‘Black Ops’ Co-Creator Says “Things Are Bubbling” With American Version & Reveals Dream U.S. Leads

“Things are bubbling” with an American version of hit BBC comedy-thriller Black Ops, according to co-creator and star Akemnji Ndifornyen.

Ndifornyen was pretty tight-lipped at the BBC Comedy Festival about the possibility of Hollywood remaking Black Ops, but he implied conversations are taking place. “I don’t really want to speak to stuff but things are bubbling,” he said.

Ndifornyen joked that he thinks about a potential American version, “all the time… because of money.”

The show, which is co-created by Ndifornyen with co-star Gbemisola Ikumelo and stars SNL UK breakout Hammed Animashaun, follows two police community support officers who join the Greater London Police and find themselves working undercover.

Black Ops has quietly become one of the BBC’s most successful comedies of the past few years and it was given a third season greenlight yesterday. Hulu bought Season 1 for the U.S. in late 2024.

Turning to who could play them, Ndifornyen decided that “a rapper, any West Coast rapper,” would fit the bill for his character Tevin. Ikumelo pondered for a moment and went for Keke Palmer, star of Hustlers and Pimp.

The pair were speaking at the BBC Comedy Festival in Liverpool after James Corden and Ruth Jones.