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Soon after inking a two-year production deal with The Weinstein Company (TWC) last fall, that will give TWC an exclusive first-look at any film or television projects he produces, Jay Z set the first project that would fall under the new agreement – the docu-series “TIME: The Kalief Browder Story,” which centers on the tragic tale of Kalief Browder, the Bronx high school student who killed himself in 2015 after being held for three years on Rikers Island for allegedly stealing a backpack.
“Time: The Kalief Browder Story” is airing as a 6-part series on Spike TV, after launching on Wednesday, March 1, 2017 (10:00-11:00pm ET/PT). The episodes feature dramatic reenactments of the young man’s life, archival footage, as well as interviews with family and friends.
For the second project under their first-look deal, Jay Z and TWC are teaming up to bring to the screen another tragic tale with a young black male at the center: Trayvon Martin.
The pair have optioned the screen rights to 2 books: “Suspicion Nation: The Inside Story of the Trayvon Martin Injustice and Why We Continue to Repeat It” by Lisa Bloom; and “Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin,” by Martin’s parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin.
TWC and Jay Z will turn both books into 2 separate projects: the first, a 6-part docu-series like they did with Kalief Browder’s story; the second, will be scripted feature film.
Apparently, there was much competition for rights to Martin’s story, with other studios chasing rights to either/both of the above books, including Fox Searchlight and Universal.
No ETA on either the docu-series or feature film at this time.
Variety was first to report the news of the Jay Z/TWC picking up the rights to both books on Martin.