Laurence Fishburne is to star in the new Roots miniseries remake.

The Oscar-nominated actor will play writer Alex Haley, whose novel about his African-American ancestry was the basis of the original TV miniseries.

The new project will draw on the late Haley’s novel, Roots: The Saga of an American Family, along with new research, A&E said.

Writer Alex Haley
Alex Haley received a special Pulitzer Prize for Roots (AP)

The 1977 ABC miniseries was a ratings sensation and raised awareness in the United States of African-American history.

No air date or other casting has been announced for the Roots remake, which will debut simultaneously on the History, A&E and Lifetime channels.

The Matrix star Laurence has become a familiar face on TV in shows including CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Hannibal and ABC’s comedy black-ish.