James R | On 05, Jun 2023

After saying Sorry to Bother You, Boots Riley is declaring I’m a Virgo this June, with a new series arriving on Amazon Prime Video.

The darkly comedic fantastical coming-of-age joyride follows Cootie (Jharrel Jerome), a 13-foot-tall young Black man in Oakland, California. Having grown up hidden away, passing time on a diet of comic books and TV shows, he escapes to experience the beauty and contradictions of the real world. He forms friendships, finds love, navigates awkward situations, and encounters his idol, the real-life superhero named The Hero (Walton Goggins). I’m A Virgo is a mythical odyssey that questions the purpose of the mythical odyssey.

The series premieres on Amazon Prime Video on 23rd June. Here’s the trailer:

 

I’m a Virgo: Jharrel Jerome to star in Boots Riley Amazon series

15th December 2020

Jharrel Jerome is heading from Netflix to Amazon for I’m a Virgo, a new series from Boots Riley.

Jerome, who starred in Netflix’s When They See Us and has gone on to impress in Netflix’s Concrete Cowboy, had a breakout performance in Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight. Now, he’s headed to Amazon Studios, with the online giant giving a series order to the coming-of-age story about a 13-foot Black man (Jerome) who lives in Oakland, California. Jerome is no stranger to Amazon, though, after Amazon Prime Video released Selah and the Spades.

Riley, who enjoyed immediate cult success with his debut Sorry to Bother You, has written the series and will also direct. He serves as exec-producer, alongside Michael Ellenberg of Media Res, Tze Chun and Jerome. The half-hour project, like Sorry to Bother You, is described as “absurdist”. It is a co-production between Amazon and Media Res.

“I’m thrilled to be working with Amazon on this project,” said Riley in a statement. “This show will either have me lauded or banned, and as such, I have demanded payment up front.”

“I’m A Virgo is refreshingly original and there’s nothing else like it on television,” commented Albert Cheng, COO and co-head of television for Amazon Studios. “No one is quite like Boots, and we’re so excited to be working with him and Jharrel on this fantastical, funny, and utterly unique new series. We can’t wait for our Prime Video customers to see it.”

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