Starz (start your free trial) has released a season preview for Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 1. The show premiered this Sunday, July 18 and the series has already been renewed for Season 2.
Set in South Jamaica Queens in the early ‘90s, the prequel about the early years of iconic “Power” character Kanan Stark (Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson) premiered on Sunday, July 18 at 8PM ET/PT on Starz and across all platforms in the U.S. and Canada, airing day and date internationally on the STARZPLAY premium streaming platform across its complete footprint in Europe, Latin America and Japan.
“One season isn’t enough to tell the coming of age story of Kanan Stark and his mother, Raq, a fierce and successful woman who is a force of nature,” said Jeffrey Hirsch, President and CEO of STARZ, when the series was renewed for a second season.
“The anticipation globally for more of the ‘Power’ Universe made it clear that the Kanan story needs to continue.”
The third book in the Power Universe stars Patina Miller (Madam Secretary, The Hunger Games franchise) as Raquel “Raq” Thomas and Mekai Curtis in the titular role as Kanan Stark.
The cast also includes Omar Epps (House, Love and Basketball), London Brown (Ballers), Malcolm Mays (Them, Snowfall), Hailey Kilgore (Amazing Stories), Joey Bada$$ (Two Distant Strangers), Toby Sandeman (The Royals), Shanley Caswell (The Conjuring) and Lovie Simone (The Craft: Legacy) with Quincy Brown (Dope) recurring.
Antonio Ortiz (High Fidelity, The Sinner) has been upped to a series regular role returning as Shawn “Famous” Figueroa in Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 2. Sascha Penn returns as creator and showrunner for and will continue 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 and Bart Wenrich also executive produce. Kevin Fox also serves as executive producer. 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 fifteen-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 the series 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.
What did you guys think of the Raising Kanan Season 1 preview? Let us know in the comments or tweet us @vitalthrillscom.