Melina Matsoukas, the director of “Insecure” on HBO and numerous music videos including Beyoncé’s “Formation,” will direct an Amazon television series based on “A Brief History of Seven Killings” by Jamaican author Marlon James, who will also write the series. The book won the prestigious Man Booker prize in 2014. James and Matsoukas are the project’s executive producers as well. James’s novel, which was named one of the best books of the year by several outlets, uses the attempted assassination of Bob Marley as the means of portraying violence, murder, drug abuse, and international intrigue. The assassination attempt is the event James uses to delve into the history of Jamaica’s gang wars and the meddling of the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the area. According to Matsoukas, for whom the project represents a change from her recent comedic work, the series involves “a complex story that needs to be told, about a people whose voices need to be heard.” She went on to say that she is “honored to be entrusted with this tapestry of stories” that reflects “roots, reggae, race, mysticism and politics.” Working with James ensures that the series will portray his words in an authentic way. Also attached to the Amazon project is Malcom Spellman of “Empire,” who is the showrunner and executive producer.
About Marlon James
Marlon James was born in Jamaica in 1970. His recent novel A Brief History of Seven Killings won the 2015 Man Booker Prize. It was also a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and won the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature for fiction, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for fiction, and the Minnesota Book Award. It was also a New York Times Notable Book. James is also the author of The Book of Night Women, which won the 2010 Dayton Literary Peace Prize and the Minnesota Book Award, and was a finalist for the 2010 National Book Critics Circle Award in fiction and an NAACP Image Award. His first novel, John Crow’s Devil, was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for first fiction and the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, and was a New York Times Editors’ Choice. James lives in Minneapolis
About Melina Matsoukas
Melina Matsoukas is an American director of music videos, television shows and commercials. She is a two-time Grammy Award winner for her “We Found Love” and “Formation” music videos. Matsoukas is of Greek, Jewish, Jamaican and Cuban descent.
Source: Penguin Random House Network, Wikipedia, Amazon
