Five years after Spike Lee’s Kobe Doin’ Work premiered on ESPN, a new documentary covering Lakers guard Kobe Bryant is scheduled to air on Showtime.
The feature-length film, Kobe Bryant’s Muse, is directed by Gotham Chopra, son of Deepak Chopra and filmmaker behind Decoding Deepak.
Currently under production in Los Angeles with an air date planned for fall 2014, the film's premiere should coincide with Bryant's expected return to the court after this season collapsed due to a knee injury following his torn Achilles near the end of the 2012-2013 campaign.
Just as Kobe Doin’ Work was created by Knicks diehard Lee, the new Kobe documentary comes from the fan of a rival team.
“As a lifelong Boston Celtics fan, never did I imagine I would collaborate with Laker great Kobe Bryant,” Chopra said in a release, “Kobe’s quest for greatness transcends rivalries and I’m excited by his and Showtime’s willingness to go down this rabbit hole together. I’m confident audiences will be intrigued by what comes out the other side.”
The film profiles Kobe’s entire career, focusing on the player’s recent years as well as his plans for life after basketball.
“Kobe Bryant’s Muse will offer viewers a deep character portrait of a professional athlete who has transcended his sport to become a culture-moving personality. We are thrilled that Kobe has given us this unprecedented access, which will allow our viewers to witness such a challenging period of time in the life of one of the NBA’s greatest players,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Showtime Sports, in a statement.
Chopra and Bryant both serve as executive producers of the project, in association with Mamba Media.
