Corey Hawkins (In the Heights) is set for a leading role alongside Lupita Nyong’o, Zackary Momoh and Uzo Aduba in HBO Max’s Americanah, the limited series based on Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s best-selling novel of the same name.
Americanah tells the epic story of Ifemelu (Nyong’o), a young, beautiful, self-assured woman raised in Nigeria, who as a teenager falls in love with her classmate Obinze (Momoh). Living in a military-ruled country, they each depart for the west, with Ifemelu heading for America, where, despite her academic success, she is forced to grapple for the first time with what it means to be black. Quiet, thoughtful Obinze had hoped to join her, but with post-9/11 America closed to him, he instead plunges into a dangerous undocumented life in London.
Hawkins will play Blaine, Ifemelu’s present-day boyfriend and Yale Professor, who is madly in love with her. Deeply passionate about social injustices, he tutors at risk youth and organizes protests for a wrongly accused black Yale security guard.
Nyong’o’s Black Panther co-star Danai Gurira wrote the pilot and will serve as showrunner on the 10-episode limited series, which hails from Plan B Entertainment, Potboiler Television and D2 Productions. Gurira executive produces with Nyong’o for Eba Productions, Plan B Entertainment, Andrea Calderwood for Potboiler Television, Didi Rea and Danielle Del for D2 Productions, Nancy Won and Erika L. Johnson.
Hawkins recently wrapped production on the feature film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony-winning musical In the Heights, which is releasing this year. He can next be seen starring in the Michael Bay feature 6 Underground and Georgetown.
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