First-look images have been released for The Big Cigar, the new Apple TV+ drama series which will chronicle the story of Black Panther leader Huey P Newton’s escape to Cuba.
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Newton is played in the series by Moonlight star André Holland, who is seen in one of the images replicating a famous photograph of Newton sat in a throne-like chair on top of a zebra-skin rug.
The show will debut on Friday 17th May and comes from executive producer and director Don Cheadle, known for his acting work including playing War Machine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
André Holland as Huey P Newton in The Big Cigar. Apple TV+
Also featuring in the cast are Rebecca Dalton (Good Witch), Olli Haaskivi (Oppenheimer), Jordane Christie (The Haunting of Hill House), and Glynn Turman (Percy Jackson and the Olympians).
The official synopsis for the series says: "The Big Cigar is the incredible true story of Hollywood revolution meeting social revolution: it’s a wild caper of Black Panther founder Huey Newton escaping from the FBI to Cuba with the assistance of famed producer Bert Schneider in an impossibly elaborate plan - involving a fake movie production - that goes wrong every way it possibly can.
The drama is the latest series arriving on Apple TV+ to be based on a true story, after the recent success of Masters of the Air and with Manhunt about to be released.
The Big Cigar will premiere on Apple TV+ on Friday 17th May with the first two episodes, then episodes will be released weekly.Sign up to Apple TV+ now.
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James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
