“American Gods” star Yetide Badaki has been tapped to star in an upcoming STARZ series about African warrior Queen Nzinga.
According to Deadline, the series takes place in 17th century Angola.
The outlet reports that the series and “follows her transformation from an innocent princess into a fearless warrior queen who rages a ferocious 40-year guerrilla war against the kingdom’s formidable enemies, and the cruel subjugation of her people by Portuguese slavers.”
Nzinga Mbande, the ruler of the Mbundu people, fought against the Portuguese and their expanding slave trade in Central Africa. She became Queen of the Mbundu after her brother committed in 1626. The following year, she formed alliances with former rival states, she led her army against the Portuguese. The war would last for three decades. She joined forces with the Dutch, who had conquered Luanda in 1641.
“It has been a long held dream of mine to bring the story of Nzinga to the screen. Her courage, determination, and passion resonated from the moment I laid eyes on historical depictions of the legendary queen. I am thrilled by Starz’s continued commitment to much needed stories about and by historically excluded voices and the deeply talented team being built to share this epic narrative with the world.”
Badaki will serve as executive producer for the series alongside Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and “The Wedding Party’s” Mo Abudu.
“The continent of Africa has a treasure trove of stories that are yet to be told. Queen Nzinga is a story that I have wanted to tell for a long time, so when EbonyLife Studios finally found a home for this project at Starz and Lionsgate, it was a dream come true,” Adubu told THR. “We are happy to be at the forefront of forging these new partnerships with such an incredible team of creatives, because it is truly about sharing our local stories with a global audience — stories that are historical, authentic and progressive.”
Badaki will also voice a character in Netflix’s upcoming animated series, “Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas.”
