A Colin Kaepernick drama series from Ava DuVernay is in the works at Netflix

Colin Kaepernick
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Colin Kaepernick is getting the Hollywood treatment in a new Netflix show from Ava DuVernay.

DuVernay is working on a six-episode Netflix limited drama series about the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It will be titled Colin in Black & White and, according to the Reporter, will "examine Kaepernick's adolescent life, focusing on his high school years and the acts and experiences that led him to become the activist he is today."

Kaepernick, who while in the NFL kickstarted a movement to kneel during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial injustice, will produce and serve as narrator for the show. The series will be written by Michael Starrbury, and DuVernay will produce, although Deadline reports it's unclear if she'll direct as well. DuVernay and Starrbury last year worked with Netflix on When They See Us, an acclaimed limited series about the Central Park Five case.

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"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. "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 said the show will "explore the racial conflicts I faced as an adopted Black man in a white community, during my high school years." He added, "It's an honor to bring these stories to life in collaboration with Ava for the world to see."

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan is a staff writer at The Week. A graduate of Hofstra University with a degree in journalism, he also writes about horror films for Bloody Disgusting and has previously contributed to The Cheat Sheet, Heavy, WhatCulture, and more. He lives in New York City surrounded by Star Wars posters.