Just yesterday, it was reported that Oscar-nominated filmmaker Steve McQueen was finally making the jump into the TV realm with his six-episode anthology series “Small Axe.” And as if that wasn’t exciting enough, now we know the first names that will be starring in the period drama.
According to Variety, the cast of “Small Axe” will be led by John Boyega and Letitia Wright. The British actors are two of the biggest names in Hollywood right now, thanks to their star turns in major, billion-dollar blockbusters.
Boyega is probably best known for his work in the recent “Star Wars” revival at Lucasfilm, which will end later this year. If you’d like to see him do some work outside of the galaxy far, far away, he broke out thanks to the underrated role in “Attack the Block.”
READ MORE: Filmmaker Steve McQueen To Direct Anthology Series ‘Small Axe’ Coming To BBC & Amazon
Wright is also the beneficiary of a scene-stealing role in a major franchise. The actress exploded on the scene last year thanks to her role as Shuri in “Black Panther.” She then followed that up with two appearances in the following ‘Avengers’ films, which both made over $2 billion worldwide. However, if you’re not someone that follows the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you may have seen Wright in her appearance on “Black Mirror.”
“Small Axe” tells the story of London’s West Indian community and the troubles that were faced during the 1960s. The six-episode series will consist of five separate stories, with the first two episodes comprising one two-hour story.
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“I felt these stories needed to be shared,” said McQueen. “I wanted to relive, reevaluate and investigate the journeys that my parents and the first generation of West Indians went on to deliver me here today calling myself a Black British person. What’s important about our stories is that they are local but at the same time global.”
He continued, “I think audiences will identify with the trials, tribulations and joy of our characters as well as reflecting on the present environment in which we find ourselves. The dynamic nature of the series allows us to confront injustice in the face of adversity.”
Other actors announced as starring in the upcoming anthology series include Malachi Kirby, Shaun Parkes, Rochenda Sandall, Alex Jennings, and Jack Lowden.
No release date has been set, but “Small Axe” will be released in the UK thanks to the BBC and in the US courtesy of Amazon Prime Video.