A planned documentary series on former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, directed by Spike Lee for ESPN Films, has been shelved due to creative disputes, the Walt Disney-owned (NYSE:DIS) sports network confirmed to Reuters.
“ESPN, Colin Kaepernick and Spike Lee have collectively decided to no longer proceed with this project as a result of certain creative differences,” the company said in a statement Saturday, thanking those involved for their efforts despite the outcome.
Lee also acknowledged the project’s demise during an interview with Reuters on Friday. Pressed for details, the Academy Award winner cited a nondisclosure agreement and declined further comment.
Kaepernick, now 37, rose to national prominence in 2016 when he kneeled during the U.S. national anthem to protest racial injustice and police violence. The move sparked a cultural firestorm and drew criticism from then-President Donald Trump. The quarterback, who played for the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2016, hasn’t returned to the league since. He later filed a collusion grievance against team owners, which was settled in 2019.
Production of the series began in 2022, with ESPN originally promoting it as a comprehensive, first-person account of Kaepernick’s life and activism. According to reporting last year by Puck News, the project faced delays over differences between Kaepernick and Lee on the creative direction, and ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro was said to be open to the idea of the filmmakers shopping the series to another outlet.
A representative for Kaepernick said Saturday that the former player had no comment, Reuters reported.
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