Virtually meet creators of Godfather of Harlem, Chris Brancato and Paul Eckstein!
Created by Chris Brancato and Paul Eckstein, and starring and executive produced by Oscar® winner Forest Whitaker, Godfather Of Harlem is inspired by the story of infamous crime boss Bumpy Johnson (Whitaker), who in the early 1960s returned from eleven years in prison to find the neighborhood he once ruled in shambles.
With the streets controlled by the Italian mob, Bumpy must take on the Genovese crime family to regain control. During the brutal battle, he forms an alliance with radical preacher Malcolm X (Nigél Thatch) – catching Malcolm’s political rise in the crosshairs of social upheaval and a mob war that threatens to tear the city apart. Godfather Of Harlem is a collision of the criminal underworld and the civil rights movement during one of the most tumultuous times in American history.
Paul Eckstein has been writing, producing, and acting for over 40 years. He grew up in Brooklyn and graduated from Brown University with degrees in International Relations and Creative Writing. He went on to immerse himself in New York City theatre where he was a founding member of the Naked Angels Theatre Co., acted on Broadway, Shakespeare in the Park, and Minneapolis’ Guthrie Theatre.
He spent a decade cutting his chops originating, collaborating, writing, directing, and developing dozens of plays, films, and TV shows. Paul completed production of season two of the acclaimed hit Godfather of Harlem (2019) which he co-created, starring Forest Whitaker and Giancarlo Esposito on EPIX. The show is currently in production on season three.
Prior to that, Paul led the writer's room on the first year of the Netflix hit drama Narcos (2015). Paul also wrote and produced the Disney/ABC biblical epic Of Kings and Prophets (2016) on location in South Africa. His other writing credits include: Street Time(2002) (Showtime), Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001) (NBC), The Dead Zone (2002) (USA).
As a movie producer, Paul co-produced the MGM/UA film Hoodlum (1997) starring Laurence Fishburne and Andy Garcia. These and more of the projects Paul has worked on over the years emphasize history, high stakes, and excellence in execution with a focus on stories and culture from people of color.
Chris Brancato has written and produced over 250 hours of television, including such series as X-Files, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, and Hannibal, and co-created the Netflix series Narcos and Narcos: Mexico. In addition, Chris wrote MGM's popular gangster feature Hoodlum, starring Lawrence Fishburne, the sci-fi thriller Species II, and the upcoming Sherlock 3 for Warner Brothers.
He is currently the co-creator, executive producer, writer and showrunner of Godfather of Harlem,” starring Forest Whitaker, debuting its 3rd season in 2023 on EPIX. He's won the Peabody award (Boomtown), two Saturn awards (Hannibal), Golden Globes and BAFTA nominations (Narcos) and a Writer's Guild award for his work on one of the Hundred Best Television Series (X-Files).
From 2006 to 2011 he was President of the Writers Guild Foundation. He works closely with Autism Speaks and other charities.
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