The Power, from showrunner Raelle Tucker (True Blood) and filmmakers SISTER (Chernobyl), has finally arrived on Prime Video.
In the nine-episode sci-fi series, teen girls worldwide develop organs that imbue them with their new abilities, changing the lives of everyone in Seattle in the process. Mayor Margot Cleary-Lopez, played by Toni Collette, is the mother to one of the teens, Jos (Auli’i Cravalho). She and her husband, Rob (John Leguizamo), try to help their daughter, but Margot being the mayor of Seattle adds a complicated layer to their situation. A revolution sparks when the government tries to control the suddenly electrifying girls.
During the official series premiere in New York, TV Insider caught up with the ensemble cast on the carpet, including Leguizamo, Collette, Cravalho, and Toheeb Jimoh (Ted Lasso), to talk about what they’re excited for fans of the book to see in the show.
“I think they’re going to be surprised at how sophisticated and edgy it is,” said Leguizamo, comparing the novel’s subject material (by author Naomi Alderman) to what’s happening today. “It really parallels what’s happening with all the fascism and authoritarianism, what’s happening with Roe V. Wade, and book banning, and drag queen banning — it really speaks to all the terrible things happening in the world.”
He also mentioned his role in the iconic drag film To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, noting, “if we weren’t allowed to be in drag, that movie would never exist and we wouldn’t have brought joy to the world.”
.@JohnLeguizamo, who’s finishing up a stint on #TheDailyShow, talked what’s in store for @PrimeVideo‘s #ThePower at the premiere, and even touched on his role in ‘To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar’ pic.twitter.com/GBqNva249p
— TV Insider (@TVInsider) March 30, 2023
“The story feels more relevant than ever,” said Cravalho, who is honored to be part of the series and in her role as Jos. She also wore a red hand print across her mouth during the premiere, which signifies “No More Stolen Sisters, a movement bringing light to missing and murdered indigenous women. We were lucky enough to film The Power in Vancouver, and I saw many a monument, and I felt it was important, being on this incredible carpet, portraying the story we are. I wanted to bring light to some real-life topics that are close to my heart.”
Meanwhile, Collette said, “I don’t think [book fans will] be disappointed” and that it “retains all of the qualities of the book and then grows even further.”
Jimoh, who portrays Tunde Ojo, echoed those sentiments: “The book, it goes in such a quick pace. It could be a Tunde chapter, and by the time you hit a Roxy [played by Ria Zmitrowicz] chapter or a Margot chapter, and you’re back to a Tunde chapter, it’s been months, and you don’t know what’s happened to him in that time and there’s a lot of catching up to do.” He promised, “We’ve really slowed it down. We’ve really fleshed it out.”
The Power also stars Josh Charles as Daniel Dandon, Eddie Marsan as Bernie Monke, Ria Zmitrowicz as Roxy Monke, Zrinka Cvitešić as Tatiana Moskalev, Halle Bush as Allie Montgomery, and more.
The Power, Series Premiere Friday, March 31, Prime Video