Jr., Aunjanue Ellis and Lyriq Bent will star in Conquering Lion Pictures, Out of Africa Entertainment and leading independent studio Entertainment One Television's (eOne) epic dramatic mini-series adaptation of The Book of Negroes, based on the Commonwealth Writers' Prize-winning novel by Lawrence Hill (published in the US, Australia and New Zealand as Someone Knows My Name).
Ben Chaplin and Allan Hawco will also join the star-studded cast along with Academy Award and Golden Globe nominee and
Primetime Emmy Award winner Jane Alexander. Principal photography begins this week in South Africa, kicking off Black History Month, and continues in
NOVA Scotia this spring. The show is slated to air on CBC in Canada and
BET Networks in the US.
The mini-series is co-written by multiple-award winning filmmaker Clement Virgo (The Wire, POOR BOY'S GAME) and by novelist Lawrence Hill. Clement Virgo will direct.
Selected by The Oprah Magazine as a 2010 top Summer Read with close to a million copies sold worldwide, The Book of Negroes depicts the extraordinary life journey of Aminata Diallo - an indomitable African woman who cuts a swath through a world that is predisposed to underestimate her. Kidnapped by slave traders in West
Africa and subsequently enslaved in South Carolina, Aminata must navigate her way through the American Revolution in New York, the isolated refuge of
NOVA Scotia and the treacherous jungles of Sierra Leone, before ultimately securing her freedom in England at the dawn of the 19th century.
"The Book of Negroes is a deeply inspirational, triumphant story that needs to be told, and we are proud to be part of a project that has the ability and pedigree to attract a cast as exceptional as Lou, Cuba, Aunjanue, Lyriq, Ben, Allan and Jane," said Carrie Stein, EVP Global Production, eOne Television.
"We are thrilled to join forces with the CBC, eOne and the talented cast and creative team for this special project. Aminata and her journey symbolize the indomitable spirit of so many of our ancestors who not only survived the horrible institution of slavery, but also prevailed under trying circumstances. It is that legacy that we hope will continue to inspire our young people today." said Loretha Jones, President of Original Programming,
BET Networks.
Gossett Jr. has built an acclaimed career over the past decades. His credits include such classics as A RAISIN IN THE SUN and AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN and more recently, WHY DID I GET MARRIED TOO?, TAKING WOODSTOCK and the television series Boardwalk Empire.
Gooding Jr.'s credits include JERRY MAGUIRE, A FEW GOOD MEN and AS GOOD AS IT GETS, and more recently, LEE DANIELS' THE BUTLER, DON JON, MACHETE KILLS and upcoming film CARRY ME HOME.
Ellis' credits include Academy Award winning films RAY and THE HELP, as well as the hit television show The Mentalist. Ellis and Gooding Jr. will also reunite on screen together for the first time since HBO's GIFTED HANDS: THE BEN CARSON STORY, and have acted opposite each other in MEN OF HONOR.
Bent's credits include eOne's television series Rookie Blue, HOME AGAIN and three chapters of the SAW horror feature film series.
Chaplin's credits include THE THIN RED LINE, MURDER BY NUMBERS, and more recently, Francis Ford Coppola's TWIXT and upcoming Disney live-action film CINDERELLA.
Hawco is the co-creator, executive producer, head writer, and star of the CBC hit television series Republic of Doyle. His credits also include H2O and The Trojan Horse.
Alexander has a wealth of esteemed credits to her name including KRAMER VS. KRAMER and THE CIDER HOUSE RULES, and more recently, TERMINATOR SALVATION and hit television series The Blacklist.
Gossett Jr. is represented by Michael Mann Management. Gooding Jr. and Ellis are represented by ICM Partners. Ellis is also represented by TMT Entertainment Group. Bent is represented by The Associates Talent & Literary Management Inc. Chaplin is represented by UTA and Independent Talent Group in the UK. Hawco is represented by Garry Goddard Agency. Alexander is represented by WME and Barking Dog Entertainment.
The Book of Negroes is an official Canada-South
Africa co-production, executive produced by Damon D'Oliveira (WHAT WE HAVE, LIE WITH ME) and Clement Virgo from Conquering Lion Pictures; Lance Samuels (INESCAPABLE, Bang Bang Club) from Out of
Africa Entertainment; Bill Niven (Marion Bridge) of Idlewild Films; and eOne's Carrie Stein (Coco Chanel, Burn Up, Diamonds) and Margaret O'Brien (Bitten, Rookie Blue). Other executive producers include Daniel Iron (Cairo Time, Away From Her) and Michael Levine (The Republic of Doyle).
The Book of Negroes is produced with the financial participation of the Canada Media Fund, Shaw Rocket Fund, Film and Creative Industries
NOVA Scotia through the Equity Investment Program, Film and Creative Industries
NOVA Scotia through The Eastlink Independent Production Fund, and with the participation of Cogeco Production Program. The series is produced with the assistance of the
NOVA Scotia Film Industry Tax Credit and the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit. eOne handles the worldwide rights to the mini-series in all media. The Book of Negroes will be produced in association with Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Black Entertainment Television.
About
BET Networks
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary
BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and sub-Saharan Africa.
BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; CENTRIC, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the 25- to 54-year-old African-American audience;
BET Digital Networks -
BET Gospel and
BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes;
BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand;
BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe;
BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and
BET International, which operates
BET in the United Kingdom and oversees the extension of
BET network programming for global distribution.
About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada's national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. The Corporation is a leader in reaching Canadians on new platforms and delivers a comprehensive range of radio, television, internet, and satellite-based services. Deeply rooted in the regions, CBC/Radio-Canada is the only domestic broadcaster to offer diverse regional and cultural perspectives in English, French and eight Aboriginal languages.
About Entertainment One
Entertainment One Ltd. (LSE:ETO) is a leading international entertainment company that specializes in the acquisition, production and distribution of film and television content. The company's comprehensive network extends around the globe including Canada, the U.S., the UK, Ireland, Spain, Benelux, France, Germany, Scandinavia, Australia, New Zealand, South
Africa and South Korea. Through established Entertainment and Distribution divisions, the company provides extensive expertise in film distribution, television and music production, family programming and merchandising and licensing. Its current rights library is exploited across all media formats and includes more than 35,000 film and television titles, 2,800 hours of television programming and 45,000 music tracks. http://www.entertainmentonegroup.com Twitter: @eOne_TV
