Letitia Wright (Black Panther) and John Boyega (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker) have been cast in Steve McQueen’s (Widows) upcoming BBC series Small Axe. The series will revolve around London’s West Indian Community from the 1960s – 1980s.
In addition to Wright and Boyega, the series will also star Malachi Kirby (Roots), Shaun Parkes (Lost In Space), Rochenda Sandall (Line Of Duty), Alex Jennings (Victoria) and Jack Lowden (Mary Queen Of Scots).
The title of the series comes from a Jamaican proverb, “If you are the big tree, we are the small axe”, a warning for powerful figures who disenfranchise small communities, as well as the title of a Bob Marley song.
“I felt these stories needed to be shared,” said McQueen in a statement. “I wanted to relive, reevaluate and investigate the journeys that my parents and the first generation of West Indians went on to deliver me here today calling myself a black British person. What’s important about our stories is that they are local but at the same time global. I think audiences will identify with the trials, tribulations and joy of our characters as well as reflecting on the present environment in which we find ourselves. The dynamic nature of the series allows us to confront injustice in the face of adversity.”
Small Axe will premiere on BBC One next year with Amazon having picked up U.S. rights.
