Disney+ and National Geographic are gearing up for the latest chapter of Genius as the anthology highlights two figures for its upcoming fourth season.
Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X will take center stage in Genius: MLK/X, which will see Reggie Rock Bythewood and Gina Prince-Bythewood serve as executive producers under their Undisputed Cinema production banner. Brian Grazer and Ron Howard will return to the program as executive producers for this fourth season.
This will be the first time that the franchise focuses on two iconic geniuses as previous seasons only focused on singular figures Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso, and Aretha Franklin. Previously, the series aired on National Geographic and streamed on Hulu, but this will be the first season to stream exclusively on Disney+. Any future chapters of the anthology will also stream exclusively on Disney+.
Reggie Rock Bythewood, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Damione Macedon & Raphael Jackson Jr. (Credit: Neil Alan Wicks; Samuel Trotter; Courtesy of National Geographic/Disney+)
Along with the Bythewoods, Genius: MLK/X is recruiting Raphael Jackson Jr. and Damione Macedon who will serve as showrunners and executive produce alongside Francie Calfo, Anna Culp, Gigi Pritzker, Rachel Shane, Sam Sokolow, Grazer, Howard, and the Bythewoods. Jeff Stetson is attached to write the pilot script.
Season 4 of Genius will explore the formative years, pioneering accomplishments, dueling philosophies, and key personal relationships of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. While King advanced racial equality through nonviolent protest, Malcolm X argued for Black empowerment, identity, and self-determination. With their wives Coretta Scott King and Betty Shabazz by their sides, King and Malcolm X became synonymous with the civil rights era.
“Malcolm and Martin are staggering icons, and we have been eager to explore the genius of these two very real men in a way that has not yet been seen,” said the Bythewoods. “We are excited to team up with Imagine Entertainment and 20th Television to reflect their amazing lives and contributions to civil rights and the urgency of today.”
Stay tuned for the next chapter as Genius: MLK/X takes shape at Disney+ and catch the first three seasons of Genius now on Hulu.
Genius: MLK/X, Premiere, TBA, Disney+
