'Washington Black' is the show that could, just like its main character

"Washington Black" just seemed destined for a screen adaptation.

- by Cristina Jaleru Associated Press

This image released by Disney shows Eddie Karanja, left, and Tom Ellis in a scene from "Washington Black."

The 2018 novel by Canadian writer Esi Edugyan caught actor Sterling K. Brown's eye. As he put the wheels in motion, things just started to line up in a most un-Hollywood fashion — so much so that Brown started to believe strongly the project was meant to be.

"Sometimes you keep hitting barricades and obstacles, and you're like 'Well, maybe I should step away.' No, things kept falling into line in such a lovely way that it let me know that we were moving in the direction we were supposed to go," he recalls.

It felt appropriate that the universe wanted a coming-of-age story about a Black boy with big dreams, who goes from the Barbados plantation where he was born to finding freedom, love, and friendship across the seas. The eight-episode miniseries premieres Wednesday on Hulu.

Brown noted that, as a producer, he wants to put out tales that can benefit society.

"I think (for me) it's been the sort of fare that has been reserved for people that don't look like us so much," he says — so the opportunity to make it happen was "very exciting."

The idea of doing a show where a young person overcomes tumultuous circumstances through hope and joy enchanted him: "They were telling him, 'Maybe you should dream smaller.' He just kept going up. It's beautiful."

Adapting the book