Colin Kaepernick has signed a first-look deal with The Walt Disney Company, which will include a docuseries about his life.
The former NFL star was the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers when he received worldwide attention in 2016 for kneeling during the national anthem to protest against police brutality and racial injustice.
His actions sparked an intense debate, with US President Donald Trump calling for the NFL to fire any player who did not stand for the anthem.
The @WaltDisneyCo announces overall first-look deal with @Kaepernick7
ESPN Films to produce an exclusive docuseries on Kaepernick's life as part of overall deal
Kaepernick will work closely with @TheUndefeated
More: https://t.co/dKjsIrHeQU pic.twitter.com/6xEoyuyCc7
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) July 6, 2020
The new partnership with Disney will also include scripted and unscripted stories that explore race and social injustice.
Kaepernick said: “I am excited to announce this historic partnership with Disney across all of its platforms to elevate black and brown directors, creators, storytellers, and producers, and to inspire the youth with compelling and authentic perspectives.
“I look forward to sharing the docuseries on my life story, in addition to many other culturally impactful projects we are developing.”
The first project in development as part of the deal is an ESPN docuseries chronicling Kaepernick’s journey that will include new interviews and previously unseen archive footage that documents his last five years.
The news follows the global success of the ESPN docuseries The Last Dance, about former Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan, which aired on Netflix in the UK.
Bob Iger, Disney’s executive chairman, said: “During this unprecedented time, The Walt Disney Company remains committed to creating diverse and inclusive content that resonates and matters.
“Colin’s experience gives him a unique perspective on the intersection of sports, culture and race, which will undoubtedly create compelling stories that will educate, enlighten and entertain, and we look forward to working with him on this important collaboration.”
Last week it was announced that Kaepernick has teamed up with Ava DuVernay for a Netflix series exploring his teenage years.
The six-part scripted series will feature Kaepernick as narrator and executive producer.