The first full trailer for Colin in Black and White gives us a dramatized look at Colin Kaepernick‘s life growing up.
The six-episode, 30-minute series will give viewers a look at Kaepernick before he became a huge NFL star and activist.
According to Netflix:
“From co-creators Ava DuVernay and Colin Kaepernick comes Colin in Black and White, a bold new dramatic limited series that chronicles Kaepernick’s coming of age story, tackling the obstacles of race, class and culture as the Black adopted child of a white family. Colin in Black and White stars Jaden Michael as Young Colin before reaching the highest levels of American football as an NFL quarterback and becoming a cultural icon and activist; Nick Offerman and Mary-Louise Parker as his well-meaning parents Rick and Teresa; and Colin Kaepernick himself, who appears as the present-day narrator of his own story, guiding viewers through a robust and colorfully presented array of historical and contemporary contextual moments. You don’t know Kaepernick until you know Colin.”
DuVernay is executive producing with Kaepernick and Michael Starrbury. She will also direct the first episode and all present-day Kaepernick scenes. Sheldon Candis, Robert Townsend, Angel Kristi Williams and Kenny Leon will also direct episodes.
Kaepernick and DuVernay have talked about the creation of the series in a new blog post.
“In high school, I faced a lot of different challenges from sports, to my family, and other parts of my personal life, which a lot of viewers may be able to relate to. But I also faced obstacles as a Black kid growing up in a white family in a white community,” said Kaepernick to Netflix. “After meeting Ava DuVernay in 2017, I knew she was the right person to collaborate with. I shared my idea to create a series based on my high school years and she said, “Ok, Let’s do it.” And we started working together to bring these stories to life in the most impactful and compelling way possible.”
“Colin called me and shared that he wanted to tell the story of his childhood somehow. What interested me was the idea that, through his story, I could shed light on a core belief that I hold: that we can all be the hero, the lead character, of our own lives,” said DuVernay. “It sounds simple, but it’s a powerful idea. Are you the supporting character in your life? Taking cues from others? Your story only mattering when it’s tangential to someone else? Or is your story centered within you? Your hopes and dreams and priorities and beliefs planted in the forefront, not the background.”
“Bottom line, I was interested in the process of becoming the star of your own life,” she continued. “This doesn’t mean not being of service to others or being selfish and ego-driven. It means having the confidence to stand up and stand strong for oneself so that you can be the best version of yourself. Through Colin’s story, the team and I were able to explore this idea in ways that we hope will resonate with the audience.”
Colin in Black and White will debut Oct. 29.
Watch the trailer below:
