Having already made its way to the stage, Ta-Nehisi Coates’ seminal memoir “Between the World and Me” is coming to the small screen. HBO has announced a special based on the book and its stage show is in the works, with Apollo Theater Executive Producer Kamilah Forbes directing.
Published in 2015, “Between the World and Me” is written as a letter to Coates’ teenage son. The best-seller “recounts the author’s experiences growing up in Baltimore’s inner city and his growing fear of daily violence against the Black community,” per a press release from HBO. “The narrative explores Coates’ bold notion that American society structurally supports white supremacy.”
Forbes developed and directed a stage production of “Between the World and Me,” which opened for a limited engagement at the Apollo Theater and Kennedy Center in 2018. Encore performances ran at the Apollo and in Atlanta last year.
The HBO special will feature portions of the stage version, including readings from the book, as well as documentary footage of the actors, archival footage, and animation. Set to air this fall, the “Between the World and Me” special will be produced following COVID-19 guidelines.
Forbes and Coates are executive producing. “This Is Us'” Susan Kelechi Watson, who participated in the staged version at the Apollo and Kennedy Center, will also exec produce.
“I’ve been working with Kamilah for almost as long as I’ve been a writer,” Coates said. “I can think of no one better to put ‘Between the World and Me’ on screen and no better home for it than HBO.”
“As people across our country continue to speak out about violent, systemic racism and the urgent need for tangible change, Ta-Nehisi’s words resonate as strongly today as they did five years ago,” Forbes stated. “I’m excited to collaborate again with both Ta-Nehisi and HBO on this important special event, ensuring that the powerful voices in this work and the cry for justice from the Black community continue to reach a broader audience.”
“What’s Going On,” “One Mic,” and “Nas’ 20 Year Anniversary of Illmatic” are among the stage productions Forbes has produced. She wrote and directed Hop Theatre Junction’s premier work “Rhyme Deferred,” and co-exec-produced HBO docuseries “Brave New Voices.” Her many accolades include a Peabody, a Tony Award, and an NAACP Image Award.
Forbes, a close friend of Coates, features in the book “Between the World and Me” and is referred to as “Aunt Kamilah.” The two met while attending Howard University. Watson is a Howard alumna as well.
Coates has also penned books such as “The Beautiful Struggle,” “We Were Eight Years in Power,” and “The Water Dancer.” The MacArthur Fellow is the current author of Marvel’s “The Black Panther” and “Captain America” comics.
