LeBron James and Maverick Carter's SpringHill Entertainment is linking up with CNN Films for a new documentary focused on the events surrounding the Black Wall Street Massacre.
Both companies will produce the Salima Koroma-directed Dreamland: The Rise and Fall of Black Wall Street, which Variety reported on Monday is now in production. In a statement, SpringHill's chief content officer Jamal Henderson pointed to the documentary's subject matter as exemplary of their goal to give platforms to stories showing "the fabric" of American history.
"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," Henderson said, adding that there's a "lack of historic journalism" focused on the importance of Black Wall Street and the 1921 massacre in the Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The documentary is described as being comprised of a blend of archival footage, new interviews, and "narrated elements" including diary entries and personal letters from the time period. Though a release date has not been set, both SpringHill and CNN are aiming for production on the feature to be wrap up by early next year.
Other SpringHill-backed projects include the forthcoming Space Jam: A New Legacy, Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker, and a possible Friday the 13th franchise revival. In September, SpringHill inked a first-look movie deal with Universal Pictures, with Carter saying at the time that the pairing would further their goal of making diverse stories "a mandate and not an option."
