Today it has been announced that Apple TV+ and Warner Bros. Television are teaming up to createThe Big Cigar, a limited series that will tell the true story of Black Panther leaderHuey P. Newton’s escape to Cuba.MoonlightstarAndré Hollandis currently in talks to star.
The Big Cigarwill “tells the extraordinary, hilarious, almost-too-good-to-be-true story” of Newton’s escape to Cuba with help from Hollywood producerBert Schnider, as the FBI leads a nationwide manhunt to catch him. The series is set to be executive produced byJanine Sherman Barrois, an NAACP Image Award-winner who has previously worked on shows likeCriminal MindsandThe Kings of Napa,and who will also be serving as showrunner. Additionally,Don Cheadleis set to direct and executive produce the first two episodes of the six-episode limited series. Cheadle has previously directed episodes of his seriesHouse of Lies.
Holland is in talks to play Newton in the series. This will actually not be Holland’s first turn playing a historical figure in the center of the civil rights movement, as theMoonlightstar previously appeared in 2014’sSelmaas Andrew Young. Holland’s other roles includeAmerican Horror Story,The Knick, andThe Eddy.
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The series has been written byJim Hechtbased on renowned journalistJoshuah Bearman’s 2013 Playboy article “The Big Cigar: How a Hollywood producer smuggled Huey Newton to Cuba.” Hecht’s previous writing credits include the HBOMax seriesWinning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, about the Showtime Era of the Los Angeles Lakers. Bearman is a journalist who has written for such publications as Rolling Stone and The New York Times and his 2007 article for Wired served as the basis for the 2013 Academy Award Best Picture winnerArgo.
The Big Cigaris being produced in part by Sherman Barrois’ Folding Chair Production, which has an overall deal with Warner Bros. Television. The series will be executive produced by Sherman Barrois and Hecht with Bearman,Joshua Davis, andArthur Spectoralso executive producing by way of their production company Epic.
This limited series is just the latest collaboration between Apple TV+ and Warner Bros. Television. The pair currently work together on the highly acclaimed comedyTed Lasso. They also recentlyannounced a collaboration that will seeHarrison Fordstarring in the seriesShrinkingfromJason SegelandTed Lasso’sBill LawrenceandBrett Goldstein. The series will also be the second collaboration between Bearman’s production company Epic and Apple TV+ as they recently worked together on the BAFTA-nominated comedy-dramaLittle Americafrom Bearman, Spector,Kumail Nanjiani,Emily V. Gordon, andLee Eisenberg
Stay tuned to Collider for any future updates on this limited series.
