Andre Holland to headline 'The Big Cigar', Apple's show based on Black Panther boss Huey Newton

'Moonlight' star Andre Holland has been tapped to headline the Apple TV series titled 'The Big Cigar', based on the story of Black Panther leader Huey P Newton's escape to Cuba.

As per The Hollywood Reporter, the six-episode limited series is based on "the Playboy magazine article that detailed how Newton turned to his best friend, Easy Rider producer Bert Schneider, and eluded a nationwide manhunt to flee to Cuba; he was pursued into exile by the FBI."

Holland will play the lead with Don Cheadle set to direct the first two episodes of the series.

Jim Hecht, who co-created HBO's 'Winning Time', will executive produce and write the script for the project.

Janine Sherman Barrois will serve as showrunner. Both Hecht and Barrois have worked on the story.

As per The Hollywood Reporter, executive producers also include Hecht, Sherman Barrois, Joshuah Bearman, Joshua Davis and Arthur Spector via the latter duo's Vox Media Studios-based Epic banner.

( With inputs from ANI )

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