Variety reported that the six-part docuseries will feature three storylines, one of which will center on Jackson using a DNA test to identify his ancestral tribe and trace his journey from the U.S. to Gabon for his induction into the Benga tribe. The other two storylines will center on the quest for a sunken slave ship and a historical investigation led by investigative journalists Simcha Jacobovici and Afua Hirsch. The series will premiere in Canada on CBC on October 18. While Jackson isn’t involved in two of the docuseries’ storylines, Hirsch told Variety that including his story in the series helped broaden its appeal and would help viewers emphasize with important historical elements from the other storylines.
“By involving Samuel L. Jackson — that instantly appeals to a completely new demographic, younger audiences familiar with his incredibly vast catalogue of movies,” Hirsch told Variety. “But also the archaeological element, the adventure of it, the dives and the mystery solving as well as the the storytelling and the travelling, I think it’s so many things. That’s really important because this is everybody’s shared history. Our world as we know it would not exist without this history. There is no British or American or South American or African person who was not touched by this history.” Jacobovici directed and executive produced “Enslaved,” while Jackson, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Eli Selden, Rob Lee, Ric Esther Bienstock, Sarah Sapper, and Yaron Niski also served as executive producers. Ric Esther Bienstock, Sarah Sapper, and Felix Golubev produced the docuseries. “Enslaved” marks Jackson’s second appearance in a recent documentary. The movie star also appeared in last year’s “QT8: The First Eight,” a documentary on the life of Quentin Tarantino, who frequently collaborates with Jackson. Jackson continues to be one of Hollywood’s most prolific talents; his recent big-budget film roles include appearances in “Avengers: Engame,” “Captain Marvel,” “The Banker,” “Glass,” “Incredibles 2,” and “Shaft,” among various other films. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.
