Boots Riley’s New Prime Series ‘I’m a Virgo’ Is A Coming of Age Story Writ Large – Really Large
Boots Riley is going big – as in 13 feet tall – for his new Prime series.
Amazon Studios and Prime Video released a full trailer for its upcoming comedy series, I’m a Virgo, on Tuesday. The project stars Emmy winner Jharrell Jerome (When They See Us) as a 13-foot-tall Black man living large, so to speak, in Oakland, California.
Jerome plays Cootie, who breaks out, literally, of his childhood home after growing up hidden away by his over-protective parents, passing time on a diet of comic books and TV shows.
“You are a 13-foot tall Black man — they fear you,” Cootie is told as he makes his way into the world.
The full series will be released on June 23rd, and was written and directed entirely by Riley (the auteur behind the weird but enjoyable 2018 film Sorry to Bother You).
The show revolves around Jerome, a (relatively) normal teen who just happens to be 13 feet tall, as he leaves his childhood home and takes on a world that just doesn’t seem to have room for him. Along the way he finds love (maybe) and even an arch-enemy in the form of Walton Goggins in full superhero getup who targets the young giant.
Amazon describes the series as “a darkly comedic fantastical coming-of-age joyride” and a “mythical odyssey that questions the purpose of the mythical odyssey.”
Riley serves as creator and executive producer for the series, in addition to writing and directing all seven episodes. Prior to his shift to film and television, Riley was a founding member of the Oakland hip-hop group The Coup.
The I’m a Virgo cast also includes Brett Gray, Kara Young, Allius Barnes, Olivia Washington, Mike Epps and Carmen Ejogo.