”ROOTS” REMAKE

January 12, 2015 News Room

This photo provided by History shows director Allen Hughes. The History channel is moving closer to a remake of the groundbreaking TV miniseries "Roots." The channel said Hughes, whose credits include "Menace II Society" and "The Book of Eli," has been hired to direct the project. (AP Photo/History, Eric Alexander-Hughes) — This photo provided by History shows director Allen Hughes. The History channel is moving closer to a remake of the groundbreaking TV miniseries “Roots.” The channel said Hughes, whose credits include “Menace II Society” and “The Book of Eli,” has been hired to direct the project. (AP Photo/History, Eric Alexander-Hughes)

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ The History channel is inching closer to doing a remake of the T-V miniseries “Roots.” The outlet says Allen Hughes has been hired to direct the project. The new miniseries, announced in 2013, remains in development and has yet to be greenlighted. But the progress makes it likely the new “Roots” will end up on TV. “Roots” was the story of an enslaved African-American family — which starred Ben Vereen, LeVar Burton and Olivia Cole. No word on casting for the remake.