It seems like only yesterday we were introduced to Yahya Abdul-Mateen II through his roles in The Get Down and Aquaman and we saw the impactful artistic vision of Blitz Bazawule via his feature film The Burial of Kojo. Now, the two are making waves and having an awesome glow up.
Abdul-Mateen won an Emmy for his role in Watchmen, starred in Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial of the Chicago 7 and appeared in Jordan Peele’s Us. He also stars in the forthcoming Candyman revival and is set for the Mad Max prequel Furiosa. Meanwhile, Bazawule directed Black is King for Queen Beyonce and will direct the feature adaptation of The Color Purple musical.
We love to see all of this.
The two kings are set to work together on the adaptation of Bazawule’s upcoming novel The Scent of Burnt Flowers. Bazawule will direct the six-episode limited series while Abdul-Mateen will star and serve as executive producer. The series comes from Charles D. King’s Macro Television Studios and Bazawule’s production banner Inward Gaze.
Mermaids, military coups and love triangles are the fantastical elements that make up the ambitious geopolitical fugitive thriller — and if you have seen The Burial of Kojo you know that Bazawule is going to turn it out. The show intertwines the dark chapters of history with a magical realist lens, elevating the story to an otherworldly experience. Set in the 1960’s where the Civil Rights struggle in America and the independence movement in Africa have reached their zenith, the story follows Melvin and Bernadette, an African American couple on the run, and the charismatic Ghanaian musician, Kwesi, played by Abdul-Mateen, whom they lean on to preserve their freedom.
King (Judas and the Black Messiah), Marta Fernandez (Raising Dion) and Ahmadou Seck (Cobra Kai) executive produce for Macro Television Studios, along with Abdul-Mateen II; and Gabriel Mena and Natalia Williams of M88.
