Posted in: Preview, Starz, Trailer, TV | Tagged: Kanan, power, preview, starz, trailer

Power Book III E01 Preview: Kanan's Eyes Are Set on One Prize Already

With only a little more than a week to go until franchise creator & EP Courtney A. Kemp and EP Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson take viewers back to 90's Jamaica, Queens with the prequel series Power Book III: Raising Kanan, viewers are getting a preview of the latest chapter in the "Power" saga. Filling in a number of blanks when it comes to the backstory of Jackson's now-deceased Kanan Stark, the series is proving to be essential viewing for "Power" fans looking to understand just how much the past impacted the future. And what better place to start than in high school and what better person to start with than Mekai Curtis's young Kanan Stark…

In the following preview for the series premiere, it's all fun and games in the school caf but Kanan keeps his eyes set on one particular "prize":

Here's a look back at the official trailer for STARZ's Power Book III: Raising Kanan– set to premiere July 18:

"Power Book III: Raising Kanan" is the third installment in the expanding "Power" Universe franchise. The prequel takes viewers back to the '90s and the early years of the now-deceased iconic "Power" character Kanan Stark, portrayed in the original series by Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson.

Directed by 50 Cent and Eif Rivera and debuting during the Power Book II: Ghost season finale "Heart of Darkness," the series' theme song, "Part of the Game" is performed by 50 Cent and NLE Choppa, with background vocals from Rileyy Lanez. In the following official music video, a small crew surprises Southside Jamaica Queens residents with a pop-up shoot. Along with offering a look at the very first footage from the series, the video was filmed in 50 Cent's neighborhood- where the series is set. So for a feel of the '90s world of the upcoming series and for a little old-school NYC nostalgia, check out "Part of the Game":

Power Book III: Kanan Theme Song "Part of the Game" (G-Unit records): Directed by Eif Rivera and 50 Cent, and performed by 50 Cent and NLE Choppa with background vocals by Rileyy Lanez. Produced by Omar Reynoso, with production by ERG Designs and Rivera editing. Director of Photography is Paris Stuart, with color by Color by Gloss.

In the following teaser, viewers are transported back to '90s Southside Jamaica Queens, NYC as the spotlight on the early years of iconic Power character Kanan Stark (portrayed in the original series by Jackson, and Mekai Curtis in the prequel series). Fans of the original series are well aware of how Kanan's story ended but not how it first began- that is, until now. Set to "Excursions" from legendary hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest, the following clip also introduces viewers to some of the characters populating Kanan's world- either to help him on his journey or to end it before it's even begun.

The cast of STARZ's Power Book III: Raising Kanan includes series regulars Mekai Curtis as the young Kanan Stark, Patina Miller as Kanan's mother Raquel "Raq" Thomas, Omar Epps as Detective Malcolm Howard, London Brown as Marvin Thomas, Malcolm Mays as Louis "Lou-Lou" Thomas, Shanley Caswell as Detective Shannon Burke, Lovie Simone as Davina Harrison, Toby Sandeman as Symphony Bosket, Joey Bada$$ as Unique, and Hailey Kilgore as Jukebox. The cast also includes Quincy Brown as Crown, Ade Chike Torbert as Scrappy, Natalee Linez as Jessica Figueroa, and Annabelle Zasowski as Nicole Bingham.

Created by series showrunner and executive producer Sascha Penn, Power Book III: Raising Kanan is executive produced by original series creator Courtney A. Kemp through her company End of Episode and Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson through his G-Unit Film and Television. Mark Canton through his Atmosphere Entertainment MM, End of Episode's Chris Selak and Danielle DeJesus, Shana Stein, Bart Wenrich, and Kevin Fox are also executive producers. Rob Hardy directs the premiere episode and also executive produces, with Lionsgate TV producing for STARZ.

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