The Power Universe (or Power franchise) is a media franchise of an American television crime drama series created by Courtney A. Kemp in collaboration with Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson.[1] The franchise produced one of the highest rated shows on Starz and most watched on the cable network.[2]
| The Power Universe | |
|---|---|
| |
| Other names | Power franchise |
| Created by | |
| Original work | Power |
| Owners | Starz CBS Studios Lionsgate |
| Years | 2014–present |
| Films and television | |
| Television series |
|
| Audio | |
| Soundtrack(s) | Soundtracks |
| Original music | "Big Rich Town" by 50 Cent & Joe |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Executive producer |
|
| Distributor | Starz Distribution |
| Official website | |
Official website  | |
Television series
editFour television series make up the Power Universe franchise: Power, Power Book II: Ghost, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, and Power Book IV: Force. All series in total amount to 153 episodes across 15 seasons of television.
| Series | Season | Episodes | Originally aired | Showrunner(s) | Status | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power | 1 | 8 | June 7, 2014 | August 2, 2014 | Courtney A. Kemp | Concluded | |
| 2 | 10 | June 6, 2015 | August 15, 2015 | ||||
| 3 | 10 | July 17, 2016 | September 25, 2016 | ||||
| 4 | 10 | June 25, 2017 | September 3, 2017 | ||||
| 5 | 10 | July 1, 2018 | September 9, 2018 | ||||
| 6 | 15 | August 25, 2019 | February 9, 2020 | ||||
| Power Book II: Ghost | 1 | 10 | September 6, 2020 | January 3, 2021 | Courtney A. Kemp | ||
| 2 | 10 | November 21, 2021 | February 6, 2022 | ||||
| 3 | 10 | March 17, 2023 | May 26, 2023 | Brett Mahoney | |||
| 4 | 10 | June 7, 2024 | October 4, 2024 | ||||
| Power Book III: Raising Kanan | 1 | 10 | July 18, 2021 | September 26, 2021 | Sascha Penn | Released | |
| 2 | 10 | August 14, 2022 | October 23, 2022 | ||||
| 3 | 10 | December 1, 2023 | February 9, 2024 | ||||
| 4[3] | TBA | TBA | TBA | Filming[4] | |||
| 5[5] | TBA | TBA | TBA | In development | |||
| Power Book IV: Force | 1 | 10 | February 6, 2022 | April 17, 2022 | Robert Munic | Released | |
| 2 | 10 | September 1, 2023 | November 10, 2023 | Gary Lennon | |||
| 3[6] | TBA | TBA | TBA | Filming[7] | |||
| Power: Origins | 1[8] | TBA | TBA | TBA | Sascha Penn[9] | In development | |
Power (2014–2020)
editJames St. Patrick finds himself in trouble when he is caught between balancing two separate lives. Trying to leave his past as a smooth yet ruthless drug-dealer nicknamed "Ghost," his new goals to be a legitimate nightclub owner and to save his crumbling marriage don't come easy. As the "ghost" of his past comes to roost, James must evade the police, manage shifting economic alliances, and attempt to leave the criminal world behind.
Power Book II: Ghost (2020–2024)
editServing as a sequel to the original series, Power Book II: Ghost follows Tariq St. Patrick as he navigates a new life. With a desire to shed his father's legacy, he too finds himself entangled in the complications of drug operations and family affairs. With mounting pressure to save his family, he must learn to balance his drug operation, take on the cutthroat Tejada family, and avoid scrutiny from local and federal law enforcement.
Power Book III: Raising Kanan (2021–present)
editIn a prequel to the original series, Power Book III: Raising Kanan follows the journey of young Kanan Stark as he first gets into the drug-dealing game in the 1990s to his role as a major antagonist in Power.
Power Book IV: Force (2022–present)
editIn the second sequel spin-off to Power, Power Book IV: Force follows Tommy Egan as he leaves New York behind to try to become the greatest drug-dealer in all of Chicago.
Power: Origins
editA fifth series in the Power Universe was announced to be in development at Starz on March 13, 2024.[8] The series will focus on the early years of James "Ghost" St. Patrick and Tommy Egan in the 1990s, exploring their rise in New York City's criminal underworld.[9] It will feature younger versions of key characters, including Ghost, Tommy, Angela, and Tasha.
"Power: Origins" is set to be the fourth spinoff in the Power franchise, following Power Book II: Ghost, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, and Power Book IV: Force. While no release date or specific casting details have been announced, the show is highly anticipated and may include crossover potential with Raising Kanan, which also explores this time period.
Other series
editPower Book V: Influence
editThe development of Power Book V: Influence was cancelled in August 2022 and the series would not be moving forward.[10] "Power Book V: Influence," was set to follow Rashad Tate's political career. The spinoff was supposed to focus on Tate’s second run for governor of New York, with Larenz Tate reprising his role. However, Starz decided not to move forward with this project, likely because Tate’s character already plays a prominent role in "Power Book II: Ghost." Starz programming executives have mentioned that the character's story could continue to unfold within that series.
Accolades
edit| Series | Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power | 2015 | Women's Image Network Awards[11] | Actress Drama Series | Naturi Naughton | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Show Written by a Woman | Courtney A. Kemp | Nominated | ||||
| 2016 | 47th NAACP Image Awards[12] | Outstanding Drama Series | Power | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series | Omari Hardwick | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Naturi Naughton | Nominated | ||||
| NAMIC Vision Awards[13] | Best Performance – Drama | Naturi Naughton | Nominated | |||
| Best Performance – Drama | Omari Hardwick | Won | ||||
| Women's Image Network Awards[14] | Actress Drama Series | Naturi Naughton | Nominated | |||
| 2017 | 48th NAACP Image Awards[15] | Outstanding Drama Series | Power | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series | Omari Hardwick | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Naturi Naughton | Won | ||||
| Black Reel Awards for Television[16] | Outstanding Drama Series | Power | Nominated | |||
| People's Choice Awards[17] | Favorite Premium Drama Series | Power | Nominated | |||
| 2018 | 49th NAACP Image Awards[18] | Outstanding Drama Series | Power | Won | ||
| Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series | Omari Hardwick | Won | ||||
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Naturi Naughton | Won | ||||
| Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited Series) | Michael Rainey Jr. | Nominated | ||||
| Black Reel Awards for Television[19] | Outstanding Actor, Drama Series | Omari Hardwick | Nominated | |||
| NAMIC Vision Awards[20] | Best Performance – Drama | 50 Cent | Nominated | |||
| Best Performance – Drama | Michael Rainey Jr. | Nominated | ||||
| Drama | Power | Nominated | ||||
| Hollywood Music In Media Awards (HMMA)[21] | Outstanding Music Supervision – Television | Jennifer Ross | Won | |||
| 2019 | 50th NAACP Image Awards[22] | Outstanding Drama Series | Power | Won | ||
| 34th Annual Imagen Awards[23] | Best Actress - Television | Lela Loren | Nominated | |||
| 2020 | 51st NAACP Image Awards[24] | Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series | Omari Hardwick | Won | ||
| Power Book II: Ghost | 2021 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Drama Series | Power Book II: Ghost | Won | [25] |
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Clifford 'Method Man' Smith Jr | Won | ||||
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Mary J. Blige | Won | ||||
| 2022 | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Clifford 'Method Man' Smith Jr | Won | [26] | ||
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Mary J. Blige | Won |
Theme songs
editThe opening themes for all four series are songs performed by the executive producer of the show, 50 Cent.
| Series | Theme song |
|---|---|
| Power | "Big Rich Town" |
| Power Book II: Ghost | |
| Power Book III: Raising Kanan | "Part of the Game" |
| Power Book IV: Force | "Power Powder Respect" |
References
edit- ^ 50 Cent Answers the Web's Most Searched Questions | WIRED, January 17, 2018, archived from the original on January 16, 2022, retrieved January 1, 2023
- ^ Parlevliet, Mirko (December 15, 2022). "Power Book II: Ghost Season 3 Teaser and 50 Cent on Fightland". VitalThrills.com. Archived from the original on November 6, 2023. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
- ^ Petski, Denise (November 28, 2023). "'Power Book III: Raising Kanan' Lands Early Season 4 Renewal At Starz". Deadline. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
- ^ Grant, Shawn (November 30, 2023). "Starz's 'Power Book III: Raising Kanan' Begins Production on Season Four". The Source. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
- ^ Cordero, Rosy (March 27, 2024). "'Power Book III: Raising Kanan' Renewed For Season 5". Deadline. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- ^ Cordero, Rosy (December 15, 2023). "'Power Book IV: Force' Renewed For Season 3 At Starz". Deadline. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
- ^ "'Power Book IV: Force' Season Three Begins Filming in Chicago". Screen Magazine. February 21, 2024. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
- ^ a b Cordero, Rosy (March 13, 2024). "'Power' Franchise Expanding Again With Ghost & Tommy Prequel Series In Development At Starz". Deadline. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
- ^ a b Schnieder, Michael (March 13, 2024). "Starz Orders Fourth 'Power' Spinoff 'Origins,' About the Beginnings of Ghost and Tommy". Variety. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
- ^ Schwartz, Ryan (August 11, 2022). "Power Spinoff Influence, Centered on Councilman Tate, Not Moving Forward". TVLine. Archived from the original on August 26, 2022. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
- ^ "Women's Image Network Awards 2015". IMDb. August 3, 2018. Archived from the original on August 20, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
- ^ "2016 Image Winners". Variety. February 6, 2016. Archived from the original on February 27, 2016. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
- ^ "22ND ANNUAL NAMIC VISION AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED" (PDF). August 3, 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 19, 2016. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
- ^ "Women's Image Network Awards 2016". IMDb. August 3, 2018. Archived from the original on November 13, 2020. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
- ^ Kinane, Ruth (December 13, 2016). "Beyonce leads the pack of 2017 NAACP Image Award Nominees". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 16, 2016. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
- ^ "BLACK*ISH PACES THE BLACK REEL AWARDS FOR TELEVISION FIELD". August 3, 2018. Archived from the original on August 12, 2017. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
- ^ "People's Choice Awards Nominations Are Here: Find Out How to Vote for Your Favorites". August 3, 2018. Archived from the original on June 23, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
- ^ "NAACP – Nominees Announced for 49th NAACP Image Awards". November 20, 2017. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved December 9, 2017.
- ^ "VOTERS ARE "SWEET" ON QUEEN SUGAR". August 3, 2018. Archived from the original on June 24, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
- ^ "2018 NAMIC Vision Awards Nominees". August 3, 2018. Archived from the original on August 3, 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
- ^ "2018 HMMA Winners". September 22, 2019. Archived from the original on November 21, 2019. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
- ^ "NAACP – Nominees Announced for 50th NAACP Image Awards". September 22, 2019. Archived from the original on December 6, 2017. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
- ^ "Nominations Announced for the 34th Annual Imagen Awards". September 22, 2019. Archived from the original on August 2, 2020. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
- ^ "NAACP Image Awards Winners: Complete List". The Hollywood Reporter. February 22, 2020. Archived from the original on February 23, 2020. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
- ^ Del Rosario, Alexandra (February 2, 2021). "NAACP Image Awards Nominations: Netflix Tops List With 'Bridgerton', 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' & 'Da 5 Bloods'". Deadline. Archived from the original on March 26, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
- ^ Zhan, Jennifer (February 26, 2022). "NAACP Image Awards Winners Include Jazmine Sullivan, Will Smith, Red Table Talk". Vulture. Archived from the original on April 27, 2022. Retrieved February 27, 2022.