FOX Bringing Back the Cotton Club on TV
The Harlem Renaissance is one of the most fascinating times in African-American history. The music, poetry and literature is so timeless you can hear its influence in today’s most creative artists.
FOX has decided to tap into that creativity with a Cotton Club series. The legendary club was the place to see and be seen at the time.
In the same vein of its hit Empire, the story will revolve around the lives of the Black performers and the White gangsters in charge.
The show is being produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, producers of the films Chicago and Hairspray, as well as NBC’s live musicals. Former Empire co-executive producer Ayanna Floyd will write the script and act as showrunner, while acclaimed musical director Kenny Leon will also produce and direct.
To make sure the music is just as strong a character as the setting and cast, L.A. Reid, in addition to serving as an executive producer, will be executive music supervisor.
If done right, FOX could finally have the Empire companion its desperately been searching for. The trick will be making classic songs sound modern and finding the right artists to perform them.
So let’s start casting. Who do you want to see in the Cotton Club?
By the way Zadan and Meron have worked with Queen Latifah in several of their musicals, so she’s pretty much guaranteed a role.
Source: Deadline
