Posted in: Preview, Starz, Trailer, TV | Tagged: Courtney Kemp, power, power book iii, raising kanan, season 2, starz

Power Book III: Raising Kanan Scores Early Season 2 STARZ Renewal

With less than a week to go until the prequel series makes its debut, "Power" franchise creator & EP Courtney A. Kemp, EP Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, and series creator & showrunner Sascha Penn received the kind of news that all series want to here before their premiere. On Monday, STARZ announced that the Mekai Curtis and Patina Miller-starring Power Book III: Raising Kanan will be back for a second season- and when it does, Antonio Ortiz's Shawn "Famous" Figueroa will be promoted to a series regular.

"One season isn't enough to tell the coming of age story of Kanan Stark and his mother, Raq, a fierce and successful woman who is a force of nature," said Jeffrey Hirsch, President and CEO of Starz. "The anticipation globally for more of the Power Universe made it clear that the Kanan story needs to continue." Here's a look at Kemp's tweet sharing the good news with the "Power" universe:

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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