When Hulu’s new series Washington Black premieres next month, viewers will witness not just a tale of freedom and self-discovery, but also the creative vision of Kenyan filmmaker Wanuri Kahiu, who co-directs this sweeping historical adventure alongside Sterling K. Brown.
The eight-episode limited series, based on Esi Edugyan’s acclaimed novel, follows the extraordinary journey of George Washington “Wash” Black, an eleven-year-old boy with a brilliant scientific mind who escapes slavery on a 19th-century Barbados sugar plantation.
What begins as a desperate flight for survival turns into a globe-spanning odyssey of discovery, love, and the relentless pursuit of freedom.
For Kahiu, who is known internationally for her progressive film Rafiki (which was banned in Kenya), Washington Black will be a major Hollywood milestone. The director, whose previous work tackled themes of identity and belonging within African contexts, will bring her unique perspective to this story of struggle and resilience.
This series will be her second major Hollywood project following Netflix’s Look Both Ways, but arguably her most ambitious undertaking yet.
Washington Black boasts an ensemble cast led by Ernest Kingsley Jr. as the adult Wash, with young Eddie Karanja (who you might know from Netflix’s The Sandman) portraying his childhood self.
Emmy winner Sterling K. Brown, who also serves as executive producer, plays Medwin Harris, a self-made community leader in Halifax, Nova Scotia, who becomes an important mentor figure in Wash’s journey.
The cast is rounded out by Tom Ellis as Titch, the plantation owner’s scientist brother who first recognizes Wash’s potential, alongside veteran actors Charles Dance, Edward Bluemel, and Shaunette Renée Wilson.
Washington Black comes at a pivotal moment in Kahiu’s career. The director has several high-profile projects in development, including a film adaptation of The Thing About Jellyfish starring Millie Bobby Brown, an Amazon series based on Octavia Butler’s Wild Seed, and a Disney adaptation of the musical Once on This Island.
Hulu’s upcoming series also represents remarkable progress in terms of representation both behind and in front of the camera. With Wanuri Kahiu co-directing and Brown serving as both star and executive producer, Washington Black places African and African diaspora voices at the center of its creative vision.
Washington Black will premiere on Hulu on July 23.
