Deborah Ayorinde To Star In Lena Waithe’s New Horror Series, ‘Them’

Early last week, news broke that Emmy-winning writer, producer and actor, Lena Waithe signed an overall deal to create original shows with Amazon Studios. Her first project with the streaming service is a horror anthology series, Them, executive produced by Waithe herself.

According to Shadow and Act, British-Nigerian actress, Deborah Ayorinde, has been cast in the lead role. Ayorinde is best known for her roles in Girls Trip and Luke Cage. She most recently starred in the third season of True Detective, and she’ll be seen in the upcoming biopic, Harriet.

Ayorinde in Girls Trip (Photo: Universal Pictures)

The first season of the series, Them: Covenant, will follow Alfred Emory (Ashley Thomas) and Lucky Emory (Deborah Ayorinde), who decide to move their family from North Carolina to an all-white Los Angeles neighbourhood.

Like a cross between Jordan Peele’s Us and Get Out, the family’s new home on a tree-lined, seemingly idyllic street becomes ground zero, where malevolent forces — both real and supernatural — threaten to taunt, ravage and destroy them. 

Speaking on the series, Waithe says:

“The first season will speak to how frightening it was to be black in 1953. It will also remind us that being black in 2018 is just as horrifying.

This anthology series will examine the cultural divides among all of us and explore us vs Them in a way we’ve never seen before.”

There’s no release date for Them yet, but we cannot wait.

Ayorinde in Marvel’s Luke Cage (Photo: Netflix)