Ahead of its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, the Jean-Michel Basquiat documentary, made with the artist’s family’s participation, has been acquired by Netflix.
Titled Jean-Michel Basquiat, the doc was directed by Quinn Whitney Wilson in her feature directorial debut and by Viridiana Lieberman, the editor behind the award-winning Netflix doc The Perfect Neighbor. The doc “demystifies the story of Basquiat and discovers the man behind it all,” according to the synopsis, telling the story of the famed artist via new interviews with close family and friends, including his sisters Lisane and Jeanine, as well as never-before-seen works and archival imagery.
A self-taught artist raised in Brooklyn, Basquiat earned acclaim for his artwork that combined graffiti, street art and punk sensibilities. From a young age, Basquiat and his work earned international acclaim, years before his early death at the age of 27.
Said Jeanine Heriveaux and Lisane Basquiat, who executive produce the doc, in a statement, “We, his family, are deeply proud to see Jean-Michel’s full humanity brought to light with such care, intention and respect.”
A Boardwalk Pictures, Indus Valley Media and Radiant Media Studios are behind the doc, along with Interscope Films, H.Wood Media and Laurel Canyon Pictures. Producers on the documentary are: Jordan Wynn, Andrew Fried, Harlin Lawal, Lana Barkin, Dane Lillegard, Ileen Sheppard Gallagher, Will Cohen, Whitney Wilson and David Laven.
Among the doc’s executive producers is NFL star Travis Kelce. Other exec producers are: Rob Guillermo, Nihaar Sinha, Louis Krubich, Dan Fried, Ray Maiello, Rhodes McKee, John Janick, Steve Berman, Michelle An, John Terzian, Jeremy Allen, Katherine L. Oliver, Lindsay Firestone, Anthony Konigbagbe, James Cunningham, Emi Stewart, Max Allman, J.M. Harper, Henrik Molin and Ron Beck.
Said the directors, in a statement, “Jean-Michel Basquiat’s legacy is undeniable. We see his art everywhere, from the most historical museums to the clothing moving through the streets. Yet the myth and the man are not one and the same, and across the decades, ‘Basquiat’ has become a moniker that doesn’t capture the entire person. His origins have hardened into an ever-growing mythology, and it’s long overdue to meet him in all the multifaceted and powerful ways he moved through this world. That’s our goal with this film, and we couldn’t imagine a better home than Netflix, whose global reach matches his own.”
WME Independent negotiated the deal on behalf of the filmmakers.
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