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Apple TV Adapts Whitehead's Harlem Trilogy
31 Jul
Summary
- Apple TV is developing a series based on Colson Whitehead's Harlem trilogy.
- The trilogy spans the 1950s through the 1980s in New York City.
- Barry Jenkins and Graham Yost are among the executive producers.
Apple TV has acquired the rights to Colson Whitehead's celebrated "Harlem" trilogy, with a new series adaptation now in early development. The project will bring Whitehead's crime novels, which explore Harlem's evolution from the 1950s to the 1980s, to the small screen.
The series is based on "Harlem Shuffle" (2021), "Crook Manifesto" (2023), and the recently released "Cool Machine" (2026-07-21). These novels chronicle the life of Ray Carney, a furniture salesman entangled in Harlem's underworld.
Esteemed talents are behind the adaptation, including executive producers Barry Jenkins, Graham Yost, Aric Avelino, Adele Romanski, Mark Ceryak, Melissa Bernstein, and Colson Whitehead himself. Their combined experience promises a rich and nuanced portrayal of the books' themes.
Whitehead's literary success, including two Pulitzer Prizes, has previously led to screen adaptations like "The Underground Railroad" and the Oscar-nominated film "The Nickel Boys."
