Corey Hawkins of In The Heights, Straight Outta Compton and BlacKkKlansman will join Lupita Nyong’o on HBO Max’s Americanah series. Hawkins will also share screen time with other members of the cast such as Zackary Momoh of Harriet and Uzo Aduba of Orange Is The New Black.
The series, Americanah, is inspired by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s novel of the same. The ten-episode limited series will follow the story of a young woman named Ifemelu, who is raised in Nigeria. During her childhood, she falls in love with a young man named Obinze, played by Momoh. As they grow older, they each depart for the west. Ifemelu departs for America, while Obinze lands in London. While in America, Ifemelu grapples with race and American racism for the first time.
Americanah‘s newest edition, Hawkins, will play the role of Blaine. Blaine, Ifemelu’s American boyfriend, is a Yale professor who cares deeply about his community and tutors youth in the area. He also makes waves when he organizes a large protest for Yale security guard who is wrongly accused of a crime he did not commit.
Americanah doesn’t have a release date yet. HBO Max is expected to launch this spring.
