Los Angeles Basketball player, Lebron James has made a name for himself outside the court.
Back in 2007 Lebron and his longtime business partner Maverick Carter founded SpringHill, an entertainment media business. In September, the company entered into a first deal look with Universal Pictures. Things will kick off with the production of Dreamland: The Rise and Fall of Black Wall Street”
The documentary will be based off the tragic events that occurred back in 1921 after a 17-year-old white woman accused a 19-year-old African American man of inappropriate behavior in an elevator. When a white mob attempted to lynch the accused, they were rebuked by African American World War I veterans. The backlash resulted in the destruction of 35 city blocks and hundreds of murdered African Americans.
In a Variety article Springfield’s chief content officer Jamal Henderson says “We cannot move forward until we acknowledge our past and this is about honoring a prosperous, booming Black community, one of many, that was brought to an end because of hate. With the lack of historic journalism around ‘Black Wall Street’ and the Tulsa Massacre of 1921, we are honored to be partnered with CNN, which has a long-standing record of credible and groundbreaking journalism. We are bringing this documentary together with a diverse crew, including local Tulsans, and making it our mission to uplift voices and people while creating impactful content.”
The film will include contemporary interviews, letters and diary entries. It will also include footage of the century-long search for physical evidence of the mass murder that some had tried to erase from the historic record.
CNN Films will be the linear television distributor throughout North America, and HBO Max has also gained streaming rights to the film. The film is expected to be completed in early 2021.