Wu-Tang: An American Saga | |
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Genre | Drama |
Created by | |
Starring |
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Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 2 |
No. of episodes | 20 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Running time | 42-59 minutes |
Production companies |
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Distributor | Disney Platform Distribution |
Release | |
Original network | Hulu |
Original release | September 4, 2019 present | –
Wu-Tang: An American Saga is an American drama streaming television series, created by RZA and Alex Tse, which premiered on September 4, 2019, on Hulu.[1] The show portrays a fictionalized account of the formation of the Wu-Tang Clan. In January 2020, the series was renewed for a second season which premiered on September 8, 2021.[2][3] In November 2021, the series was renewed for a third and final season.
Wu-Tang: An American Saga is set in New York City during the height of the crack cocaine epidemic in the early 1990s. It follows the Wu-Tang Clan's formation, a vision of Bobby Diggs aka The RZA (Sanders), and rise amid the dangers and excesses that came with the epidemic.[4] Seeking his own way out, Diggs turns to rap in order to carve a path to fame going against his older brother Divine (Martinez), who favored the drug trade as the means to giving their family a better life.[5] The story depicts how it all came together for the clan as Diggs unites a dozen young black men who are torn between music and crime.[6] The group battles against the forces that hold them down and these include their own occasional impulse to give up the fight.[7]
Season | Episodes | Originally released | ||
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First released | Last released | |||
1 | 10 | September 4, 2019 | October 23, 2019 | |
2 | 10 | September 8, 2021 | October 27, 2021 |
No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date [10] | |
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1 | 1 | "Can It Be All So Simple" | Chris Robinson | The RZA & Alex Tse | September 4, 2019 | |
Staten island, New York. Red Top. Blue Top. The birth of Wu-Tang starts with a bang. After a drive-by on Dennis Cole, he seeks revenge. His Close Friend, Bobby Diggs, has his eyes set on an SP-1200 drum machine. | ||||||
2 | 2 | "Winter Warz" | Norberto Barba | The RZA & Alex Tse | September 4, 2019 | |
3 | 3 | "All In Together Now" | Darren Grant | The RZA & Alex Tse | September 4, 2019 | |
4 | 4 | "All That I Got Is You" | Tara Nicole Weyr | Rodney Barnes | September 11, 2019 | |
5 | 5 | "Cold World" | Jet Wilkinson | Ryan O'Nan | September 18, 2019 | |
6 | 6 | "Impossible" | Craig Zisk | Zina Camblin | September 25, 2019 | |
7 | 7 | "Box in Hand" | Malcolm D. Lee | Chelsey Lora | October 2, 2019 | |
8 | 8 | "Labels" | Tara Nicole Weyr | Gabe Fonseca | October 9, 2019 | |
9 | 9 | "I Declare War" | Craig Zisk | Zak Schwartz | October 16, 2019 | |
10 | 10 | "Assassination Day" | Colin Bucksey | Emily Shesh | October 23, 2019 |
No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date [10] | |
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11 | 1 | "Little Ghetto Boys" | Mario Van Peebles | The RZA & Alex Tse | September 8, 2021 | |
Bobby and Dennis have joined the Diggs family in Ohio, with Bobby seemingly having abandoned his ambitions around music and Dennis and Shurrie expecting their first child. However, things heat up when Bobby is cornered by his girlfriend's ex. Bobby defends himself and is urged by his mother to turn himself in and tell his truth. | ||||||
12 | 2 | "Brooklyn Zoo" | Craig Zisk | Emily Shesh | September 8, 2021 | |
13 | 3 | "Hollow Bones" | Matthew Ross | Ryan O’Nan | September 8, 2021 | |
14 | 4 | "Pioneer the Frontier" | Craig Zisk | Zina Camblin | September 15, 2021 | |
Bobby assembles Dennis, Divine, Sha, and Power on the Staten Island ferry, asking them to squash their beef and come together as Wu-Tang Clan. | ||||||
15 | 5 | "Visionz" | Dinh Thai | Zak Schwartz | September 22, 2021 | |
The group works together to build out their recording studio, while simultaneously finding their harmony as collaborators. Divine utilizes his business acumen to guide Wu-Tang's branding and entity formation. Dennis prepares for Shurrie and Infinite to arrive in New York. | ||||||
16 | 6 | "Protect Ya Neck" | Mario Van Peebles | Lakshmi Sundaram | September 29, 2021 | |
17 | 7 | "Airwaves" | Nijla Mu’min | Gabe Fonseca | October 6, 2021 | |
18 | 8 | "Saturday Nite" | Rachel Raimist | Earl Davis | October 13, 2021 | |
19 | 9 | "C.R.E.A.M" | Dinh Thai | Solange Morales | October 20, 2021 | |
20 | 10 | "As High as Wu-Tang Gets" | Mario Van Peebles | Michael C. Martin | October 27, 2021 |
On October 11, 2018, it was announced that Hulu had given the production a series order consisting of ten episodes. The series was created by RZA and Alex Tse, both of whom were expected to write for the series and executive produce alongside Brian Grazer, Merrin Dungey, and Method Man. Consulting producers were set to consist of Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, Masta Killa, and GZA as well as the estate of Ol' Dirty Bastard. Production companies were slated to include Imagine Television.[6][11][12] On January 17, 2020, the series was renewed for a second season which premiered on September 8, 2021, with a three-episode release.[2][3] On November 4, 2021, Hulu renewed the series for a third and final season.[13]
Principal photography for the series commenced in February 2019 in New York City, New York.[14]
Wu Tang: An American Saga was Released internationally on Disney + Star in selected teritories.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds an approval rating of 74% based on 19 reviews, with an average rating of 7.10/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "While not quite as impressive as its legendary subject matter, An American Saga is a beautifully rendered and raw exploration of the Wu-Tang journey."[15] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 58 out of 100 based on reviews from 4 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews."[16]
Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
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2020 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music | RZA | Nominated | [17] |
Golden Reel Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Episodic Short Form – Music | Shie Rozow | Won | [18] | |
Online Film & Television Association | Best New Theme Song in a Series | Wu-Tang: An American Saga | Nominated | [19] | |
2022 | Golden Reel Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Series 1 Hour – Music | Sebastian Zuleta | Won | [20] |