ESPN has confirmed it will not move forward with a highly anticipated docuseries about Colin Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who ignited a national movement in 2016 by kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial injustice and police brutality.
The eight-part series, directed by Oscar-winner Spike Lee, was announced in 2022 and promoted as a first-person account of Kaepernick’s journey from NFL star to civil rights figure. But on Saturday, Aug. 16, both ESPN and Lee said the project had been canceled due to “creative differences.”
“ESPN, Colin Kaepernick and Spike Lee have collectively decided to no longer proceed with this project as a result of certain creative differences,” the network said in a statement. “Despite not reaching finality, we appreciate all the hard work and collaboration that went into this film.”
Kaepernick, now 37, has not played in the NFL since the 2016 season. The 49ers released him in 2017, citing football-related reasons, though many believe his political activism significantly influenced the league’s decision to keep him unsigned.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/entertainment/article/espn-kaepernick-docuseries-canceled-20821022.php
For those that want to source that isn’t the New York Post. What a weird choice op.
Other articles had non descriptive or confusing titles but I hadn’t seen this one yet. I’ll replace the current article with this
certain creative differences
Read: “racism is cool again and we don’t have to do image repair anymore”
What is stopping Spike Lee from releasing it under his own publisher, that he has had for decades at this point? Seems like Spike Lee just doesn’t want to, whether that is because of Lee and Kaepernick, or Lee and ESPN, I’d love to know. But ultimately if Lee wanted to release the film he has the power to.
What do Lee and Kaepernick say?
Kaepernick hasn’t commented, Spike Lee says he can’t comment because of an NDA. Which kind of suggests to me that ESPN pulled the plug.
It doesn’t say. They might have been forced to sign an NDA
I read that article elsewhere earlier and it made me angry. I wanted to see that movie, too!
