Today, Willie Mays celebrated his 90th birthday and he did so by offering a bit of good news. In addition to celebrating his special day, Mays announced that HBO was developing a documentary about his life.
“Some say that throughout my life I have inspired others, but the truth is that so many have done this for me,” he told Deadline.
“My teammates, my friends, and of course the fans mean so much to me. And so I hope this documentary can give back to all of them something enjoyable and inspiring in return.”
The upcoming documentary will be lead by author and filmmaker Nelson George. It will chronicle his days in the Negro Leagues and his career in Harlem and San Francisco.
“Willie Mays is an American icon, a prime example of black excellence and baseball’s greatest player,” George added.
“It’s an honor to be able to chronicle his journey from the Negro Leagues in Alabama, stardom with the Giants in Harlem and to the game’s apex in San Francisco.”
George and HBO will not put together this important documentary themselves. Company and Zipper Bros Films will contribute to the developing project. Also, LeBron James and Maverick Carter's production imprint, UNINTERRUPTED, will also have a hand in the film.
The untitled Willie Mays documentary is expected to debut on HBO next year. From there, it will find a home at HBO next to documentaries about Muhammad Ali, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and several other legendary sports legends like himself.
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