Kelvin Harrison Jr. will play Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Aaron Pierre will play Malcolm X, Weruche Opia will play Coretta Scott King, and Jayme Lawson will play Betty Shabazz in the fourth season of “Genius” for Disney+ and National Geographic.
This new installment of the period drama anthology series is titled “MLK/X” and will explore the formative years, pioneering accomplishments, duelling philosophies and key personal relationships of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.
King advanced racial equality through nonviolent protest, while Malcolm X argued forcefully for Black empowerment, identity and self-determination. The pair, and their formidable wives, became synonymous with the civil rights era and the fight for racial and economic justice.
Channing Godfrey Peoples has been set as the director of the pilot. The new season follows prior seasons that focused on Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso and Aretha Franklin. This will be the first season to be exclusive to the Disney+ service. Production is set to begin in Atlanta in October.
Raphael Jackson Jr. and Damione Macedon are showrunners and executive produce alongside Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Reggie Rock Bythewood, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Francie Calfo, Gigi Pritzker, Rachel Shane and Sam Sokolow.
Source: Variety
