Spike Lee will direct a multi-part documentary about athlete and activist Colin Kaepernick for ESPN Films.
The documentary has begun production as part of Kaepernick's first-look arrangement with Walt Disney through his production business, Ra Vision Media, which was first announced in July 2020.
"Kaepernick, who has never offered a complete, first-person narrative of his journey," according to the press release, "is teaming closely with Lee, who wants to use comprehensive new interviews and a massive never-before-seen archive to assist Kaepernick tell his tale from his perspective."
Kaepernick recently featured in and executive produced the Netflix series "Colin in Black & White," which debuted in October. The show, which stars Jaden Michael as a young Colin Kaepernick, follows the athlete's life, As a Black child adopted into a white household, he negotiated challenges of race, culture, and class during his formative years as the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, Kaepernick rose to popularity in the football world. He was a six-year NFL veteran who led the team to two title games, including Super Bowl XLVII. In order to protest police brutality and institutional racism in America, Kaepernick began kneeling during the national anthem in 2016. After that season, Kaepernick became a free agent, and no other NFL team wanted to sign him. The former athlete filed a grievance with the NFL in November 2017, alleging that the league was colluding to keep him out of the league. He struck a settlement with the NFL in February 2019 and is now a free agent.
Lee, who won an Oscar for best adapted screenplay for "BlacKkKlansman" in 2019, is a trailblazing director, "Da 5 Bloods" on Netflix was his most recent project. Other documentaries he's worked on include "4 Little Girls" from 1997 and the HBO series "NYC Epicenters: 9/11 – 202112."
The documentary will be executive produced by ESPN Films in collaboration with 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks. Jemele Hill, a former ESPN television personality, will also act as a producer on the film.
