Netflix has announced that it is joining forces with Colin Kaepernick on a new original drama series based on the former NFL quarterback’s adolescent years.
Colin in Black & White provides an “introspective look at Kaepernick’s early life as a black child growing up with a white adopted family and his journey to become a great quarterback” the original synopsis from Netflix says. The series will lend “meaningful insight into the acts and experiences that led him to become the activist he is today,” it continues.
Writing on the series finished in May but a release date for the six-part series has yet to be announced.
Kaepernick has effectively been exiled from the NFL since the end of the 2016 season after he protested against police brutality and racial injustice. The NFL recently apologised for failing to listen to players who protested and there have been reports that some teams are interested in signing Kaepernick, who is still only 32.
Ava DuVernay, whose past work includes the Oscar-nominated documentary 13th and the Emmy-winning limited series When They See Us is collaborating with Kaepernick on the project.
“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. “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,” she continued.
“Too often we see race and Black stories portrayed through a white lens. We seek to give new perspective to the differing realities that black people face”, Kaepernick said in a statement. “It’s an honour to bring these stories to life in collaboration with Ava for the world to see” he concluded.
Cindy Holland, Vice President of Original Content for Netflix, described the partnership between Kaepernick and DuVernay as “an unparalleled union of two strong and defining voices coming together to tell the story about what it’s like to be black in America.”
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