Former San Francisco 49ers player turned civil rights activist has just signed a first-look deal between the Walt Disney Company and his production company Ra Vision Media, according to Variety. Kaepernick’s career will be documented in a series developed by ESPN Films as part of the deal.
Other projects Kaepernick will be working on with Disney include scripted and unscripted stories about race, social injustice, and efforts toward equity. He also aims to work with directors and producers of color.
“I am excited to announce this historic partnership with Disney across all of its platforms to elevate Black and Brown directors, creators, storytellers, and producers, and to inspire the youth with compelling and authentic perspectives,” Kaepernick said in a statement. “I look forward to sharing the docuseries on my life story, in addition to many other culturally impactful projects we are developing.”
Kaepernick, who became the face of a Nike campaign in 2018, is slated to work closely with The Undefeated, an ESPN venue that is expanding its portfolio across Disney and will develop stories from the perspective of minority communities.
The partnership with Disney will extend across all Disney platforms, including Walt Disney Television, ESPN, Hulu, Pixar, according to ESPN.
“During this unprecedented time, The Walt Disney Company remains committed to creating diverse and inclusive content that resonates and matters,” Bob Iger, Disney’s executive chairman, said.
Kaepernick was also recently named to the board of directors of digital publisher Medium.