ESPN Films had commissioned Spike Lee to create an eight-part documentary regarding former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick. The series, however, will not be released.
Via Reuters.com, both ESPN and Lee said on Saturday that the docuseries is dead.
“ESPN, Colin Kaepernick and Spike Lee have collectively decided to no longer proceed with this project as a result of certain creative differences,” ESPN said in a statement issued to Reuters.com on Saturday.
Lee told Reuters.com on Friday that the plug had been pulled on the project.
“It’s not coming out,” Lee said. “That’s all I can say.”
Lee declined to provide any details.
“I can’t,” Lee said. “I signed a nondisclosure [agreement]. I can’t talk about it.”
There were indications last September of problems. Matt Belloni of Puck reported that there were “heated disagreements between Kaepernick [and Lee] over the direction of the project.”
Now, there can be no disagreements because there is no project. It’s unknown how much of it had been filmed or who had been interviewed.
Kaepernick created a national uproar nine years ago this month, after he was spotted sitting during the national anthem prior to a preseason game. He explained that he was not standing to protest the treatment of minorities by law enforcement.
His NFL career ended after that season. He filed a collusion claim against the NFL. It settled without a full-blown hearing.
After becoming a free agent in early 2017, Kaepernick received one visit (with the Seahawks that year), one workout (with the Raiders in 2022), and zero contract offers.
