The long-gestating remake of the landmark Roots miniseries finally has a premiere date — and a trailer.
The new Roots, which, like the 1977 miniseries, is based on Alex Haley's book Roots: The Saga of an American Family, will air four two-hour-long episodes starting at 9 p.m. on consecutive nights, from May 30 to June 2, on History, A+E, and Lifetime. Yes, three channels airing the same thing at the same time. This is an event.
It's starring some big names, too: Forest Whitaker, Laurence Fishburne, T.I., Mekhi Phifer, Anna Paquin, Jonathan Rhy Meyers, and Matthew Goode, among others. Malachi Kirby, a newcomer to American entertainment (though he's done plenty in his native England), will play Kunta Kinte.
The original Kunta Kinte, LeVar Burton, is co-executive producing the series, and Mark Wolper, whose father, David, produced the original, is also an executive producer.
The first trailer was released to accompany the announcement, and it is, as you might expect, both beautifully shot and brutal.