Press Release · For Immediate Release
A family flees an 1850s plantation, hides in a burning cabin, and opens the door to New York City on New Year’s Eve 2020, where an ancient prophecy has been waiting for their newborn son.
October 17, 2026 — Lukeworth Pictures today launched a public crowdfunding campaign on GoFundMe to finance the pilot episode of The Black Child, an original drama series written, directed, and produced by Chris Lukeworth. The campaign aims to raise $1.3 million to produce a cinematic pilot for presentation to television networks, streaming platforms, and film festivals.
The Black Child begins in the 1850s American South. A father named Abraham runs into the night with everything he has left: the woman he loves, their young daughter, and the newborn son who was stolen from their arms. Hunted through the forest by riders with torches and rifles, the family hides inside an abandoned cabin as the flames close in.
The end never comes. When they open the door, the fire is gone, and so is the world they knew. They are standing in New York City on New Year’s Eve, 2020. Their escape was no accident. An ancient prophecy has waited thousands of years for their son. He carries gifts no one on Earth has ever seen, and a darkness older than time is already coming for him.
“I wrote The Black Child because I wanted to see a hero like him on screen, a child whose story starts in one of the darkest chapters of American history and grows into a legend,” said Chris Lukeworth. “This is a story about family, about freedom, and about the power that has always lived inside people the world tried to break. I want every kid who watches it to see themselves as the hero.”
In television, the pilot is the episode networks and streaming services watch before deciding whether to order a full season. A finished, high-quality pilot puts The Black Child directly in front of the people who greenlight series.
The campaign publishes a full line-item budget. Visual effects are the largest investment at $500,000, based on a quote the production obtained from Wētā FX, the studio known for Avatar and The Lord of the Rings. See the full breakdown on the series page.
Lukeworth Pictures is an independent film and television company founded by writer, director, and producer Chris Lukeworth. The Black Child © 2018 Chris Lukeworth. All rights reserved.
Media contact: Chris Lukeworth, Lukeworth Pictures · gofund.me/1789a3e28