Multimillion dollar television series for ABC to start filming in Greenville in January
Published 1:14 pm Thursday, November 19, 2020
A multimillion dollar television series will begin filming its first season in an arounf Greenville in January 2021.
The Greenwood Convention and Visitors Bureau made the announcement Thursday that the ABC series titled Women of the Movement will chronicle Mamie Till-Mobley, Emmett Till’s mother, who was a pivotal figure in fighting for justice for her son after his brutal murder in 1955. Her bravery in telling his story to the world is often considered the spark that was needed to galvanize the American Civil Rights Movement. The project was greenlighted on August 28, the 65th anniversary of Till’s death.
The series is set to air in 2021.
The series is inspired by Devery Anderson’s book, Emmett Till: The Murder that Shocked the World and Propelled the Civil Rights Movement, and is being written and executive produced by Marissa Jo Cerar (The Handmaid’s Tale, 13 Reasons Why). The project will also be executive produced by Jay-Z, Jay Brown and Tyran “Ty Ty” Smith of Roc Nation; Will Smith and James Lassiter of Overbrook Entertainment; Aaron Kaplan, Dana Honor and Michael Lohmann from Kapital Entertainment; Rosanna Grace of Serendipity Film Group; Alex Foster and John Powers Middleton of The Middleton Media Group; and David Clark at Mazo Partners. The studio is Kapital Entertainment. Gina Prince-Bythewood is set to direct the first episode of the series.
Casting is still underway, but 2020 Tony nominee, Adrienne Warren, is set to play Mamie Till-Mobley and Niecy Nash will play Emmett Till’s young grandmother, Alma.
The process of bringing this production to life has presented extra challenges during the global pandemic. Greenwood tourism officials have worked with location and production staff for months to land this important project for Greenwood.
“While this is a hard story to tell, it is an important one and it belongs in Mississippi. We had some intense competition from other states, but ultimately, we had built a great relationship with the project’s leadership through our unmatched Mississippi hospitality,”said Danielle Morgan, executive director of the Greenwood Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Our community came together to provide the incentives necessary to keep the project in Greenwood. This project would not have been possible without the support of the City of Greenwood, Leflore County, Greenwood Leflore Economic Development Foundation, Greenwood Utilities, and other key partners who partnered with the Greenwood Convention and Visitors Bureau to help finalize the deal. This Production will provide an incredible boost to our economy during a time when our hardest-hit hospitality industry is struggling. It will also create jobs and other business opportunities for Greenwood, resulting in millions of dollars in economic impact and potential for long-term tourism impact as well.”
