The plot thickens! Or at the very least, it will be explored in the upcoming drama series from Disney’s Onyx Collective and Endeavor Content.
Per a press release sent to The Root, the forthcoming eight-episode series titled The Plot, will see Swan Song and The Green Book star Mahershala Ali (aka the next Denzel Washington as put forth by Washington himself) in the lead role of “Jake,” a struggling author who is “primed to take advantage of any opportunity that might help revive his career. When a once in a lifetime opportunity presents itself, Jake commits an act of literary theft that changes his life irrevocably. Now, someone knows his secret and is threatening him…and we will see just how far Jake will go to protect himself and the life he’s built.”
The series, which received a straight-to-series order from Onyx Collective, is based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Jean Hanff Korelitz. In addition to starring, Ali will also serve as executive producer alongside showrunner Abby Ajayi.
“I’m thrilled to be adapting Jean’s brilliantly compelling and thrilling novel, which hooked me from its opening pages,” Ajayi said in a statement. “From the start, I knew that the peerless Mahershala Ali would be the perfect Jake. I’m excited by the nuance, the humanity and the complexity he’ll bring to the role. Going on this journey with Layne, Kristen and the teams at Know Wonder and Endeavor Content has been a dream. The icing on the cake is finding our home with [Freeform and Onyx Collective President] Tara Duncan at Onyx.”
Added Duncan: “I was captivated with Hanff Korelitz’s book, The Plot and Abby’s distinct point of view reinvents the story in a way that spoke to me and our mission at Onyx Collective. There are so many interesting angles and nuances, that having the creative genius that is Mahershala Ali at the center of this mystery, is just a dream. Kristen [Campo, EP] and Layne [Eskridge, EP] have done a phenomenal job bringing this team together and I could not be more proud to work alongside them and Endeavor Content to bring this incredible series to our global audience.”