Ava DuVernay’s Drama Miniseries Queen Sugar Debuts First Teaser

The first teaser for Ava DuVernay’s new drama series on the OWN Network, titled Queen Sugar, has just premiered, proving that the series is just as auspicious as its premise would indicate. Shots of the drama’s most pivotal moments are set to an accelerating, panicky beat as the crises of the series, of which there are plenty, rapidly escalate.

The forthcoming series, to debut on OWN this fall, will follow the Bordelon siblings as they navigate a recent family tragedy. Sisters Nova (Rutina Wesley) and Charley (Dawn-Lyen Gardner), alongside their brother Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe), portray a scattered but loyal family who must abandon their past lives in the wake of a family tragedy and take on the responsibility of running their late father’s 800-acre sugar cane farm. Family affairs and a complex web of history and ancestral allegiance will bring the Natalie Baszile novel to life on the small screen.

DuVernay is no stranger to directing powerful, politically charged films, with powerhouses like 2014’s Golden Globe-winning Selma and 2012’s Middle of Nowhere under her hefty belt. The acclaimed director has dedicated herself to promoting diversity and nuanced, heartrending storytelling in all of her projects, and Queen Sugar will be no different, boasting a colorful cast and crew, as well as female-driven direction that will be helmed by DuVernay herself, alongside Neema Barnette, Tanya Hamilton, So Yong Kim, Tina Mabry, Victoria Mahoney and Salli Richardson-Whitfield. DuVernay will also serve as an executive producer for the show, alongside Oprah Winfrey and Melissa Carter. Be sure to get a first look at the series through the teaser posted above.