OWN Announces Premiere And Unveils “David Makes Man” With Oscar Winner (Video)

OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network announced today that its anticipated new drama series “David Makes Man” from Academy Award winner Tarell Alvin McCraney (“Moonlight“) and Warner Horizon Scripted Television will premiere.

The show premieres on Wednesday, August 14 at 10 p.m. ET/PT following the network’s critically acclaimed drama “Queen Sugar” (Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT). The series premiere will be presented by Lexus with limited commercial interruption.

“David Makes Man” centers on a 14-year-old prodigy from the projects who is haunted by the death of his closest friend and relied on by his hardworking mother to find a way out of poverty. He must choose between the streets that raised him or the higher education that may offer him a way out. “David Makes Man” stars Akili McDowell and Phylicia Rashad. McCraney serves as executive producer of the series alongside Dee Harris-Lawrence (“Shots Fired,” “Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G.,”) who serves as showrunner. Michael B. Jordan (“Creed”) via his Outlier Society Productions, Oprah Winfrey, Mike Kelley and Melissa Loy (“Revenge,”) under their Page Fright production banner also serve as executive producers.

Check out the trailer below:

“David Makes Man” is a one-hour lyrical drama from Academy Award winner Tarell Alvin McCraney (“Moonlight“), his first TV project. McCraney serves as executive producer of the series alongside Dee Harris-Lawrence (“Shots Fired,” “Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G.“) who serves as showrunner. Mike Kelley and Melissa Loy (“Revenge”) under their Page Fright production banner, Michael B. Jordan via his Outlier Society Productions and Oprah Winfrey are also executive producers. “David Makes Man” centers on a 14-year-old prodigy from the projects who is haunted by the death of his closest friend and relied on by his hardworking mother to find a way out of poverty. He must choose between the streets that raised him or the higher education that may offer him a way out. Set in South Florida, the series is inspired by events in McCraney’s own life and explores childhood trauma and the power of imagination to survive. The drama stars Akili McDowell (“The Astronaut Wives Club“) as David, a ferociously observant, instinct-driven, passionate teenager, who toggles between two distinct personas that reflect his surroundings and metabolizes his world like a chameleon, but not without exacting an emotional price; Alana Arenas (“Hall of Passes”) plays David’s hard-working single mother Gloria, a former drug user with a smile that melts and while rarely home, she wants better for her kids than what they’ve got; Isaiah Johnson (“Hamilton“) plays Sky, an enigmatic and wise dope dealer who is also David’s close friend and occasional mentor in the projects; Travis Coles (“Liza on Demand”) portrays Mx. Elijah, gender queer and assigned male at birth and doesn’t consider herself ‘trans,’ but always thought of herself as both, Mx. Elijah doesn’t disclose pronouns as long as it’s with respect-a long-time Homestead Village resident who knows a great deal, but discusses few; Phylicia Rashad (“Creed II”) plays Dr. Woods-Trap, the lithe, alive, quick-witted and intimidating teacher that is motherly yet firm toward David, seeing something very special in him and remains an advocate for him; Nathaniel Logan McIntyre (“Celebrity Ghost Stories”) plays Seren, David’s incredibly vulnerable best friend at the magnet school for academically gifted kids who takes a risk by revealing a painful secret to David; Cayden K. Williams (“Girls Trip”) plays Jonathan “JG” Greg, David’s rough-and-tumble younger brother, who acts tough in front of his peers but still needs his big brother and mom to be there for him; Ade Chike Torbert (“East Los High”) is Raynan, the local drug dealer running the movements in The Ville who talks a good game about taking care of the neighborhood and running things for Sky while also attempting to connect with David the way Sky did, except he seeks a disciple not a friend or brother; Jordan Bolger (“Peaky Blinders”) plays Shinobi, Raynan’s second-in-command who nearly comes to blows with David, whom he resents. The series also features Tony winner and Emmy/Golden Globe nominee Ruben Santiago-Hudson (“The Quad,” “Billions”), Elvis Nolasco (“American Crime”), Gillian Williams (“The Girlfriend Experience”), Juanita Jennings (“Star”), Liza Colón-Zayas (“Proven Innocent”), Lindsey Blackwell (“Step Sisters”), Lela Rochon (“Training Day”) and Nick Creegan, all with recurring roles.

OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network is the first and only network named for, and inspired by, a single iconic leader. Oprah Winfrey’s heart and creative instincts inform the brand and the magnetism of the channel. OWN is a leading destination for premium scripted and unscripted programming from today’s most innovative storytellers. OWN’s original scripted series include popular dramas “Queen Sugar,” “Greenleaf,” “The Haves and Have Nots, “If Loving You is Wrong” and upcoming drama series “David Makes Man” from Academy Award winner Tarell Alvin McCraney and family saga “Ambitions” from box office hit-maker Will Packer. OWN’s Saturday night unscripted programming lineup includes “Iyanla: Fix My Life,” “Ready to Love,” “Love & Marriage: Huntsville,” “Black Love” and “To Have & To Hold: Charlotte.” OWN connects with its audience wherever they are, inspiring conversation among a global community of like-minded viewers on social media and beyond. Launched on January 1, 2011, OWN is a joint venture between Harpo, Inc. and Discovery, Inc. The venture also includes the award-winning digital platform Oprah.com. Access OWN anytime, anywhere on WatchOWN.tv or across mobile devices and connected TVs.

A division of the Warner Bros. Television Group, Warner Horizon Scripted Television was founded in 2006 and is one of the entertainment industry’s leading producers of dramatic and comedic programming for the cable and subscription/on-demand marketplace. Series produced by Warner Horizon Scripted Television include the Animal Kingdom and Claws for TNT; Cherish the Day, David Makes Man and Queen Sugar for OWN; Fuller House, Medical Police and You for Netflix; Krypton for SYFY; Pennyworth for EPIX; Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists for Freeform; and The Right Stuff for National Geographic.