Netflix announced ‘Colin in Black & White' a new series centering around the life of NFL players and political Civil Rights activist Colin Kaepernick.
The new series is produced by Emmy Award Winner and Academy Award nominee Ava DuVernay.
According to Netflix, the official synopsis is as follows: “The six-episode series, which was conceived in 2019 and recently completed writing in May, provides an introspective look at Kaepernick's early life as a Black child growing up with a white adopted family and his journey to becoming a great quarterback while defining his identity. The limited series reunites Starrbury and DuVernay who last worked together on Netflix's acclaimed When They See Us, which received 16 Emmy Award Nominations, including a nomination for Outstanding Writing for the duo and was recently honored with a Peabody Award. “
“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,” said DuVernay 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.” Kaepernick also commented: “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. 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.”
There is currently no official release date from Netflix.
Colin Kaepernick played six seasons for the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL. As a political activist, he kneed during the national anthem in protest of police brutality and racial inequality in America. The actions resulted in a wider protest movement, which intensified in 2017 after President Donald Trump said the NFL owners should “fire” players who protest the anthem. Kaepernick would become a free agent after the season, but no team would sign him. According to stats provided by FiveThirtyEight, “it's obvious Kaepernick is being frozen out for his political opinions”, calling it “extraordinary … that a player like him can't find a team”, based on the observation that “no above-average quarterback [measured by the total quarterback rating] has been unemployed nearly as long as Kaepernick this offseason.” In November 107, he filed a complaint against the NFL, accusing them of colluding to keep him out of the NFL. Kaepernick withdrew the grievance in February 2019 after reaching a confidential settlement with the NFL. More recently, his protest are praised in 2020 amid the George Floyd protests, the growing Black Lives Matter movement, and the campaign against police brutality and racism
In relevant news, do you have a movie idea? Netflix is now looking for aspiring writers.
Imagine Impact from Ron Howard and Brian Grazer's production company, is looking for submissions as part of their deal with Netflix. The open submissions are looking to identify and help develop feature film ideas in four different genres, over the next year. The first four genre-specific application windows open Wednesday. The first round of projects is considered “large scale action-adventure movies for all audiences.” Applications will be accepted now until July 6th.
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