Randy McKinnon: Sound, Spirit, and Survival
Randy McKinnon reshapes the sci-fi genre through the lens of faith, identity, and family. In the evolving world of audio storytelling, Randy McKinnon has emerged as one of the most compelling new voices of his generation. A screenwriter and storyteller celebrated for his emotionally charged narratives and rich character work, McKinnon’s talent lies in weaving the intimate and the epic into one continuous thread. His Audible Original series, The Prophecy, is a shining example—a sweeping narrative that explores motherhood, legacy, and the burden of destiny through a distinctly human lens.
Season Two picks up where the original left off, propelling listeners into a world both mythic and modern. Centering Virginia, a Black woman fighting to protect her newborn son amidst a centuries-old cosmic prophecy, the story expands on themes of sacrifice, faith, and survival. For McKinnon, the series is deeply personal—“a love letter to the amazing Black women who raised me,” as he describes it. With a stellar cast that includes Kerry Washington, Giancarlo Esposito, and Dulé Hill, and an evolving creative partnership with Audible, McKinnon continues to redefine what storytelling can sound like— bridging cinema, spirituality, and sound into something both intimate and infinite. I was able to catch up with Randy after Audible hosted a panel discussion featuring Audible Original creatorts Randy & Chene Lawson at CultureCon in Brooklyn, NY.
Photos by Jason Mendez/Getty Images for Audible, captured at Duggal Greenhouse
In The Prophecy, the central character Virginia is a woman of color. How conscious was the decision to place Black and brown characters at the heart of this epic, and why was it important to you? The Prophecy, for me, has always been a personal love letter to the amazing black.
The Prophecy, for me, has always been a personal love letter to the amazing black women in my life that raised me – so this project became the perfect opportunity to honor their sacrifice, strength and legacy through a universal idea such as the Prophecy. The intention for Virginia to be a woman of color started from the very inception of this idea, and thankfully, every collaborator along the way locked arms with my intention and championed it forward without hesitation.
As you wrote Season 2 (just released), what new themes or conflicts did you want to explore that the first season did not fully address?
Season one was, in many ways, a very introspective thriller, as we followed Virginia’s journey to discovering her place in the Prophecy alongside her unexpected pregnancy. For Season two, I wanted to turn the heat up and create a more frenetic narrative that launched the listeners right into Virginia’s angst, picking up from the cliffhanger of Season one. Now, she faces her most harrowing challenge yet – protecting her newborn son while unraveling a centuries- old prophecy that marks him as humanity’s last hope. This new season combines the intimate human drama of CHILDREN OF MEN with the psychological complexity of Jacques Audiard’s A PROPHET, two of my favorite films, building toward a climactic revelation (no spoilers!) that will forever alter the series’ landscape. At its core, season two can be defined within a Trinity of thematic challenges: a mother’s instinct, a wife’s trust, and a leader’s courage – all tested against forces both supernatural and devastatingly human. Our season 2 writer – Diandra - did an amazing job of taking this blueprint and delivering above expectations.
Without spoiling too much, what thematic threads or character arcs in Season 2 do you consider especially satisfying or challenging?
It’s so tough to only pick one! But removing Virginia from this equation, I’d say Moses and Luther Bell were really exciting characters to expand upon in Season two. Moses was introduced in the cliffhanger of Season One, so it was really fun to explore how he played into the story during modern times. Dule Hill did an amazing job bringing vulnerability and a sense of accessibility to such a revered biblical character. The same with Luther Bell. I think he was the most challenging character to explore, as it was important for us to deliver a fully dimensional antagonist with complicated arguments that would truly challenge Virginia and the listeners outlook on the world. Giancarlo Esposito really nailed that from his first scene, in my opinion. It was so cool listening to the life he breathed into the world’s most polarizing antagonist.
What do you hope listeners take away from The Prophecy?
That humanity has no color or ethnicity. What our characters collectively realize is that - to change the world, it doesn’t require one super-hero act, but millions of small, impactful moments that begins internally first. It was important for me not to make any listeners feel alienated in this story, but feel seen. Whether you are religious or not, the narratives reflect many multifaceted views of life – which I’m really proud of.
How did your partnership with Audible come about, and what drew you to the audio-first / full-cast format?
It started during covid. During a time where everyone was home and quarantined, I wanted to find a way to still connect with audiences during a time where I felt it was most needed. I created the Prophecy during this time, and once Kerry Washington and her production company partnered on this venture, Q-code and our producing partners recognized Audible was the best company to reach the opportunity to reach the widest – so we essentially slid in their DM’s! It was my first time writing for the audio- first format, as most of my work has been in TV and Movies, but what I expected to be a challenge, ended up being one of the most freeing creative ventures of my career. To not be inhibited by location logistics and typical budgets of visual mediums, I could really push the boundaries on where this story could go. And to have audiences be so receptive to the project within this format, it was beyond exciting to witness.
As audiobooks / audio originals grow in appetite and prestige, where do you see this medium heading, and how do you want to evolve with it?
I think the sky is truly the limit for this medium. The prestige of actors and creatives has only increased year-to-year, which is really exciting. We recently shared the season two release in New York at Culture Con, and I received countless pictures from friends who saw The Prophecy themed menu at Alamo Drafthouse, which only shows how global this medium has grown. As an avid reader and lover of storytelling in any medium, the audio original space will only continue to reach new heights, and I want to evolve with it in any way that I can creatively.
What advice do you have for writers of color who want to dream as big (in scale, genre, ambition) as you have?
Creatives create, dreamers procrastinate. The moment that the universe offers you a divine download of that big idea, it’s your job to see it to reality. My career started in the middle of an airport in Atlanta, when I decided to stop dreaming about bringing stories to life, and just started doing it. Find your village of people who keeps you inspired and grounded. Fall in love with the way people live – your stories will be better for it. If you have an idea, pitch it to a child first – what they remember is usually the heart of your idea . And most importantly, don’t wait for the perfect moment. Create it!
Photos by Jason Mendez/Getty Images for Audible, captured at Duggal Greenhouse.
