Spike Lee to Direct Colin Kaepernick Multi-Part Documentary for ESPN

variety.com:

Ellise Shafer Spike Lee is set to direct a multi-part documentary on athlete and activist Colin Kaepernick for ESPN Films, Variety has confirmed.Production has started on the documentary, which was first announced in July 2020 as part of Kaepernick’s first-look deal with Walt Disney through his production company, Ra Vision Media.“Kaepernick, who has never given a full, first-person account of his journey, is collaborating closely with Lee who plans to use extensive new interviews and a vast never-before-seen archive to help Kaepernick tell his story from his perspective,” the press release states.Kaepernick recently executive produced and starred in the Netflix series “Colin in Black & White,” which premiered on the streamer in October.

Starring Jaden Michael as a young Kaepernick, the show chronicles the athlete’s formative years, focusing on how he navigated obstacles of race, culture and class as a Black child adopted into a white family.

Kaepernick rose to prominence in the football world as the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers. He played six seasons in the NFL, leading the team in championship games including Super Bowl XLVII.

In 2016, Kaepernick began to kneel during the national anthem in order to protest police brutality and systemic racism in America.