Skip to main content

Mobile Ads

Ava DeVernay to executive produce Netflix series on ex-NFL player turned civil rights activist Colin Kaepernick

Colin Kaepernick is joining with Emmy-winning filmmaker Ava DuVernay on a Netflix drama series about the teenage roots of the former NFL player’s activism.

Colin in Black & White will examine Kaepernick’s high school years to illuminate the experiences that shaped his advocacy, Netflix said Monday.

“Too often, we see race and Black stories portrayed through a white lens,” Kaepernick said in a statement. “We seek to give a new perspective to the differing realities that Black people face. We explore the racial conflicts I faced as an adopted Black man in a white community, during my high school years.”

Kaepernick, born to a white mother and Black father, was adopted in Wisconsin by a white couple who moved to California when he was a child.

In 2016, the San Francisco 49ers quarterback began kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality, drawing both support and criticism, with his detractors including President Donald Trump. Kaepernick became a free agent in 2017 but went unsigned.

Ava DeVernay is executive producing

Writing on the six-episode series was completed in May, the streaming service said. DuVernay, writer Michael Starrbury and Kaepernick are the executive producers. Kaepernick will appear as himself as the limited series’ narrator, Netflix said.

Further casting details and a release date were not immediately announced.

Kaepernick called it an honour to collaborate with DuVernay, whose credits include the award-winning When They See Us, which dramatised the Central Park Five case, and the Oscar-nominated documentary 13th.

“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.”

Kaepernick, who led the 49ers to the Super Bowl following the 2012 season, filed a grievance against the league in 2017, contending teams colluded to keep him out. The sides reached an undisclosed settlement in 2019.

The 32-year-old Kaepernick still wants an opportunity to play. A workout in Atlanta last November that was organised by the NFL turned chaotic and resulted in no job offers.

In the aftermath of nationwide protests following the death of George Floyd, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell apologized to players for not listening to them earlier and encouraged them to protest peacefully. Goodell says he’s encouraged teams to sign Kaepernick.

“This young man is talented enough to play in the National Football League,” league executive Troy Vincent said recently.


by The Associated Press

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Watch The Sound with Mark Ronson Apple TV+ explores the curious link between music and technology

In The Salmon of Doubt , Douglas Adams writes: “I've come up with a set of rules that describe our reactions to technologies: 1. Anything that is in the world when you’re born is normal and ordinary, and is just a natural part of the way the world works. 2. Anything that's invented between when you’re 15 and 35 is new and exciting and revolutionary, and you can probably get a career in it. 3. Anything invented after you're 35 is against the natural order of things.” Cut to the world of music. As much as technology has been a driving force in the industry, the advent of any innovation has often been received with skepticism before it goes on to become the norm. Harnessing that interplay between the creative process of making music and the technological enhancement given to said music, is acclaimed DJ and producer Mark Ronson. In his just-released six-part mini-docuseries Watch the Sound with Mark Ronson , he astutely defines how different the process of creating a great ...

Shakuntala Devi director Anu Menon, Abundantia Entertainment reunite to announce murder mystery

Director Anu Menon and production house Abundantia Entertainment are set to reunite for a murder mystery after Vidya Balan-starrer  Shakuntala Devi , the makers said on Monday. According to a press release, the film is in the final stages of screenplay, with principal photography expected to begin in April-May 2021. Menon said she had a great time working with Abundantia Entertainment on Shakuntala Devi and is happy to have joined hands with the banner for her new movie. “Their passion for telling compelling stories and commitment to a director’s vision are rare to find. We have a very different story coming up this time round and I hope we receive the same love from the audience as we did for our first collaboration together,” the director said in a statement. See the post View this post on Instagram A post shared by Anu Menon (@directormenon) Vikram Malhotra, founder, and CEO, Abundantia Entertainment said Menon has a unique style of storytelling that is i...

Coronavirus Outbreak: Disney announces phased reopening of Paris theme park from 15 July

Walt Disney Co will reopen its Disneyland Paris theme park in phases from 15 July, days after it plans to open its parks in the United States, the company said on Monday. It expects to reopen Disneyland Park, Walt Disney Studios Park, Disney’s Newport Bay Club hotel and Disney Village, according to Natacha Rafalski, president of Disneyland Paris. Check out the announcement here We’re pleased to announce that @DisneyParis_EN will begin a phased reopening of the resort starting with Disneyland Park, Walt Disney Studios Park, Disney’s Newport Bay Club hotel and Disney Village as of July 15, 2020. Learn more: https://t.co/F5ga3qffIW pic.twitter.com/mb3PiQ4o2N — Disney Parks News (@DisneyParksNews) June 22, 2020 The company had closed its theme parks around the world in January as the coronavirus started spreading globally, leading to sweeping lockdowns and travel restrictions. (Click here to follow LIVE updates on coronavirus outbreak) Disney also said last month it would re...