Trayvon Martin and his tragic death in 2012 at the hands of volunteer night watchman George Zimmerman electrified the debate on gun control and race, while also helping to spark a movement. Jay Z and the Weinstein Company are joining forces to produce a film and a docuseries focused on the life of the Florida teen.
Variety exclusively reports:
Shawn “Jay Z” Carter and the Weinstein Company are partnering on an ambitious series of film and television projects about Trayvon Martin, Variety has learned.
The indie label and the rap icon won a heated bidding war for the rights to two books — “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 2012 shooting of the 17-year-old Martin sparked a national debate about racial profiling and inequities of the criminal justice system that brought about the Black Lives Matter movement. The African-American high school student was killed by George Zimmerman, a 28-year-old mixed race Hispanic man, who was a member of the neighborhood watch in his Florida community. He claimed he shot Martin, who was unarmed, in self defense after the two became involved in a physical altercation. Zimmerman’s acquittal on a second-degree murder charge inspired protests around the country.
The outlet reports that new productions are based on NBC reporter Lisa Bloom’s Suspicion Nation and adds that Rest In Power was penned by Trayvon Martin’s parents. Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin.
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