Lawrence Hill's bestseller "Someone Knows My Name" is coming to the small screen, in a big way.
Originally published in Canada as "The Book of Negroes," the 2007 novel is being adapted into a miniseries that will air on BET in America and CBC in Canada, under its original title.
Shooting begins in South Africa in the fall. Clement Virgo ("The Wire" is writing the project, with Hill co-writing. Virgo is also directing.
The book follows the life journey of African woman Aminata Diallo, who's kidnapped by slave traders in West Africa and subsequently enslaved in South Carolina.
Diallo must navigate her way through the American Revolution in New York, the isolated refuge of Nova Scotia and the treacherous jungles of Sierra Leone before ultimately securing her freedom in England at the dawn of the 19th century.
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"Lawrence Hill has given us a gift with his novel 'The Book of Negroes' and I’m now thrilled to be able to convey the exhilaration I felt on first reading it into an exciting cinematic experience for a worldwide audience," Virgo said of the project.
The miniseries will be produced in association with CBS and BET, with Entertainment One handling the rights to the project in all media. Virgo will also serve as an executive producer, along with Damon D'Oliveira, Lance Samuels, Daniel Iron, Michael Levin, Carrie Stein of Entertainment One and Idlewild Films' Bill Niven serving as the Nova Scotia co-producer.