Full Trailer for Upcoming ‘MLK/X’ Season of NatGeo’s ‘Genius’ Series
by Alex Billington
January 14, 2024
Source: YouTube
“What you’re doing is just. Never question that.” National Geographic has unveiled a full trailer for their latest “Genius” offering called Genius: MLK/X, arriving for streaming at the start of February for Black History Month. The “Genius” series started in 2017 with a focus on Albert Einstein, and also profiled Pablo Picasso and Aretha Franklin, before this current season about these two prolific figures. It centers on the formative years, accomplishments, dueling philosophies and personal relationships of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X – played by Kelvin Harrison, Jr. and Aaron Pierre, respectively. Episodes will explore the moments between the monumental historical events we’ve come to know and shine a light on how each leader and those closest to them questioned their resolve and decisions as they navigated the rigors of balancing a public persona with a private life. While King & X met only once and often challenged each other’s views, neither would have been as successful without the other. Sounds good! The cast includes Jayme Lawson, Weruche Opia, Gary Carr, Hubert Point-Du Jour, & Lennie James. Take a look.
Here’s the official trailer (+ poster) for National Geographic’s series Genius: MLK/X, from YouTube:
National Geographic’s Genius: MLK/X follows both Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Kelvin Harrison, Jr.) and Malcom X (Aaron Pierre) from their formative years, where they were molded by strong fathers and traumatic injustices, to their rich, parallel stories as they shaped their identities and became the change they wished to see in the world. The docudrama series offers an intimate look into their complex lives as husbands, fathers, brothers and sons, taking them off the iconic T-shirts to show their humanity. Genius: MLK/X brings their wives, Coretta Scott King (Weruche Opia) and Betty Shabazz (Jayme Lawson), who are often portrayed as peripheral figures, to the forefront and shows them as formidable equals of the Movement. Genius: MLK/X is a limited series developed and written by Jeff Stetson (writer on Martin Luther King Special One Day, “My Parents, My Sister & Me”). Inspired by the book “The Sword and the Shield: The Revolutionary Lives of Malcolm X & Martin Luther King Jr.”, written by Peniel E. Joseph. With episodes directed by Crystle Roberson, Channing Godfrey Peoples, & “Director X“. NatGeo debuts Genius: MLK/X streaming on both Disney+ / Hulu starting February 1st, 2024 for Black History Month.
 |
