The Underground Railroad (miniseries)
A magical realist adaptation of Colson Whitehead's novel.
Barry Jenkins wrote and directed *The Underground Railroad*, a limited series that blends historical drama with magical realism. It adapts Colson Whitehead’s 2016 novel of the same name. The show landed on Amazon Prime Video on May 14, 2021. It was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Limited or Anthology Series or Television Film, won the BAFTA for Best International Programme, and was nominated for a Peabody Award, plus several other nominations, including a Primetime Emmy nod for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series.
The story follows enslaved people trying to escape the American South in the 1800s. A key twist uses magical realism: the historical Underground Railroad—a real network of abolitionists, secret routes, and safe houses—is depicted here as an actual subway system with engineers, conductors, tracks, and tunnels. Cora, an enslaved woman from Georgia, teams up with a newcomer named Caesar to ride this underground train toward freedom.
The main cast includes Thuso Mbedu as Cora Randall, Chase W. Dillon as Homer (assistant to a slave catcher), Joel Edgerton as Arnold Ridgeway (the catcher), Fred Hechinger as young Arnold, Peter Mullan as Ridgeway Senior, Mychal-Bella Bowman as Fanny Briggs/Grace, and Sheila Atim as Mabel. Recurring roles feature Aaron Pierre as Caesar Garner, William Jackson Harper as Royal, Lily Rabe as Ethel Wells, Chukwudi Iwuji as Mingo, Calvin Leon Smith as Jasper, Damon Herriman as Martin Wells, Amber Gray as Gloria Valentine, Benjamin Walker as Terrance Randall, Justice Leak as James Randall, Lucius Baston as Prideful, Owen Harn as Chandler, Bri Collins as Olivia, Ryan James as Red, Will Poulter as Sam, Peter de Jersey as John Valentine, IronE Singleton as Mack, Marcus “MJ” Gladney Jr. as Ellis, Cullen Moss as Judge Smith, and Jim Klock as Tom Hardman.
The project was announced in September 2016, with Jenkins set to adapt the novel into a limited series alongside producer Adele Romanski. Plan B Entertainment was involved. Amazon Video gave it a script-to-series commitment in March 2017, then a formal greenlight in June 2018, with Jenkins directing all ten episodes. Composer Nicholas Britell signed on in June 2019. Casting began in April 2019 with Mbedu, Dillon, Pierre, and Edgerton, followed by recurring roles for Herriman, Harper, Baston, Gray, Klock, Rabe, and Hechinger through early 2020.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Historical drama / Magical realism / Fantasy
- Creator
- Barry Jenkins
- Based On
- The Underground Railroad · Colson Whitehead
- Starring
- Thuso Mbedu / Chase W. Dillon / Joel Edgerton / Fred Hechinger / Peter Mullan / Mychal-Bella Bowman / Sheila Atim
- Composer
- Nicholas Britell
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Num Episodes
- 10
- Executive Producer
- Barry Jenkins / Adele Romanski / Brad Pitt / Dede Gardner / Jeremy Kleiner
- Cinematography
- James Laxton
- Runtime
- 20–78 minutes
- Company
- Plan B Entertainment / Pastel Productions / Big Indie Pictures / Amazon Studios
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The series is a fictional story of people attempting an escape from slavery in the southern United States in the 1800s, employing a key plot element of magical realism. In reality, the Underground Railroad was a network of abolitionists, hidden routes, and safe houses; in the series, it is an actual railroad with engineers, conductors, tracks, and tunnels. The story follows Cora, an enslaved woman from Georgia, who joins newcomer Caesar to ride the subterranean train to freedom.
Development began in September 2016 when Barry Jenkins was set to adapt the novel. Amazon Video gave the production a script-to-series commitment in March 2017 and a formal greenlight in June 2018, with Jenkins directing all ten episodes. Filming took place from August 2019 to September 22, 2020, in Savannah, Georgia.
Reader's Guide
The Underground Railroad received widespread critical acclaim, with a 95% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metacritic score of 92 out of 100, indicating universal acclaim. Critics praised Barry Jenkins' direction and the ensemble cast. The series won the Golden Globe Award for Best Limited or Anthology Series or Television Film, the BAFTA for Best International Programme, and a Peabody Award, and was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series. Its significance lies in its adaptation of Whitehead's novel, using magical realism to explore the horrors of slavery and the quest for freedom, while maintaining historical resonance. The series stands as a notable achievement in television for its artistic vision and emotional impact.
Did You Know?
- The series was created and directed by Barry Jenkins, who directed all eleven episodes.
- Filming took 116 days in Savannah, Georgia, from August 2019 to September 22, 2020.
- It received a home media release through The Criterion Collection on June 25, 2024.
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