Emmy Award-winner Michaela Coel is reuniting with HBO and the BBC for her next project, First Day on Earth. Coel is writing and starring in the drama, a followup to her critically acclaimed series I May Destroy You, which won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing. First Day on Earth will follow Coel’s Henri, a British novelist who travels to Ghana to work on a film in the hopes of reuniting with her estranged father.
Here’s the full synopsis for First Day on Earth (via Variety):
“British novelist Henri (Coel) is stuck. Work has dried up, her relationship is going nowhere. So when she’s offered a job on a film in Ghana, West Africa — her parents’ homeland, where her estranged father lives — she can’t resist the chance to reconnect with him and the country of her heritage. But when she arrives, neither the job nor her father turn out the way she expected, and soon Henri has to deal with danger and hypocrisy, form new friendships, lose her illusions, and create a new sense of identity — one that might leave her stronger, but could also break her.”
First Day on Earth is produced by A24, Various Artists (which was founded by Succession star Jesse Armstrong and also produced I May Destroy You), Sam Bain, and former Channel 4 commissioners Phil Clarke and Roberto Troni. In a statement, Coel shared:
“I am delighted to be working with VAL [Various Artists], HBO and the BBC again, and to partner with A24; thanks to all of their combined taste, care and expertise, I feel our show is in great hands.
First Day On Earth
is another very personal story for me which I hope will engage viewers from all over the world, and I can’t wait for audiences to go on Henri’s journey with her.”
We’re Excited for a New Michaela Coel Series
Coel has been one to watch since creating and starring in E4’s Chewing Gum. The hilarious series holds perfect Rotten Tomatoes scores for both of its seasons and earned Coel praise for her hilarious performance as Tracy Gordon (for which she won the BAFTA Award for Best Female Comedy Performance), as well as the show’s writing. Coel was influenced by her own upbringing when creating the sitcom (which started as a play), drawing from her experience of being raised by a deeply religious mother.
Her next personal project, 2020’s I May Destroy You, centered on Coel’s Arabella, who begins to reassess her life after she is sexually assaulted. Coel was influenced by an incident in her personal life to create and star in the British black comedy-drama. I May Destroy You amassed critical acclaim and collected a slew of accolades, including five BAFTA Awards (for Best Mini-Series, Actress, Director and Writing in the drama category, and Best Editing in Fiction), two Emmys, and a Peabody Award. Coel made history as the first Black woman to win an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology series for the 12 episode series. Coel has a proven ability to transform personal experiences into poignant series, so we’re obviously hopeful that Coel’s First Day on Earth will continue this trend.
I May Destroy You
and
Chewing Gum
are available to stream on Max.
Besides returning to BBC and HBO for First Day on Earth, Coel will star in A24’s Mother Mary. The Green Knight‘s David Lowery wrote and directs the film, which follows the relationship between a fictional musician (portrayed by Anne Hathaway) and a famous fashion designer (Coel). Hunter Schafer and Alba Baptista also star.
Coel is currently nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for Mr. & Mrs. Smith.
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