‘Moonlight’ Writer Tarell Alvin McRaney Get’s New Original Drama Series on OWN

Photos: Luis Barrios/OWN

Continuing its commitment to creating diverse, elevated original programming from the entertainment industryโ€™s leading talent, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network today announced the ensemble cast โ€” including Emmy nominee Phylicia Rashad โ€” for its new original drama seriesย David Makes Man, the television debut of Academy Award winnerย Tarellย Alvin McCraney (Moonlight), produced by Warner Horizon Scripted Television. McCraney wrote the coming-of-age drama and will serve as executive producer alongside Mike Kelley & Melissa Loy (Revenge), Michael B. Jordanย (Creed) and Oprah Winfrey. Dee Harris-Lawrence (Shots Fired,ย Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G.) has been named showrunner and will also join the executive producerย team. Production will begin on the drama this summer in Orlando, Florida, for a 2019 premiere.

David Makes Manย centers onย a 14-year-old prodigy from the projects who is haunted by the death of his closest friend and relied on by his hardworking mother to find a way out of poverty. He must choose between the streets that raised him or the higher education that may offer him a way out. Set in South Florida, the lyrical drama, inspired by events in McCraneyโ€™s own life, explores the inherent trauma sustained in the fight for survival.

The cast ofย David Makes Manย includes:

  • Akili McDowellย (The Astronaut Wives Club)ย is set to star as David, a young teenager and former block drug dealer from a state housing project in Homestead, Florida, who rides a bus every day to attend a magnet school for academically gifted kids. Aware of the expectations and perceptions other have of him, he has become an expert chameleon whoย toggles between two distinct personas that reflect his surroundings โ€” but this exacts an emotional price.
  • Emmy nomineeย Phylicia Rashadย (Creed, The Cosby Show) stars as Dr. Woods-Trap, a respected and intimidating instructor at Davidโ€™s middle school who is one of those teachers that students remember for the rest of their lives. Her assignments are challenging but rewarding, and her students genuinely like and respect her. Though firm with David, she sees something special in him and becomes his advocate.

Rashad starred in McCraneyโ€™s playย Head of Passesย in 2017 and will appear in the upcomingย Creedย sequel starring Michael B. Jordan.

  • Nathaniel Logan McIntyreย (Magic Campย andย Barry) is set to play the role of Davidโ€™s best friend, Seren. Seren holds painful secrets, and his relationship with David has recently become fraught.
  • Broadway actorย Isaiah Johnsonย (Hamilton,ย The Color Purple) plays the role of Davidโ€™s close friend, Sky,ย prone to quiz and give David advice.
  • Ade Chike Torbertย (East Los High)ย will play Raynan, whoseย tiesย to the drug trade drive a wedge between him and David, despite Raynanโ€™s desire to connect on behalf of their mutual friend.
  • Jordan Bolgerย (Peaky Blinders) is set for the role of Shinobi, Raynanโ€™s second-in-command who, like Raynan, clashes with David.
  • Cayden K. Williamsย (Girls Trip) will play JG (Jonathan Greg), Davidโ€™s rough-and-tumble younger brother, who is more vulnerable than one might expect.
  • Travis Colesย (Liza on Demand)ย will play theย genderqueer Ms. Elijah, a longtime Homestead Village resident who watches over David when his mother is away. Ms. Elijah knows all the skeletons of Homestead Village and its residents.

Dee Harris-Lawrence most recently was co-executive producer and writer on the drama seriesย Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G., Shots Firedย andย Star.ย Before that, she served in the same capacity on series such asย Zoo, Detroit 187ย andย Saving Grace, among others. Her other writing credits includeย Any Day Now, Kevin Hill, New York Undercoverย and more.

Playwright, actor and producerย Tarellย Alvin McCraney received an Academy Award, with director Barry Jenkins, for Best Adapted Screenplay for the 2016 filmย Moonlight, which also won for Best Picture. The movie was based on McCraneyโ€™s semi-autobiographical scriptย In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue. McCraney currently serves as the chair of playwriting at the Yale School of Drama. This will be his first foray into creating a scripted drama series for television.

Page Fright producing partners Mike Kelley and Melissa Loy have worked on several notable scripted series, includingย Revenge, where they served as executive producer/showrunner, and executive producer, respectively

Michael B. Jordan has had prominent roles in critically acclaimed films includingย Fruitvale Station, Creed,ย andย Black Pantherย as well as on popular television series includingย Friday Night Lightsย andย The Wire. Last year he launched his own production company, Outlier Productions.

 

David Makes Manย is produced by Page Fright and Outlier Productions in association with Warner Horizon Scripted Television.

 

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