The Underground Railroad (miniseries)
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Article ImagesThe Underground Railroad is an American historical drama limited television series created and directed by Barry Jenkins based on the 2016 novel of the same name by Colson Whitehead. The series premiered on Amazon Prime Video on May 14, 2021.
The Underground Railroad | |
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Genre | Historical fiction |
Created by | Barry Jenkins |
Based on | The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead |
Directed by | Barry Jenkins |
Starring |
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Composer | Nicholas Britell |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of episodes | 10 |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Cinematography | James Laxton[1] |
Running time | 20–77 minutes |
Production companies |
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Original release | |
Network | Amazon Prime Video |
Release | May 14, 2021 |
The series won the Golden Globe Award for Best Limited or Anthology Series or Television Film, the BAFTA for Best International Programme, received a Peabody Award, and garnered several other nominations including the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series.
A fictional story of people attempting an escape from slavery in the southern United States in the 1800s utilizing a key plot element that employs the literary style of magic realism.[2] In reality, "The Underground Railroad" was a network of abolitionists, hidden routes, and safe houses that helped enslaved African-Americans escape to freedom in the early to mid-1800s. In the novel and the series, it is an actual railroad complete with engineers, conductors, tracks, and tunnels. Cora, an enslaved woman from Georgia, joins newcomer Caesar to ride the subterranean train to freedom.[3]
- Thuso Mbedu as Cora Randall
- Chase W. Dillon as Homer, Ridgeway's assistant
- Joel Edgerton as Arnold Ridgeway, a slave catcher
- Fred Hechinger as Young Arnold Ridgeway[a]
- Peter Mullan as Ridgeway Senior, father of Arnold Ridgeway[a]
- Mychal-Bella Bowman as Fanny Briggs/Grace[b]
- Sheila Atim as Mabel[c]
- Aaron Pierre as Caesar Garner
- William Jackson Harper as Royal
- Lily Rabe as Ethel Wells
- Chukwudi Iwuji as Mingo
- Calvin Leon Smith as Jasper
- Damon Herriman as Martin Wells
- Amber Gray as Gloria Valentine
- Benjamin Walker as Terrance Randall
- Justice Leak as James Randall
- Lucius Baston as Prideful
- Owen Harn as Chandler
- Bri Collins as Olivia
- Ryan James as Red
- Will Poulter as Sam
- Peter de Jersey as John Valentine
- IronE Singleton as Mack
- Marcus "MJ" Gladney Jr. as Ellis
- Cullen Moss as Judge Smith
- Jim Klock as Tom Hardman
On September 16, 2016, it was announced that Barry Jenkins was set to adapt Colson Whitehead's novel The Underground Railroad into a limited series. Jenkins was expected to produce the series alongside Adele Romanski. Production companies involved with the series were set to include Plan B Entertainment.[6] On March 27, 2017, it was reported that Amazon Video had given the production a script-to-series commitment.[7] On June 5, 2018, it was announced that Amazon given the production a formal greenlight and that Jenkins would direct all eleven episodes of the series.[3] In June 2019, Nicholas Britell announced he would serve as composer on the series.[8]
In April 2019, Thuso Mbedu, Chase W. Dillon, Aaron Pierre and Joel Edgerton joined the cast of the series.[9][10] In August 2019, Damon Herriman and William Jackson Harper joined the cast of the series in recurring roles.[11][12] In September 2019, Lucius Baston joined the cast of the series in a recurring role.[13] In October 2019, Amber Gray joined the cast of the series in a recurring role.[14] In November 2019, Jim Klock joined the cast of the series in a recurring role.[15] In January 2020, Lily Rabe joined the cast of the series in a recurring role.[16] In February 2020, Fred Hechinger and the rest of the cast was announced.[17][18]
Filming began in August 2019 in Savannah, Georgia, and production lasted 116 days before concluding on September 22, 2020.[19][20][21]
The Underground Railroad was released on Amazon Prime Video on May 14, 2021.[22] The Underground Railroad received a home media release through The Criterion Collection on June 25, 2024.[23]
The Underground Railroad received widespread critical acclaim. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 94% based on 106 critic reviews, with an average rating of 8.9/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "With a superb ensemble and Barry Jenkins' singular eye, The Underground Railroad delicately translates its source material into a powerfully humane series that is as challenging as it is necessary."[24] Metacritic gave the series a weighted average score of 92 out of 100 based on 37 critic reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[25]
Reviewing the series for Rolling Stone, Alan Sepinwall gave a rating of 4/5 and described the series as "an imperfect take on a painful, sprawling subject. But its emotional highs and lows are stronger than anything you are likely to find on TV this year, just as those images are more gorgeous and nightmarish."[26] Stephen Robinson of The A.V. Club gave the series an A and said, "Jenkins has assembled an amazing cast, including William Jackson Harper as Cora's love interest, Royal, and Lily Rabe, who chills the screen as Ethel, the wife of a North Carolina abolitionist (Damon Herriman)."[2]
Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
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2021 |
Black Reel Awards | Outstanding TV Movie or Limited Series | Barry Jenkins | Nominated | [27] |
Outstanding Directing, TV Movie/Limited Series | Nominated | ||||
Outstanding Writing, TV Movie/Limited Series | Nominated | ||||
Outstanding Actress, TV Movie/Limited Series | Thuso Mbedu | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Supporting Actor, TV Movie/Limited Series | William Jackson Harper | Nominated | |||
Gotham Awards | Breakthrough Series – Long Format | The Underground Railroad | Nominated | [28][29] | |
Outstanding Performance in a New Series | Thuso Mbedu | Won | |||
Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards | Best Streaming Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Live-Action Television Movie | The Underground Railroad | Nominated | [30][31] | |
Best Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Television Movie | Joel Edgerton | Nominated | |||
Best Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Television Movie | Thuso Mbedu | Nominated | |||
Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Television Movie | William Jackson Harper | Nominated | |||
Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series | Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski, Mark Ceryak, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Colson Whitehead, Richard Heus, Jacqueline Hoyt, and Richleigh Heagh | Nominated | [32] | |
Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Barry Jenkins | Nominated | |||
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Casting for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Francine Maisler and Meagan Lewis | Nominated | ||
Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | James Laxton (for "Chapter 9: Indiana Winter") | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie, or Special (Original Dramatic Score) | Nicholas Britell (for "Chapter 2: South Carolina") | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Sound Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie, or Special | Onnalee Blank, Chris Kahwaty, Katy Wood, Bryan Parker, Jay Jennings, Harry Cohen, Luke Gibleon, Pietu Korhonen, John Finklea, and Heikki Kossi (for "Chapter 9: Indiana Winter") | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters, Joe White, and Kari Vähäkuopus (for "Chapter 1: Georgia") | Nominated | |||
Television Critics Association Awards | Program of the Year | The Underground Railroad | Nominated | [33] | |
Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials | Nominated | ||||
Individual Achievement in Drama | Thuso Mbedu | Nominated | |||
2022 |
American Society of Cinematographers Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Motion Picture, Limited Series, or Pilot Made for Television | James Laxton (for "Chapter 9: Indiana Winter") | Won | [34] |
Art Directors Guild Awards | Excellence in Production Design for a Television Movie or Limited Series | Mark Friedberg | Nominated | [35] | |
British Academy Television Awards | Best International Programme | The Underground Railroad | Won | [36] | |
Cinema Audio Society Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television Movie or Limited Series | Joseph White Jr., Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters, Geoff Foster, and Kari Vahakuopus (for "Chapter 10: Mabel") | Nominated | [37] | |
Costume Designers Guild Awards | Excellence in Period Television | Caroline Eselin-Schaefer (for "Chapter 8: Indiana Autumn") | Nominated | [38] | |
Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Limited Series | The Underground Railroad | Nominated | [39] | |
Best Actress in a Movie/Miniseries | Thuso Mbedu | Nominated | |||
Best Supporting Actor in a Movie/Miniseries | William Jackson Harper | Nominated | |||
Directors Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Miniseries or TV Film | Barry Jenkins | Won | [40] | |
Golden Globe Awards | Best Miniseries or Television Film | The Underground Railroad | Won | [41] | |
Golden Reel Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Limited Series or Anthology | Onnalee Blank, Jay Jennings, Harry Cohen, Luke Gibleon, Chris Kahwaty, Katy Wood, Bryan Parker, Pietu Korhonen, Lars Halvorsen, Heikki Kossi, and John Finklea (for "Chapter 9: Indiana Winter") | Won | [42] | |
Independent Spirit Awards | Best New Scripted Series | The Underground Railroad | Nominated | [43] | |
Best Female Performance in a New Scripted Series | Thuso Mbedu | Won | |||
NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special | The Underground Railroad | Nominated | [44] | |
Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series | Barry Jenkins (for "Chapter 9: Indiana Winter") | Won | |||
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special | William Jackson Harper | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special | Sheila Atim | Nominated | |||
Peabody Awards | Entertainment | The Underground Railroad | Won | [45] | |
Producers Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Producer of Limited or Anthology Television Series | The Underground Railroad | Nominated | [46] | |
Writers Guild of America Awards | Adapted Long Form | Jihan Crowther, Allison Davis, Jacqueline Hoyt, Barry Jenkins, Nathan C. Parker, and Adrienne Rush | Nominated |
- Underground (TV series)
- List of films featuring slavery
- ^ "JAMES LAXTON BEGINS SHOOTING THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD". Lux Artists. June 4, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
- ^ a b Robinson, Stephen (May 5, 2021). "Barry Jenkins outdoes himself in the transcendent Underground Railroad". The A.V. Club. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
- ^ a b c Andreeva, Nellie (June 5, 2018). "Amazon Greenlights Barry Jenkins & Plan B's 'Underground Railroad' Limited Series With Jenkins Directing All 11 Episodes". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
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- ^ "The Underground Railroad – Listings". The Futon Critic. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (September 17, 2016). "Plan B & Barry Jenkins To Adapt Hot Novel 'Underground Railroad' As Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (March 27, 2017). "Amazon Lands Barry Jenkins & Plan B's 'Underground Railroad' Limited Series". Deadline. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (June 4, 2019). "'Succession' Composer Nicholas Britell Channels "Darkess And Absurdity" Of Power-Hungry Elite". Deadline. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (April 16, 2019). "Barry Jenkins' 'Underground Railroad' Series at Amazon Sets Three Main Cast Members". Variety. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (April 18, 2019). "Joel Edgerton Joins Barry Jenkins' 'Underground Railroad' Amazon Series (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
- ^ Petski, Denise (August 16, 2019). "Damon Herriman Joins 'Underground Railroad'; 'Ballers' Casts Catherine Haena Kim". Deadline. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
- ^ Petski, Denise (August 22, 2019). "'The Underground Railroad': William Jackson Harper To Recur On Amazon Series". Deadline. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
- ^ Pellegreene, Lisa (November 28, 2019). "'Lucius Baston discusses multiple projects to include "Bigger", Lovecraft Country" and "The Underground Railroad"'". Patch. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
- ^ Evans, Greg (October 24, 2019). "'The Underground Railroad': Broadway's Amber Gray Joins Amazon Limited Series". Deadline. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
- ^ Petski, Denise (November 1, 2019). "'13 Reasons Why's Bryce Cass Joins Amazon's 'Panic'; Jim Klock In 'The Underground Railroad'". Deadline. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
- ^ Petski, Denise (January 22, 2020). "'The Underground Railroad': Lily Rabe To Recur On Amazon Series". Deadline. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
- ^ Petski, Denise (February 27, 2020). "'The Underground Railroad': Fred Hechinger Joins Amazon Drama Series". Deadline. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
- ^ "Now Playing: 'Underground Railroad' the latest Amazon Prime series shot in Savannah". WJCL. May 18, 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
- ^ Dennis, Zach (February 26, 2021). "Savannah-shot 'The Underground Railroad' set for Amazon Prime debut on May 14". Savannah Now. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
- ^ Hersko, Tyler (September 22, 2020). "Barry Jenkins Wraps 116-Day Production on 'Underground Railroad'". IndieWire. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
- ^ Haring, Bruce (February 25, 2021). "'The Underground Railroad' Amazon Prime Limited Series Sets Premiere Date". Deadline. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
- ^ Perez, Rodrigo (March 15, 2024). "Barry Jenkins' 'Underground Railroad' Comes To The Criterion Collection In June". The Playlist. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
- ^ "The Underground Railroad: Limited Series". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ^ "The Underground Railroad: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ^ Sepinwall, Alan (May 10, 2021). "'The Underground Railroad': Barry Jenkins' Gorgeous Journey Into American Darkness". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
- ^ "Black Reel Awards for Television 2021: Plenty of "Love" in the Heart of the Country!". The Black Reel Awards. June 17, 2021. Archived from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
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- ^ Sharf, Zack (October 21, 2021). "Gotham Awards 2021 Nominations: 'Pig,' 'Green Knight,' 'Passing' Compete for Best Feature". IndieWire. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
- ^ Menzel, Scott (July 9, 2021). "Ted Lasso, The Handmaid's Tale, and Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist lead Inaugural HCA TV Awards Nominations". Hollywood Critics Association. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
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- ^ "BAFTA Television 2022: The Winners". BAFTA. March 29, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
- ^ "Cinema Audio Society Announces CAS Awards Nominations for Outstanding Achievements in Sound Mixing during 2021". Cinema Audio Society. January 25, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
- ^ Hipes, Patrick (January 26, 2022). "Costume Designers Guild Awards Nominees Include 'House Of Gucci', 'Cruella', 'Zola'". Deadline. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
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- ^ Zhan, Jennifer (February 26, 2022). "NAACP Image Awards Winners Include Jazmine Sullivan, Will Smith, Red Table Talk". Vulture. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
- ^ "Peabody Awards Profile: The Underground Railroad". PeabodyAwards.com. June 9, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
- ^ Pedersen, Erik (January 27, 2022). "PGA Awards Nominations: 'Licorice Pizza', 'Don't Look Up', 'Dune', 'King Richard' & 'CODA' Among Pics Vying For Marquee Prize". Deadline. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
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