Oprah Winfrey joins HBO special 'Between the World and Me'

Aug. 13 (UPI) -- Oprah Winfrey is part of the first wave of performers in HBO's adaptation of Between the World and Me, based on the New York Times bestselling book of the same name by author and journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates, HBO said in a statement.

Other performers in the first wave include Angela Bassett, Alicia Garza, Joe Morton, Phylicia Rashad, Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter, Courtney B. Vance, Pauletta Washington, Susan Kelechi Watson, with additional cast to be announced later.

The HBO special, currently in production under COVID-19 guidelines, will premiere this fall on HBO and will also be available to stream on HBO Max.

In 2018, the Apollo Theater, originally adapted the book Between the World and Me for the stage.

The HBO special will combine elements of the 2018 production, such as readings from Coates' book. The special will also include documentary footage from the actors' home lives, archival footage and animation.

Apollo Theater Executive Producer Kamilah Forbes will also direct the HBO special, along with Coates, Susan Kelechi Watson and Roger Ross Williams. Williams' production company One Story Up produces.

The 2015 nonfiction book was written as a letter to Coates' teenage son about being Black in the United States, including his experience as a Black youth growing up in Baltimore's inner city and thoughts on systemic racism.