Wiz Khalifa to play 'Death' in Emily Dickinson-inspired comedy
‘Dickinson’ is part of the growing list of original shows Apple TV+ is whipping up ahead of its November 1 release. The comedy follows the early years of American poet Emily Dickinson and is described as a coming-of-age show that fuses poetry and hip hop.
Written by Alena Smith, the person behind both 'The Affair' and 'The Newsroom', Dickinson follows a young Emily, played by Hailee Steinfeld, as she tackles the constraints of 1800s society, as well as the issues of family, identity, and being a writer ahead of her time. It’s a comedy about a woman fighting to have her voice heard and her imagination understood.
However contemporary the premise sounds, the show will offer a modern spin, fusing both hip-hop and rap into the show’s musical score. This is where rapper Wiz Khalifa comes in. Khalifa is set to play the physical representation of ‘Death’.
Death will stand as Dickinson’s muse and imagined lover in the society. Show creator Alena Smith explained in a recent interview with EW that Khalifa was their ideal actor for the role, saying,
“We literally put Wiz Khalifa on our tone board as this would be the dream, like he’s the aesthetic we want Death to have and then somehow we magically got Wiz Khalifa, so that was incredible.” Smith added, “I wanted Death to be the coolest guy in the world because Emily is in love with Death.”
As Dickinson is a coming-of-age show, the relationship between the young poet and Death is said to be one that will evolve and mature. It will show Dickinson’s idolisation of Death manifest into a more rational understanding of him as a character.
“Part of the story of the season is about her coming to a more realistic and mature understanding of Death, but where she begins is a kind of Goth worship of death. I just really wanted it to be someone that you would genuinely get excited to see.” Smith adds.
Dickinson joins a host of other originals slated for November 1 when Apple TV+ goes live. Other shows include 'SEE’ starring Jason Mamoa and ‘The Morning Show’ with Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon.
Watch the trailer for Dickinson below:
