Hulu has officially set the premiere date for its highly anticipated limited series Washington Black and dropped the first look photos via Entertainment Weekly.. The nine-episode drama will debut on July 23, bringing to screen a powerful tale of survival, freedom, and self-discovery, adapted from the award-winning novel by Esi Edugyan.
Set in the 19th century, Washington Black follows the epic coming-of-age journey of George Washington “Wash” Black, a young boy who escapes a Barbados sugar plantation and sets off on a globe-spanning adventure that challenges the world’s expectations of who he is — and who he could become.
The cast is led by Ernest Kingsley Jr. as the older Wash, with Eddie Karanja portraying his younger self. Sterling K. Brown stars as Medwin Harris, a self-made leader in Black Halifax who becomes Wash’s protector and mentor. Tom Ellis plays Christopher “Titch” Wilde, a steam-punk inventor whose unexpected bond with Wash sets their journey in motion. Rounding out the main cast are Iola Evans, Edward Bluemel, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Billy Boyd, Charles Dance, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Shaunette Renée Wilson, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, and Rupert Graves.
Told across two timelines, the series explores Wash’s early escape and his later experiences as a free man navigating love, legacy, and the dangers that still follow him. In Halifax, he falls in love with Tanna Goff (Evans), a British woman with a secret of her own, sparking a romance that defies social expectations — and puts them both in the crosshairs of those determined to keep the past alive.
Behind the scenes, the show is written and executive produced by Selwyn Seyfu Hinds (The Twilight Zone), with Sterling K. Brown, Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Jeremy Bell, Lindsay Williams, DJ Goldberg, Anthony Hemingway, and Jennifer Johnson also serving as executive producers. Edugyan, who authored the original novel, is credited as a co-producer.
Washington Black was produced by 20th Television and will stream as a Hulu Original in the U.S., with international distribution set for Disney+ and Star+.
A full cast and character breakdown is available here.
