February 2024

Creating a Gentle Giant for I’m a Virgo

How do you depict a giant 19-year-old man living life in downtown Oakland, Calif.? That’s the question filmmaker Boots Riley put to visual-effects professionals while preparing I’m a Virgo, his miniseries that follows on the heels of his satire Sorry to Bother You. (Our podcast on the project here.) The Amazon Prime production unfolds from the perspective of 13ʹ-tall Cootie (Jharrel Jerome), who lives a sheltered existence with his Aunt LaFrancine (Carmen Ejogo) and Uncle Martisse (Mike Epps) until he ventures out into the streets and finds love and friendship — and an archenemy....more