The Weinstein Company and entertainer Jay Z are planning a series of projects on the life and 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida.
Jay Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, will produce a six-part docu-series based on material gleaned from “Suspicion Nation: The Inside Story of the Trayvon Martin Injustice and Why We Continue to Repeat It,” and “Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin.” The news was announced Thursday by Variety once the winner of a bidding war on book rights was confirmed.
In addition to the docu-series, The Weinstein Company plans on developing a feature film on the subject, the magazine reported.
Martin, 17, was shot and killed on Feb. 26, 2012, after an altercation with 28-year-old resident George Zimmerman inside a gated community. A Florida jury ruled in July 2013 that Mr. Zimmerman was not guilty of second-degree murder and manslaughter for shooting the teenager with his 9mm pistol.
Other studios that vied for book rights included Fox Searchlight, Universal on behalf of Will Packer, and Ted Field, Variety reported.
The deal, completed last week, was brokered by Mr. Carter.
“Suspicion Nation” was authored by Lisa Bloom. “Rest in Power” was penned by Mr. Martin’s parents.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.