The first look at the upcoming limited series Underground Railroad directed by Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) is here. Jenkins, who directed all nine episodes, shared a minute long teaser on Twitter Monday entitled Preamble. Showcasing stirring scene from the upcoming series, Underground Railroad is an Amazon Prime Original Series with no release date as of yet, via Indiewire.
Jenkins is an acclaimed film director and Academy Award winner who directed films including Moonlight and If Beale Street Could Talk. Both nominated for several Academy Awards, Moonlight won in 2016 for Best Picture along with Jenkins taking home the Best Adapted Screenplay Award. His previous venture into television was directing an episode of Dear White People in 2017. With Underground Railroad, he took on the task of directing the entire series.
Writing on Twitter Monday, Jenkins shared the first look at Underground Railroad while referencing the United States Constitution. He wrote “We the People,” along with the brief 60-second clip. Watch the teaser below, which features an original score by frequent collaborator, Nicholas Brittel (Moonlight) :
Underground Railroad will star Thuso Mbedu (Is’Thunzi) as the protagonist of the series, Cora. Indiewire picked up an official synopsis made by Amazon Prime which states: “The limited series chronicles young Cora’s (Mbedu) journey as she makes a desperate bid for freedom in the antebellum South. After escaping her Georgia plantation for the rumored Underground Railroad, Cora discovers no mere metaphor, but an actual railroad full of engineers and conductors, and a secret network of tracks and tunnels beneath the Southern soil.” The show will also feature actors Joel Egerton (Loving) as Ridgeway and Chase W. Dillon (The First Wives Club) as Homer.
The limited series is based on the 2017 Pulitzer Prize winning novel Underground Railroad written by Colson Whitehead, who will also serve as an executive producer. Oscar winners Adele Romanski (Never Rarely Always Sometimes) and Dede Gardner (12 Years a Slave) who previously worked with Jenkins on Moonlight will also executive produce.