Netflix Announces Series On Colin Kaepernick's Youth From Ava DuVernay
LOS GATOS (CBS SF / CNN) -- Colin Kaepernick's life story is headed to Netflix.
The Los Gatos-based streaming giant announced a new limited series titled "Colin in Black & White," from Ava DuVernay, based on Kaepernick's high school years.
Kaepernick, a former quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, will appear in the series and add his own voice to the project.
The limited series will run for six episodes and reunites DuVernay with Michael Starrbury, who will write and serve as executive producer.
DuVernay and Starrbury previously worked together on "When They See Us," which received 16 Emmy nominations.
During the 2016 season with the 49ers, Kaepernick made national news when he refused to stand as the National Anthem played before games. He said he did so to protest police shootings of African-American men and other social injustices faced by black people in the United States.
Doing so helped transform him into an icon in the fight against police brutality and racial injustice.
Kaeprnick has not played in the NFL since the 2016 season.
"The series will focus on Kaepernick's formative high school years, lending meaningful insight into the acts and experiences that led him to become the activist he is today," Netflix said in its statement.
DuVernay, who also celebrated the news on Twitter, said in a statement that Kaepernick's act of protest "ignited a national conversation about race and justice with far-reaching consequences for football, culture and for him, personally."
This project has been a joy to work on for the last year with @StarrburyMike. I've long been fascinated by how folks become who they are. The steps we all take to get to ourselves. When it comes to @Kaepernick7, that story tracks the making of a singular American icon. #imwithkap https://t.co/x5wKf1m4nG
— Ava DuVernay (@ava) June 29, 2020
She added, "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."
Netflix has yet to announce an official release date for the series.
© Copyright 2020 CNN. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed