Colin Kaepernick Sets Netflix Original Series with Ava DuVernay Based on His Life
Zack Sharf
Netflix has announced it is joining forces with Colin Kaepernick on “Colin in Black & White,” a new original scripted drama series based on the young life of the football player. The project hails from Kaepernick and Ava DuVernay, whose relationship with the streaming giant includes the Oscar-nominated documentary “13th” and the Emmy-winning limited series “When They See Us.”
The original synopsis for “Colin in Black & White” from Netflix reads: “The series 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 while defining his identity.The series will focus on Kaepernick’s formative high school years, lending meaningful insight into the acts and experiences that led him to become the activist he is today.”
“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.”
“Too often we see race and Black stories portrayed through a white lens,” Kaepernick added. “We seek to give 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. It’s an honor to bring these stories to life in collaboration with Ava for the world to see.”
Cindy Holland, Vice President of Original Content for Netflix, added in her own statement, “We’re proud to bring Colin’s experience and his creative vision to life as he joins Ava to share his powerful story and message with all our members around the world. It is 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.”
The idea for “Colin in Black & White” was conceived in 2019 and writing on the seres wrapped in May. Emmy Award nominee Michael Starrbury writes and serves as executive producer alongside DuVernay and Kaepernick, who is set to appear as himself as the narrator of the series. The show will run six episodes.
