Power Book III: Raising Kanan - What We Know So Far

In the Zack Snyder-directed zombie movie "Army of the Dead," which hit Netflix in May 2021, Omari Hardwick stars as philosophical soldier Vanderohe. Among Hardwick's notable work prior to appearing in Snyder's latest blockbuster was the lead role in the Starz drama "Power." In the series, Hardwick portrays James "Ghost" St. Patrick, a successful drug dealer hoping to leave criminality behind him and make a living as the owner of a nightclub. "Power" also features the likes of prolific TV actor Lela Loren, pop group 3LW's Naturi Naughton, and the seasoned Joseph Sikora.

"Power" concluded in 2020 following – spoiler alert! – the death of Ghost, which was planned since the series' inception. That said, the final episode of the series didn't mark the end of "Power." A sequel series titled "Power Book II: Ghost," centering on Ghost's son Tariq (Michael Rainey Jr.), premiered shortly after its predecessor's series finale. Next up in the franchise is another new show titled "Power Book III: Raising Kanan" that will act as a prequel to the story featured in the original incarnation of "Power." Here's everything we know so far about the upcoming prequel series.

Starz revealed the release date of "Power Book III: Raising Kanan" in a trailer shared to the network's YouTube channel in advance of the series' debut. According to the trailer, "Power Book III: Raising Kanan" will premiere on July 18, 2021. That date marks just under two months after the trailer's release.

Though the network advertises its flagship streaming app at the end of the trailer, Starz nevertheless remains a premium cable channel. Thus, unlike the majority of series that drop on Netflix and occasionally other streaming services, it appears that episodes of "Power Book III: Raising Kanan" will not all be released at once, but instead air weekly. Availability through Starz's streaming service should follow the episodes' premieres on TV. This is a release model that HBO also uses; despite the network's success as a streaming service via HBO Max, it still adds episodes of its TV series to its app only upon their televised air dates.

"Power Book III: Raising Kanan" will star Mekai Curtis in the titular role of Kanan Stark. In the original version of "Power," none other than Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson portrays Kanan. Given that the new series is a prequel, the 20-year-old Curtis will play a younger version of 50 Cent's Kanan. Curtis' prior roles include the voice of Zack Underwood in the Disney XD cartoon series "Milo Murphy's Law" and a brief role in the "Arrested Development" Season 4 episode "Off the Hook."

In "Power Book III: Raising Kanan," Patina Miller will co-star as Raquel "Raq" Thomas, Kanan's mother. Miller's filmography includes the role of Commander Paylor in the "Hunger Games" film series and Pam Henderson in "All My Children." Also appearing in "Power Book III: Raising Kanan" are Omar Epps as Detective Malcolm Howard, Malcolm Mays as the Raquel's brother Louis "Lou-Lou" Thomas, London Brown as fellow sibling Marvin Thomas, and rapper Joey Bada$$ as drug kingpin Unique.

According to a report by Deadline, "Power Book III: Raising Kanan" will not only tell the story of Kanan Stark's childhood, but also function as a "sprawling family drama" about those who raised him or were otherwise a part of his young life. The series takes place in the '90s in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, New York. Kanan is only 15 upon the series' opening, though he's no stranger to the life of drug dealing that defines his character in "Power" as portrayed by 50 Cent. That's because his mother, Raq, is a cocaine distributor rising in prominence as a figure in the New York City drug trade.

An earlier report by Deadline details how some other members of Kanan's family factor into the series' drama. Marvin, for example, is Raq's muscle. Lou-Lou, meanwhile, is close with Raq, and has influence behind the scenes of her drug trade. Detective Malcolm Howard will work alongside Detective Burke (Shanley Caswell) to bust Raq's drug ring. Finally, Joey Bada$$'s Unique is another drug kingpin and serves as Raq's business rival. 

The drama that results from the inevitably volatile relationships between its central characters should be revealed upon the July 18 release of "Power Book III: Raising Kanan."