EPIX has released the trailer for the upcoming second season of their crime drama series Godfather of Harlem, which is scheduled to make its return on April 18. Check out the video in the player below!
In addition, Deadline brings word that Justin Bartha (National Treasure), Annabella Sciorra (Truth B Told), Ronald Guttman (Hunters), Gino Cafarelli and Isaach De Bankolé have been cast for the recurring roles of incorruptible U.S. District Attorney Robert Morgenthau, mob wife Fay Bonanno, Frenchman Jean Jehan, Fat Gino, and Monsieur 98, respectively.
Season 2 will also feature guest stars including Method Man, Michael Rispoli, Neal Matarrazzo and Grace Porter. Method Man is set to portray the role of Sam Christian, the head of the Philadelphia Black Mafia and longtime friend of Bumpy Johnson’s. Meanwhile, Rispoli and Matarrazo will play the role of Joseph Magliocco and Captain Mills, respectively.
RELATED: BBC’s Peaky Blinders Officially Ending with Season 6
Godfather of Harlem tells a story inspired by infamous crime boss Bumpy Johnson (Whitaker), who in the early 1960s returned from eleven years in prison to find the neighborhood he once ruled in shambles. With the streets controlled by the Italian mob, Bumpy must take on the Genovese crime family to regain control. During the brutal battle, he forms an alliance with radical preacher Malcolm X (Nigel Thatch) – catching Malcolm’s political rise in the crosshairs of social upheaval and a mob war that threatens to tear the city apart. Godfather of Harlem is a collision of the criminal underworld and the civil rights movement during one of the most tumultuous times in American history.
Season 2 finds Bumpy Johnson battling the New York Crime Families for control of the lucrative and murderous “French Connection,” the pipeline for heroin that runs from Marseilles to New York Harbor. With a distribution syndicate that includes black crime bosses from other major U.S. cities, Bumpy takes a cue from his friend Malcolm X’s message of black economic nationalism. His ambitious plan will face challenges from not only the Italians but his wife Mayme, daughter Elise, rival Adam Clayton Powell, prosecutor Robert Morgenthau, and even Malcolm himself. Once again, Godfather of Harlem explores the collision of the criminal underworld and civil rights in the colorful, tumultuous year of 1964.
In addition to Whitaker as star and executive producer, Season 1 cast members included Vincent D’Onofrio (Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Daredevil), Ilfenesh Hadera (She’s Gotta Have It, Baywatch), Nigél Thatch (Selma, American Dreams), Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad, The Mandalorian), Lucy Fry (Bright, Vampire Academy), Kelvin Harrison Jr. (It Comes at Night, Mudbound), Rafi Gavron (A Star is Born), and Antoinette Crowe-Legacy.
RELATED: Law & Order: Organized Crime First Look & SVU Crossover Premiere Date Released
Godfather of Harlem is written and created by Chris Brancato and Paul Eckstein, who executive produce along with Whitaker alongside his Significant Productions banner topper Nina Yang Bongiovi, James Acheson, and Markuann Smith. The series is produced by ABC Signature.
