Netflix picked up a six-episode scripted series about former NFL player-turned-activist Colin Kaepernick, focusing on his teenage years.
Ava DuVernay, the Black filmmaker who directed “Selma” and “13th,” served as the director and an executive producer, reports said.
“With his act of protest, Colin Kaepernick ignited a national conversation about race and justice with far-reaching consequences for football, culture and for him, personally,” DuVernay said in a statement, per The Hollywood Reporter. “Colin’s story has much to say about identity, sports and the enduring spirit of protest and resilience. I couldn’t be happier than to tell this story with the team at Netflix.”
The project will not be a docuseries, but a scripted retelling of Kaepernick’s adolescent years. Kaepernick will narrate the series, but a younger actor will be cast to portray the quarterback.
Kaepernick has not played in the NFL since the 2016 season. His decision to kneel during the national anthem before football games, an act of protest against police brutality, sparked controversy but convinced many to join him in the protest.
Kaepernick alleged in a grievance that the league blackballed him and former teammate Eric Reid because they began the protest movement. The league settled with Kaepernick and Reid for a figure reported to be less than $10 million.
Amid a national outburst of protests against police brutality that followed the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a video statement that “We, the National Football League, believe Black Lives Matter” and later said he encouraged teams to consider signing Kaepernick.
Among other off-the-field pursuits, Kaepernick recently became a board member for the publishing platform Medium. Reports said he will host an interview series tentatively titled “Conversations with Colin.”
• Adam Zielonka can be reached at azielonka@washingtontimes.com.
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