Bumpy Johnson’s story is getting the ending it deserves. MGM+ has ordered a two-hour series finale for Godfather of Harlem, the crime drama starring Forest Whitaker as the legendary 1960s Harlem gangster, closing the book on a run that helped define the network’s identity. Production gets underway July 10 at the show’s Brooklyn set.
In the finale, Bumpy faces the ultimate reckoning as enemies converge from every direction, political, criminal, and personal, forcing him to draw on every alliance, every sacrifice, and every hard lesson earned across the run of the series to protect what he has built and the people he loves.
Whitaker is joined by returning cast members Ilfenesh Hadera, Antoinette Crowe-Legacy, Erik LaRay Harvey, and Rome Flynn, among others. Guest star casting will be announced at a later date.
“Playing Bumpy Johnson has been one of the greatest experiences of my career,” Whitaker said. “This character, this story, and this ensemble have allowed me to explore the complexity of a man caught between ambition, loyalty, and survival. I’m grateful to Michael Wright and MGM+, Chris Brancato, 20th Television, Amazon, the entire creative team, and our extraordinary cast for five seasons of exceptional collaboration.”
Created by Chris Brancato and Paul Eckstein, Godfather of Harlem has been a flagship series for MGM+ since its days on predecessor network Epix, where it quickly became the channel’s signature drama. Its third season was used to launch the network’s rebrand to MGM+ on January 15, 2023.
“Forest Whitaker’s portrayal of Bumpy Johnson has been nothing short of extraordinary, and this series has been a defining jewel of MGM+’s original programming slate,” said Michael Wright, global head of MGM+. “We are deeply proud to give Godfather of Harlem the sendoff it deserves, a two-hour finale that honors the ambition, craft, and emotional power the creative team and cast have brought to this series from day one.”
Brancato is also launching his third MGM+ series, The Westies, on July 12, which follows the Irish-American organized mob during the construction of the Jacob Javits Convention Center on their Hell’s Kitchen home turf.
Godfather of Harlem is produced by 20th Television and executive produced by Brancato, Michael Panes, Whitaker, Nina Yang Bongiovi, James Acheson, and Markuann Smith, with Swizz Beatz serving as executive music producer.