Forest Whitaker‘s Godfather of Harlem isn’t officially coming back for Season 5 on MGM+, but that doesn’t mean that the show won’t get a proper ending. The series originally premiered on Epix (the platform that later became MGM+) on September 29, 2019. Season 4 debuted on April 13, 2025, with the most recent episode streaming on June 22, 2025. Besides starring, Whitaker has served as an executive producer on the series.
How MGM+ plans to bring Godfather of Harlem to a close
MGM+ has revealed that Godfather of Harlem will conclude with a two-hour finale after four seasons, as per Deadline. Production for this episode will start on July 10 at the Brooklyn, New York, set of the series.
Chris Brancato and Paul Eckstein created Godfather of Harlem, a crime drama series set in the New York City of the 1960s. Whitaker portrays Bumpy Johnson, a real-world gangster who returns to Harlem after 10 years of imprisonment to discover how things have drastically changed.
The neighborhood he once ruled is now in complete disarray, and the Italian mob has taken over the streets. He forms a surprising alliance with Malcolm X, as the city around him faces major social movements and gang violence.
The cast also includes Nigél Thatch (first two seasons) and Jason Alan Carvell (seasons 3 and 4) as Malcolm X, Ilfenesh Hadera as Mayme Thatcher Johnson, Lucy Fry as Stella Gigante, Vincent D’Onofrio as Vincent “The Chin” Gigante, Antoinette Crowe-Legacy as Elise Johnson, and Michael Raymond-James as Joseph Colombo.
Additionally, amid the announcement, Whitaker reflected on the character he has played for seven years. “Playing Bumpy Johnson has been one of the greatest experiences of my career,” the Oscar-winner said.
“This character, this story, and this ensemble have allowed me to explore the complexity of a man caught between ambition, loyalty, and survival.” He also added, “I’m grateful to Michael Wright and MGM+, Chris Brancato, 20th Television, Amazon, the entire creative team, and our extraordinary cast, for five seasons of exceptional collaboration.”
Further, Godfather of Harlem has been an important series for MGM+ and its predecessor Epix. It garnered a 92% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes for its inaugural season. At the time of this article’s composition, the finale doesn’t have a release date.
Originally reported by Tamal Kundu on ComingSoon.
