First: Did you watch Boots Riley’s Sorry to Bother You? Because if you didn’t, you should. It might—might—give you some idea what you’re in for with I’m a Virgo, the writer-director’s new series about a 13-foot-tall Black man from Oakland who, after spending much of his life hidden, ventures out into the world for the first time.
Also Walton Goggins plays a superhero who seems like a real pain in the ass? If this combination of details isn’t enough to pique your interest, I’m not sure what to say.
Buy the Book
Maeve Fly
Here’s the summary, which can only hint at the delights of the trailer:
I’m a Virgo is a darkly comedic fantastical coming-of-age joyride about Cootie (Jharrel Jerome), a 13-foot-tall young Black man in Oakland, California. Having grown up hidden away, passing time on a diet of comic books and TV shows, he escapes to experience the beauty and contradictions of the real world. He forms friendships, finds love, navigates awkward situations, and encounters his idol, the real-life superhero named The Hero (Walton Goggins). I’m a Virgo is a mythical odyssey that questions the purpose of the mythical odyssey.
Riley created, wrote, and directed I’m a Virgo, and serves as co-showrunner with Tze Chun (Gotham, Once Upon a Time).
Along with Jerome (Mr. Mercedes) and Goggins (Justified), the cast includes… well, let me just quote Prime Video’s earlier press release with the cast, because their included bios are just that good:
The bad-ass cast also includes Brett Gray (On My Block, Star Trek: Prodigy, his mother thinks he sings like the ‘90s group Hi-Five), Tony-nominated and Obie-winning actor Kara Young (The Punisher, her mother was a Belizean beauty queen), Allius Barnes (PEN15, his cousin made the song “Kung Fu Fighting”), Olivia Washington (Breaking, plays classical piano), Mike Epps (The Upshaws, Dolemite Is My Name, a damn good dancer), and Carmen Ejogo (True Detective, Fantastic Beasts, was in Eric B. & Rakim’s “Paid In Full” music video).
Should all bios come with a note about one’s musical skills or connections? Maybe.
All seven episodes of I’m a Virgo arrive on Prime Video on June 23rd.
