The Amazon MGM Studios series adaptation of Sunny Hostin’s Summer on the Bluffs is moving forward, with Norman Vance Jr. officially coming on board as showrunner. The project remains in development.
Based on Hostin’s 2021 novel, the series is set in the historically Black beach community of Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard and centers on three godsisters—Perry, Olivia, and Billie—and their powerful, enigmatic godmother, Amelia “Ama” Vaux Tanner.
Once dubbed “The Witch of Wall Street” as one of the first Black women on the stock exchange, Ama built a remarkable life alongside a prominent civil rights attorney and established her dream home, Chateau Laveau, on the bluffs. As she prepares to pass the house down, long-buried secrets resurface, forcing each woman to confront why Ama entered their lives—and which of them will inherit her legacy.
Vance will executive produce the series alongside Sunny Hostin and Regina Jansen under Sunny Hostin Productions. 20th Television is also executive producing, with Amazon MGM Studios producing the series.
When the project was first revealed, Summer on the Bluffs was described as being in early development with Elizabeth Hunter attached to adapt and serve as showrunner. That creative role has since shifted, with Vance now leading the series.
Notably, Octavia Spencer, who was previously attached as an executive producer through Orit Entertainment when the project was first announced, is no longer involved.
Vance previously created the Disney Channel series Saturdays and most recently worked as a consulting producer on Netflix’s Forever, the Judy Blume adaptation developed by Mara Brock Akil. His additional credits include Swagger, Our Kind of People, Queen Sugar, and American Soul.
Summer on the Bluffs is the first book in Hostin’s trilogy, followed by Summer on Sag Harbor, a New York Times bestseller, and Summer on Highland Beach, released in May 2024. Sunny Hostin Productions, launched in 2021, continues to focus on socially conscious storytelling and projects centered on underrepresented communities.
The series remains in development, with no casting or release timeline announced.