EPIX RELEASES TEASER TRAILER “GODFATHER OF HARLEM” SEASON 2 - PREMIERE DATE, APRIL 18

Godfather of Harlem Season 2 finds Bumpy Johnson battling the New York Crime Families for control of the lucrative and murderous “French Connection,” the pipeline for heroin that runs from Marseilles to New York Harbor. With a distribution syndicate that includes black crime bosses from other major U.S. cities, Bumpy takes a cue from his friend Malcolm X’s message of black economic nationalism. His ambitious plan will face challenges from not only the Italians but his wife Mayme, daughter Elise, rival Adam Clayton Powell, prosecutor Robert Morgenthau, and even Malcolm himself. Once again, Godfather of Harlem explores the collision of the criminal underworld and civil rights in the colorful, tumultuous year of 1964.
In addition to Oscar-winner Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland) as star and executive producer, season 2 sees the return of cast members Vincent D’Onofrio (Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Daredevil), Ilfenesh Hadera (She’s Gotta Have It, Baywatch), Nigél Thatch (Selma, American Dreams), Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad, The Mandalorian), Lucy Fry (Bright, Vampire Academy), Rafi Gavron (A Star is Born), and Antoinette Crowe-Legacy. Cast members Erik LaRay Harvey (Luke Cage) and Demi Singleton (King Richard) have been upped to series regulars.
Godfather of Harlem tells a story inspired by infamous crime boss Bumpy Johnson (Forest Whitaker), who in the early 1960s returned from eleven years in prison to find the neighborhood he once ruled in shambles. With the streets controlled by the Italian mob, Bumpy must take on the Genovese crime family to regain control. During the brutal battle, he forms an alliance with radical preacher Malcolm X – catching Malcolm’s political rise in the crosshairs of social upheaval and a mob war that threatens to tear the city apart.
ABC Signature is a global leader in the development, production and distribution of entertainment content across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms. The studio produces many of ABC Entertainment’s most significant hits, including “Grey’s Anatomy,” “black-ish,” “mixed-ish,” “American Housewife,” and “Station 19”; and co-productions “The Good Doctor,” “A Million Little Things,” ”For Life,” “The Rookie,” and late-night talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” ABC Signature’s returning and upcoming series include “Godfather of Harlem” for EPIX; Hulu’s “Dollface,” “Marvel’s Helstrom,” and co-production “Woke; “grown-ish” for Freeform; and “The Wilds” for Amazon. The Studio produced the Emmy® Award-nominated event limited series “Little Fires Everywhere” for Hulu. For streaming service Disney +, upcoming series include “The Mighty Ducks” and “Big Shot.”
EPIX^®, an MGM company, is a premium television network delivering a broad line-up of quality original series and documentaries, the latest movie releases, and classic film franchises – all available on TV, on-demand, online, and across devices. EPIX® has tripled the amount of original programming on the network and has become a destination for original premium content with series including Godfather of Harlem, starring and executive produced by Forest Whitaker; Perpetual Grace, LTD, starring Sir Ben Kingsley; spy thriller Deep State; epic fantasy drama series Britannia; War of the Worlds, from Howard Overman and starring Gabriel Byrne and Elizabeth McGovern; two-part music docuseries Laurel Canyon; docuseries Slow Burn based on the hit podcast; docuseries NFL: The Grind, from NFL Films and hosted by Rich Eisen; Belgravia, from Julian Fellowes, Gareth Neame and the creative team from Downton Abbey; six-part docuseries Helter Skelter: An American Myth, executive produced and directed by Lesley Chilcott; music docuseries By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem; six-part docuseries Enslaved featuring Hollywood icon and human rights activist Samuel L. Jackson; season two of Pennyworth, the origin story of Batman’s butler Alfred and dramedy Bridge and Tunnel, written and directed by Ed Burns; as well as upcoming premieres of drama Chapelwaite, based on the short story Jerusalem’s Lot by Stephen King and starring Academy Award winner Adrien Brody and docuseries Fiasco. Launched in October 2009, EPIX® is available nationwide through cable, telco, satellite, and emerging digital distribution platforms as well as through its EPIX NOW app, providing more movies than any other network with thousands of titles available for streaming.