A&E's "Roots" remake is drawing even more acclaimed actors to its cast. TV Line reports that Forest Whitaker ("Last King of Scotland") and Anna Paquin ("The Piano," "True Blood") have signed onto the eight-hour miniseries. They join Laurence Fishburne, who will portray "Roots" author Alex Haley.

The classic 1977 miniseries told the story of Kunta Kinte, from his capture in The Gambia in West Africa to his capture and enslavement in Virginia. It traced his family's struggles in slavery for generations, through the end of the Civil War.

In the remake, newcomers Malachi Kirby will play the iconic role of Kunta Kinte. Whitaker is his mentor, Fiddler, while Paquin is Nancy Holt, the wife of a Confederate soldier.

In addition to the Oscar winners, "Roots" has also added several actors to the cast, including: Derek Luke as Silla Ba Dibba, who trains Mandinka warriors; Anika Noni Rose as Kunta Kinte's daughter, Kizzy; "Tudors" star Jonathan Rhys Meyers as the social-climbing, uneducated slave owner Tom Lea; and "Walking Dead" actor Chad L. Coleman as one of Lea's slaves.

The "Roots" remake is currently filming and will air over four nights on A&E, Lifetime, and History sometime next year.

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