Louis Gossett Jr., Cuba Gooding Jr. Board BET Network's 'The Book of Negroes'

Gooding is prepping to make his series TV bow with Fox's Guilty, playing William "Billy" Remz, an ethically questionable defense attorney who has been stripped of his license to practice law after being falsely convicted of fraud. He uses unorthodox techniques to solve cases he's been banned from handling — and exacts revenge upon those who set him up. Greg Berlanti will write and executive produce.

The Canadian miniseries starts shooting in South Africa this week.

TORONTO – Louis Gossett Jr., Cuba Gooding Jr. and Aunjanue Ellis have boarded the Canadian miniseries The Book of Negroes from Conquering Lion Pictures, Out of Africa Entertainment and Entertainment One Television.

Ben Chaplin, Lyriq Bent (Home Again) and Allan Hawco also join the ensemble cast for the BET Networks and CBC period piece. The cameras will start rolling in South Africa this week.

The miniseries, co-written by Clement Virgo and novelist Lawrence Hill, chronicles the life journey of a woman who is kidnapped by slave traders in West Africa and subsequently enslaved in South Carolina.

Virgo will direct the Canada-South Africa co-production, which will also shoot in Nova Scotia.

Executive producers include Damon D'Oliveira, Virgo, Lance Samuels, Bill Niven, Carrie Stein and Margaret O'Brien.

EOne is handling worldwide distribution.