Apple TV+ unveiled a first look Thursday at The Big Cigar, an upcoming limited drama series starring André Holland as Black Panther leader Huey P. Newton. The show traces his wild escape from the FBI to Cuba.
The Big Cigar debuts on May 17 with the first two episodes, followed by new episodes every Friday through June 14. “It’s all true,” Apple TV+ said. “Mostly.”
First look at The Big Cigar limited series coming to Apple TV+ May 17
According to Apple’s first look at The Big Cigar, it’s a six-episode drama based in strange-but-true reality. NAACP Image Award winner Janine Sherman Barrois serves as executive producer, along with Jim Hecht and Joshuah Bearman. Multi-award-winning actor, director and producer Don Cheadle directs and executive produces the first two episodes.
So the show “chronicles the story of Black Panther leader Huey P. Newton’s escape to Cuba, and is based on the monumental, eponymous magazine article of the same name.”
And if you’re unfamiliar with Newton, he was theAfrican American political activist who founded the Black Panther Party in 1966 with Bobby Seale in Oakland, California. Newton ran the group and its social programs. It ceased operations in 1982. He was murdered in 1989.
Here’s the streaming service’s description provided with the first look at The Big Cigar:
Based on the magazine article by Joshuah Bearman (Argo), who will also serve as executive producer, The Big Cigar is the incredible true story of Hollywood revolution meeting social revolution: it’s a wild caper of Black Panther founder Newton escaping from the FBI to Cuba with the assistance of famed producer Bert Schneider in an impossibly elaborate plan — involving a fake movie production — that goes wrong every way it possibly can. And somehow, it’s all true. Mostly.
André Holland leads a renowned ensemble cast including Alessandro Nivola, Tiffany Boone, P. J. Byrne, Marc Menchaca, Moses Ingram, Rebecca Dalton, Olli Haaskivi, Jordane Christie and Glynn Turman.
Barrois (Claws, The Kings of Napa) serves as the series’ showrunner. Jim Hecht (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty) wrote the first episode. The series comes from Warner Bros. Television, which has a deal with Barrois and her Folding Chair Productions company. In addition to Barrois and Hecht, Bearman, Joshua Davis and Arthur Spector (Little America) of the Epic production company serve as executive producers.
Watch The Big Cigar on Apple TV+
Now that you’ve had a first look at The Big Cigar, take note the new limited series streams starting May 17. Apple TV+ is available by subscription for $9.99 with a seven-day free trial. You can also get it via any tier of the Apple One subscription bundle. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free.
After launching in November 2019, “Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries and series have been honored with 471 wins and 2,090 award nominations and counting,” the service said.
In addition to award-winning movies and TV shows (including breakout soccer comedy Ted Lasso), Apple TV+ offers a variety of documentaries, dramas, comedies, kids shows and more.
Source: Apple TV+