Is Washington Black based on a book? Inspiration behind the Hulu series, explored

Washington Black premiered on July 23, 2025, with all of its 8 episodes dropping simultaneously on Hulu. The series is based on Esi Edugyan's novel of the same name that came out in 2018. However, despite basing itself on the novel, the series has taken certain creative liberties that deviate from the book significantly.

Besides the minor changes throughout the series, one of the key points of deviation in Washington Black comes regarding the conclusion of the series, which ends on a more hopeful note than the book did.

Talking about the ending, H. Alan Scott, who stars in the show and also serves as an executive producer, told Newsweek,

“This project came to me before American Fiction. But American Fiction actually talks a lot about how it seems most of Black stories that are for mainstream consumption have to do with Black pain, have to do with Black trauma, right? So I thought, how awesome would it be to take this historical context but to still illuminate, [and] highlight, joy, hope, faith, love, etc.”

However, despite the creative liberties it took, Washington Black does remain rooted in its source material.

Washington Black is based on the novel by Esi Edugyan

While Washington Black follows the basic plot line and key characters of the novel that it has adapted, it changes the method of storytelling. In the novel, Edugyan followed a linear structure where the events unfolded in a pretty straightforward manner. However, in the show, flashback plays an important role as the narrative moves to and fro between inventor George Washington’s childhood and adulthood.

Moreover, there is also inclusion of new characters, including William McGee. Besides these changes, the main liberty that the show has taken from the book is how it ends. In the book, after Wash confronts Titch about the latter abandoning him in childhood, he realizes that Titch is stuck in the past, and as Wash walks out, he faces a sandstorm.

In the novel, Wash’s fate remains ambiguous. However, the show took a more definite approach to the end and showed that Wash was not harmed in the sandstorm. Instead, it is shown that he has successfully built the airship that he has been working on, and with the help of that, both he and Tana leave for Wash’s now dead mother’s native land, Dahomey.

The couple lives happily there and also has a child together. They also move forward with their lives, and Tana is shown to be reuniting with her mother as well. This optimistic ending is what marks the main difference between the book and the novel.

Washington Black is streaming on Hulu.

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