‘The Crossover’ Creator Kwame Alexander On Adapting His Award-Winning Novel For Screen And The Importance Of Showcasing Black Humanity
In Disney+’s latest series, The Crossover, the teenage intricacies of first love, drama, and aspiring stardom reign supreme on and off the court. Based on the critically acclaimed best-selling verse novel by Kwame Alexander, who also serves as the TV adaptation’s creator, EP, co-writer and co-showrunner, the series follows the lives of two teen brothers, Josh (Jalyn Hall) and Jordan Bell (Amir O’Neil) as they navigate life’s many uncertainties from boyhood to manhood. Though primarily focused on the boy’s relationship with basketball, a sport engrained in them at birth thanks to their former professional basketball-playing father (Derek Luke), the series unabashedly tackles serious issues regarding teenage rebellion, self-discovery, disability, and mental health challenges.