Bumpy Johnson is back, and he’s ready to reclaim his territory in the Season 3 of “Godfather of Harlem.” In an exclusive clip and two exclusive photos, Johnson weighs his options as he sets his sights on new opportunities. Season 3 is set to premiere Jan. 15, 2023, on MGM+.
“If I go south of 110th St., I gotta smile, bow and and scrape. If I assert myself to a white man in a way that he doesn’t like, I get billy clubbed and I get put in jail. But, up here, it’s different. I get respect. I call the shots. Me, and me alone,” says Johnson, who is played by Academy Award-winning actor Forest Whitaker, in an exclusive clip.
In each shot of the teaser, viewers get a glance of Johnson’s next business deals and business partners, and the harsh realities and the Black community faced during the civil rights movement in the 1960s.
But, if there’s any confusion about who’s running Harlem, Johnson clears it up. “One thing to remember: Harlem, it’s mine,” says Johnson in the last few seconds of the clip.
See the two exclusive photos below.
“Godfather of Harlem tells a story inspired by infamous crime boss Bumpy Johnson, who in the early 1960s returned from eleven years in prison to find the neighborhood he once ruled in shambles,” reads a description of the series and upcoming season. “Season Three will find Bumpy Johnson continuing to battle for control of Harlem, with other aspirants to the throne, namely the Cuban Mafia from neighboring Spanish Harlem. Taking on the Cuban mob will put Bumpy, his loved ones, and his community in the crosshairs of not only the rival Italians, but ruthless Latin assassins and, ultimately, the CIA. Godfather of Harlem is a collision of the criminal underworld and the civil rights movement during one of the most tumultuous times in American history.”
The drama series, which was renewed for a third season in January of this year, stars Whitaker, Ilfenesh Hadera, as Mayme Johnson; Antoinette Crowe-Legacy, as Elise Johnson; Vincent D’Onofrio as Vincent Gigante and more. Jason Alan Carvell joins the cast, replacing Nigél Thatch as Malcolm X. Michael Raymond-James, who will play Joe Columbo was also welcomed as a newcomer to the cast.
The ABC Signature production comes from creators Chris Brancato and Paul Eckstein, who are also producers for the show. Other producers include Whitaker, Nina Yang Bongiovi, James Acheson, Markuann Smith and Joe Chappelle. Swizz Beatz is executive music producer. MGM+ will launch the same day as the show’s premiere.