EPIX Orders Drama ‘Godfather of Harlem’

EPIX has given a straight-to-series order for the ABC Signature Studios produced drama, “Godfather of Harlem.” Written and executive produced by Chris Brancato and Paul Eckstein, the 1-episode series will star Oscar winner Forest Whitaker who will also executive produce through his company Significant Productions.  Production will begin later this year with an eye towards a 2019 premiere on EPIX.
 
The logline: “Godfather of Harlem” tells the true story of infamous crime boss Bumpy Johnson (Whitaker), who in the early 1960s returned from ten years in prison to find the neighborhood he once ruled in shambles. With the streets controlled by the Italian mob, Bumpy must take on the Genovese crime family to regain control. During the brutal battle, he forms an alliance with radical preacher Malcolm X – catching Malcolm’s political rise in the cross-hairs of social upheaval and a mob war that threatens to tear the city apart. “Godfather of Harlem” is a collision of the criminal underworld and the civil rights movement during one of the most tumultuous times in American history.