2015 is shaping up to be quite a productive year for Stevie Wonder. Aside from the legendary musician’s forthcoming all-star Grammy tribute concert next month, NBC has also announced Wonder’s involvement in a new developing musical miniseries based on Betty DeRamus’ 2005 book “Forbidden Fruit: Love Stories from the Underground Railroad.” According to The Hollywood Reporter, the eight hour project, tentatively titled “Freedom Run” will be executive produced by Wonder and will tell the story about an underground 19th century passage route through a series of love stories highlighting the men and women attempting to escape slavery. “These unforgettable moments in history, which have never been told on television before, are both…
2015 is shaping up to be quite a productive year for Stevie Wonder. Aside from the legendary musician’s forthcoming all-star Grammy tribute concert next month, NBC has also announced Wonder’s involvement in a new developing musical miniseries based on Betty DeRamus’ 2005 book “Forbidden Fruit: Love Stories from the Underground Railroad.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the eight hour project, tentatively titled “Freedom Run” will be executive produced by Wonder and will tell the story about an underground 19th century passage route through a series of love stories highlighting the men and women attempting to escape slavery.
“These unforgettable moments in history, which have never been told on television before, are both incredibly painful and heartwarming and need to be presented to the world,” NBC Entertainment president Jennifer Salke stated to the site. “We’re honored to be adapting this emotionally affecting book in a television event.”
In addition to the series airing on television, network executives are also planning an accompanying Broadway musical, which will also be produced by the Grammy Award-winner. And although Wonder may lack production experience on the Great White Way, it appears the music maestro is steadily in pursuit to expand his musical purvey.
“I’m a lover of music. It’s not really a challenge to stay relevant,” he admitted during an interview in the Feb. issue of GQ magazine. “In fact, it’s the exact same challenge to stay relevant back then as it is now.”
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Stevie Wonder Expands Production Credits With Underground Railroad Miniseries, ‘Freedom Run’
