Starz (start your free trial) today released the official trailer and key art for its new crime drama series Power Book III: Raising Kanan, the third book within the growing Power Universe franchise.
Experience the early ’90s in this new coming-of-age prequel story revolving around character Kanan Stark. The new Starz original series will premiere globally on Sunday, July 18 at 8PM ET/PT on Starz and across all platforms.
The third book in the Power Universe stars Patina Miller (Madam Secretary, The Hunger Games films) as Raquel “Raq” Thomas and Mekai Curtis in the titular role as Kanan Stark.
The cast also includes Omar Epps, London Brown, Malcolm Mays, Hailey Kilgore, Joey Bada$$, Toby Sandeman, Shanley Caswell, Lovie Simone and Quincy Brown.
Sascha Penn serves as creator and showrunner and is executive producing alongside Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and Courtney A. Kemp.
The Power Universe series are executive produced by Power creator and showrunner Courtney A. Kemp through her production company End of Episode and through her overall deal with Lionsgate Television, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson through G-Unit Film and Television and Mark Canton through Atmosphere Entertainment MM.
End of Episode’s Chris Selak, Shana Stein, Danielle De Jesus and Bart Wenrich also executive produce. Lionsgate Television produces the series for Starz.
Set in South Jamaica, Queens, in 1991, Raising Kanan is a prequel to the original Power franchise. It is a sprawling family drama that revolves around the coming of age of Kanan Stark; Ghost and Tommy’s mentor, partner and adversary, who ultimately dies in a hail of gunfire in the eighth episode of Power’s penultimate season.
When we catch up with Kanan here, he is the 15-year-old only child of Raquel “Raq” Thomas, a cocaine distributor with an emerging network of dealers across the city.
Much like the original “Power,” “Raising Kanan” explores themes of identity, violence, and legacy, but it is also a deep dive into the very pathology of family; the unique, complicated and fraught dynamic between parent and child, mother and father, brother and sister.
In an increasingly fractious world, family often feels like the only refuge from all the divisiveness and discord and yet, at the same time, we often discover that it is those closest to us who betray us and our values most.
The first season of Raising Kanan is an exploration of these betrayals, the secrets and lies that accompany them and the ways in which they fester, metastasize and ultimately erupt.
The overarching theme of this first season is, “You reap what you sow.” In other words, actions have consequences; betrayals are always uncovered; secrets are inevitably revealed; chickens come home to roost. Every character in Raising Kanan is hiding something.
From the world, from each other, from themselves. And as our story unfolds, they each will have to grapple with the unintended and destructive consequences of the information they’ve hidden and withheld.
And while the ways in which these betrayals, secrets and lies reveal themselves will vary, one truth will remain constant: In Raising Kanan, as in the Power Universe, no one can be trusted and nothing is ever as it seems.
Are you looking forward to Power Book III: Raising Kanan? Let us know in the comments below.