Jay Z And Weinstein Company Are Making A Trayvon Martin Film And Documentary Series

About two months after premiering his documentary series focusing on the tragic ordeal of Kalief Browder (Time: The Kalief Browder Story), Jay Z has secured the rights to produce a film and documentary series based on the story of Trayvon Martin.

According to Variety, Jay and the Weinstein Company just won a “heated bidding war” over the rights to two books about Martin, who was shot and killed several years ago by a then-28-year-old man named George Zimmerman, who was a member of his community’s neighborhood watch. In the aftermath of the shooting, Zimmerman claimed that he only used lethal force because he had to, saying Martin had started a physical altercation that left him with no choice. About a year-and-a-half later, Zimmerman was acquitted of second-degree murder, a decision that sparked outrage throughout the U.S.

The books are titled Suspicion Nation: The Inside Story of the Trayvon Martin Injustice and Why We Continue to Repeat It and Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin. The first was written by Lisa Bloom, and it serves as a recap of the time she spent covering the Zimmerman trial for NBC. She also takes the time to examine some of the decisions the team responsible for prosecuting Zimmerman made during the trial, notably their presumption that they were engaged in a “winnable case.”

The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin was written by Martin’s parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, and focuses on Martin’s childhood and the aftermath of his untimely death.

Variety reports Hov and The Weinstein Company plan to make a six-part documentary series and a feature narrative film. The deal is a part of Jay’s contract he signed with the Weinstein Company back in September. Fox Searchlight, Universal on behalf of Will Packer, and Ted Field were also looking to produce material based on the two books.

Jay and the Weinstein Company’s Harvey Weinstein and David Glasser met with Martin’s parents on Oscar weekend to discuss the deal they closed just last week. Variety reports Martin’s parents “were most concerned with seeing their son’s life and legacy honored.” There’s no word on when we can expect to see these projects released.

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