The SpringHill Company, the production house founded and owned by LeBron James and Maverick Carter, is partnering with the History Channel to present three new documentary projects.
As reported by Shadow and Act, the first is Triumph: A Jesse Owens and the Berlin Olympics (working title). An award-winning actor, Don Cheadle will narrate the doc, which Andre Gaines will direct. Triumph is set as a two-hour documentary that will “showcase Jesse Owens’ historic triumph over Nazi Germany during the 1936 Berlin Olympics.”
“LeBron and The SpringHill Company have been steadfast creative partners with The History Channel and we are excited to team up with them again to expand our storytelling footprint,” in a statement from Eli Lehrer, Executive Vice President and Head of Programming for The History Channel. “Together, we are committed to shining a light on diverse narratives that broaden our view of the world, enrich our knowledge of society, and cultivate a new generation of history lovers. Jesse Owens is the perfect sports legend to highlight next in our partnership.”
Here’s the official description:
The setting is the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, which is overpowered by the politically charged backdrop of swastikas, racial discrimination, and goose-stepping storm troopers. Three years before the start of WWII, African American track and field athlete Jesse Owens took the world stage and launched into international fame by making Olympic history after winning four gold medals in the 100-meter dash, long jump, 200-meter dash and 4×100-meter dash. This feat made him arguably one of the greatest and most impactful athletes of all time. “Triumph: Jesse Owens and the Berlin Olympics” (w.t.) will explore the dramatic tale of Owen’s athletic dedication, perseverance, and triumph over Hitler’s Aryan supremacy agenda.
Shadow and Act also reports that the “documentary will also feature archival footage, smartly executed animation, and first-hand interviews from family members, journalists, historians, and reputable athletes, including former track and field athlete Carl Lewis, American sprinters Noah Lyles, Erriyon Knighton, and Christian Coleman, and Owen’s daughters Marlene and Beverly Owens,among others.”
“LeBron and The SpringHill Company have been steadfast creative partners with The History Channel and we are excited to team up with them again to expand our storytelling footprint,” said Eli Lehrer, Executive Vice President and Head of Programming for The History Channel.
“Together, we are committed to shining a light on diverse narratives that broaden our view of the world, enrich our knowledge of society, and cultivate a new generation of history lovers. Jesse Owens is the perfect sports legend to highlight next in our partnership.”
The SpringHill Company has also set a documentary on legendary Olympian Jim Thorpe. This one will be directed by Chris Eyre, where the project will display the “life and legacy of the United States’ first Native American Olympic gold medalist whose athletic prowess across baseball, football and basketball made him one of the greatest athletes of all-time.
Details of the third project are not known yet.
