Following the success of Lee Daniels‘ The Butler and Steve McQueen‘s impending 12 Years a Slave film’s Oscar buzz, ABC is looking to develop the true story of slave Paul Jennings for the small screen.
Based on Elizabeth Dowling Taylor‘s book, A Slave in the White House, ABC is adapting the life of Paul Jennings into a twelve-hour miniseries. According to Deadline, Sheldon Candis and Justin Wilson will be writing and co-executive producing the project.
This marks Candis and Wilson’s first foray into TV, as the two were behind the 2012 Sundance drama Luv, which starred Common and Michael Rainey Jr. (The Butler).
Originally published in 1865, Jennings wrote the first White House memoir titled, A Colored Man’s Reminiscences of James Madison, which recounted his dealings with our fourth American president. He lived to see his sons fight for the Union, which is certainly to make war re-enactment fans perk up.
Candis, recently hyped from the success of J. Cole‘s “Crooked Smile” video, has yet to announce casting for A Slave in the White House. But be sure we will be keeping you all up-to-date with the miniseries’ progress.
[Props: Vulture]
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Photo: Barnes and Noble
