Apple TV Develops Colson Whitehead's 'Harlem' Trilogy Series

Apple TV has acquired the rights to Colson Whitehead’s “Harlem” trilogy and is in early development of a series. The adaptation will draw on the three novels—Harlem Shuffle (2021), Crook Manifesto (2023) and Cool Machine (2024)—which together trace the life of Ray Carney, a Harlem furniture salesman, from the 1950s through the 1980s.

The books are being adapted by screenwriters Graham Yost and Aric Avelino. Executive producers include Barry Jenkins, Adele Romanski, Mark Ceryak, Melissa Bernstein and Whitehead himself. The project follows Whitehead’s previous screen work, notably the 2021 miniseries of The Underground Railroad and the Oscar‑nominated film adaptation of The Nickel Boys.