5 things to expect from ‘Colin in Black and White’
The highly anticipated Netflix adaptation of Colin Kaepernick's teen years is almost here.
From the minds of Ava DuVernay and Colin Kaepernick, Colin in Black and White is set to drop on Netflix this Friday, and theGrio has five things to expect from this exciting series.
Announced in June 2020, Colin in Black and White sees DuVernay once again bringing her talents to Netflix after successfully dramatizing the story of the Central Park Five in her acclaimed series, “When They See Us.” Premiering this Friday, the scripted six-part series chronicles Kaepernick’s coming of age story.
With new talent, an exciting perspective, and a truly powerful story, here are five things to expect from Colin in Black and White.
Starting at the very beginning
As previously mentioned, while Kaepernick’s professional journey in the NFL certainly has plenty of material for a scripted adaptation, the show chronicles Kaepernick’s early days. On Tuesday’s episode of The View, DuVernay explained why Kapernick specifically wanted to highlight the early years of his life for this series.
She told the co-hosts of The View, “He said, ‘I wanna start at the beginning.’ As he explained it to me, entering in as a young man allowed it to be less political, less fraught with all of the attachments of what people say about him now, and to just focus on his very innocent and powerful story.”
In Colin’s words
Not only is Kaepernick a co-creator of the series, but he also serves as narrator. As seen in the trailer, Kaepernick is front and center in the series, offering an incredibly intimate take on the coming of age story. Check out the trailer with some footage of Kaepernick in the series below:
Introducing Jaden Michael
While Jaden Michael is known for roles in Vampires Vs. The Bronx and The Get Down, his latest role is his biggest yet. Taking on a young Colin, Michael has some big shoes to fill but seems more than up to the task of telling the sports and activist icon’s story in the new series.
Michael spoke to The View about jumping into this role. “I had a pretty good understanding of what he was standing for and what he was talking about…I learned so much about him!” he said. “I didn’t know that he was almost a pitcher in the MLB, I didn’t know he was adopted with white parents.”
He added that although he was a bit scared when first approaching the role, he knew it was important. “If I’m afraid of standing up for myself, then this is exactly why we need to have this conversation,” Michael said.
A true history lesson
Outside of just being Kaepernick’s coming of age story, the series is a “springboard” to talk about larger issues, featuring documentary style and animation portions highlighting important people in Black history. DuVernay explained on The View, “the piece when you see it is a mix of Jaden’s work as Young Colin but also, something that sometimes feels like a documentary, some animation!”
Major supporting cast members
Not only does Colin in Black and White boast a must-see performance from Michael, but the series also has a very strong supporting cast. Nick Offerman and Mary-Louise Parker join the series as Kaepernick’s parents, Rick and Teresa.
Colin in Black and White is available to stream this Friday on Netflix.
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