Hulu has ordered eight episodes of a limited series about Sammy Davis, Jr. from Lee Daniels and 20th Television. It’s based on the Wil Haygood book In Black and White: The Life of Sammy Davis, Jr.
Elijah Kelley, who starred in NBC’s The Wiz Live! and New Line’s Hairspray, will portray the title role in the untitled series. He previously collaborated with Daniels on Lee Daniels’ The Butler and Fox’s Star.
Here’s the official logline: Sammy Davis, Jr. was one of the most famous African American entertainers of the 1950s and ’60s. He rose from childhood stardom on the vaudeville stage to become a member of Frank Sinatra’s Rat Pack. However, he spent most of his career surrounded by controversy and ridicule. This was due to his affairs with white film stars, his 1960 marriage to Swedish actress May Britt, his conversion to Judaism, his closeness to the Kennedys (and later Richard Nixon), and his problems with alcohol and drugs.
Daniels will also direct the first two episodes, with Kelley producing and collaborating on some of the show’s original music. Co-EP Thomas Westfall is also attached, with Haygood producing. Marc Toberoff rounds out the EP list.
A production location or start date has not been set, but Kelley is represented by Generational Entertainment and Ginsburg Daniels Kallis.
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