Director Spike Lee’s highly anticipated ESPN Films documentary series about Colin Kaepernick will never see the light of day. Both ESPN and Lee confirmed the project has been shelved after creative disagreements.
“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.”
Lee echoed that sentiment when asked about the project.
“It’s not coming out. That’s all I can say,” the Oscar-winning director told Reuters on the red carpet at the Harold and Carole Pump Foundation dinner in Beverly Hills. When pressed for details, Lee responded, “I can’t. I signed a nondisclosure. I can’t talk about it.”
Kaepernick, who played for the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2016, sparked a national conversation when he kneeled during the national anthem to protest systemic racism and police brutality. His activism made him a household name, but also, many believe, ended his NFL career. He has not played since that season.
The quarterback eventually filed a collusion grievance against team owners, settling with the NFL in 2019.
Production for the series began in 2022, with ESPN touting it as a “full, first-person account” of Kaepernick’s journey. Reports later surfaced about creative tensions between Kaepernick and Lee, which contributed to the decision to halt the project.
A representative for Kaepernick said the former quarterback had no comment.
