‘Roots’ TV Revival Sets Directors, Questlove as Music Producer
Whitney Friedlander
A+E Networks' revival of "Roots" has found a fitting choice for its executive music producer: The Roots' Questlove.
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Variety
A+E Networks’ revival of “Roots” has found a fitting choice for its executive music producer: the Roots drummer/co-frontman, Questlove.

The Grammy winner will create the authentic African sound and themes for the characters in the four-night, eight-hour miniseries that offers an historical portrait of American slavery. He will also produce the overall sound as the music progresses each night.

A+E also announced that directors Phillip Noyce (“Patriot Games”) and Thomas Carter (“Coach Carter”) will, respectively, helm nights one and three of the miniseries (directors for nights two and four have yet to be announced).

“Roots” is an adaptation of late author Alex Haley’s 1976 novel about Kunta Kinte, an 18th century African-born man who was captured and sold into U.S. slavery. A TV adaptation aired in 1977 on ABC. This production will air in 2016 and be simulcast on A&E, Lifetime and History. It will be distributed internationally by A+E Networks under the A+E Studios Intl. banner.

“Roots” hails from A+E Studios in association with Marc Toberoff and the Wolper Organization, the company that produced the original TV series. Will Packer, Toberoff, Mark Wolper, Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal serve as executive producers. LeVar Burton and Korin Huggins are co-executive producers. Lawrence Konner, Mark Rosenthal, Alison McDonald, and Charles Murray are writing. Dirk Hoogstra, Arturo Interian and Michael Stiller serve as executives in charge of production for History.