The acclaimed actor will play real-life figure Eddie Booker, who prevents an assassination attempt on the leaders of the Allied powers.
Sony Pictures Television is developing a television series, Night of the Assassins, based on the bestselling novel of the same name by author Howard Blum with Emmy Award winning actor Jharrel Jerome set to produce and star, according to an exclusive from Deadline.
Jonathan Mostow is attached to direct the episodes for the series and co-writes alongside Blum. Night of the Assassins which will be set during World War II and based on a true story. Mostow previously directed Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and U-571, another World War II-centered story. Jerome will star as Eddie Booker, an African American soldier who helps prevent a Nazi-led assassination attempt of world leaders such as Franklin D. Roosevelt from the United States, Winston Churchill from Great Britain, Joseph Stalin of the Soviet Union during a 1943 conference in Tehran, Iran.
Ending nearly 80 years ago, countless stories from World War II have been told in film and television which offer many perspectives from different people during that turbulent time in history. Now with an adaptation of Blum’s Night of the Assassins: The Untold Story of Hitler’s Plot to Kill FDR, Churchill, and Stalin coming to television, there can be a chance for the untold story to be brought into the public consciousness. While specific plot details of the show remain a mystery, with an assassination attempt at the heart of the show’s premise, Night of the Assassins is shaping up to be an exciting political thriller coming to television.
Jerome previously starred in the Netflix miniseries, When They See Us, where he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his role as Korey Wise. The actor also previously appeared in Moonlight where he portrayed Kevin as a teenager. The film received critical acclaim and grabbed the Academy Award for Best Picture. Jerome can also be seen in the television series Mr. Mercedes and the film Concrete Cowboy.
24 producers Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa are executive producing the series alongside Glenn Geller, Bob Bookman, Peter Jaysen, and Alan Gasmer. Since the series is currently in early development, other casting and filming details remain unknown. However, with a talented actor at the center of a potentially gripping story alongside a director with an established history with the genre, Night of the Assassins could be a thrilling series for history buffs and casual audiences alike to look out for when it debuts some time in the future.
Night of the Assassins currently has no set release date. Check out the official trailer for the original book by Blum below: