Spike Lee is teaming with Colin Kaepernick to direct an ESPN Films documentary series about the former NFL quarterback’s life, which will be the first time that Kaepernick has given a full, first-person account of his personal journey.
Kaepernick is collaborating closely with Lee, who will get access to some of Kaepernick’s archives and obtain new interviews in order to tell Kaepernick’s story from his own perspective.
The project was announced last year when the Walt Disney Company set an overall first-look deal with Kaepernick’s production arm Ra Vision Media to develop scripted and unscripted stories focused on underrepresented groups from Black and Brown storytellers. But production has now begun with Lee on board to direct.
The documentary, which is intended as a multi-part series, will be executive produced by ESPN Films and produced by Spike’s 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks. Kaepernick is also partnering with former ESPN television personality Jemele Hill, who is also a producer on the project.
Further details on the project will be announced at a later date.
To coincide with the announcement, Lee and Kaepernick both attended the New York Knicks and Memphis Grizzlies game on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
Sports fans may also recall that Lee previously directed the documentary “Kobe Doin’ Work” that aired on ESPN in 2009. Kobe Bryant granted Lee access to follow him around for one day before, during and after a game against the San Antonio Spurs in the Lakers’ 2007-08 season, and Lee delivered by bringing out 30 different cameras to capture all angles and understand Bryant’s work ethic and mentality on and off the court.
Colin Kaepernick, who played six seasons in the NFL for the San Francisco 49ers and in 2016 famously knelt during the National Anthem in order to protest police brutality and racial inequality, has continued his civil rights work off the football field. He is also the creator of a show for Netflix, along with Ava DuVernay, called “Colin in Black and White.” The fictionalized drama series starred Jaden Michael as Kaepernick in his high school days and documents the experiences that led to him becoming an activist.
The latest Spike Lee Joint was the docuseries “NYC Epicenters: 9/11-2021 1/2” for the 20th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.