HBO Shares Trailer for Adaptation of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ ‘Between the World and Me’

HBO has shared a new animated teaser for its upcoming special based on Ta-Nehisi Coates’ celebrated book, Between the World and Me, which will premiere November 21st at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

The special is based largely on a stage adaptation of Between the World and Me, which ran at the Apollo Theater in 2018. The filmed version will combine elements of that production, including readings from Coates’ book, along with documentary footage from the lives of the all-star cast, archival footage and animation.

The cast for Between the World and Me boasts an array of big names including Mahershala Ali, Oprah Winfrey, Angela Davis, T.I., Black Thought, Mimi Jones, Ledisi, Janet Mock, Susan Kelechi, Courtney B. Vance, Olivia Washington, Wendell Pierce, Phylicia Rashad and Greg Alverez Reid. Coates will also appear in the project, which was directed by Kamilah Forbes, who helmed the Apollo stage adaptation.

Coates published Between the World and Me in 2015. The book is framed as a letter to his 14-year-old son and mixes history and memoir in its exploration and critique of the deep roots and long tail of racist violence in America.