We're already looking forward to 2019, because Ava DuVernay has a new project up her sleeve. Netflix announced on Thursday that the Queen Sugar creator will be taking on her most ambitious project yet: a miniseries about the Central Park Five. Based on the 1989 case that sent five innocent Black and Latino teenagers to jail, the miniseries will consist of five episodes that will drop on the streaming service, who DuVernay last partnered with for the documentary 13th, which focused on racial inequality in the United States prison system.
"I had an extraordinary experience working with Netflix on 13th and am overjoyed to continue this exploration of the criminal justice system as a narrative project with Cindy Holland and the team there," DuVernay said in a statement. "The story of the men known as Central Park Five has riveted me for more than two decades. In their journey, we witness five innocent young men of color who were met with injustice at every turn — from coerced confessions to unjust incarceration to public calls for their execution by the man who would go on to be the President of the United States."
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We can't think of anyone else who would cover this case as expertly and thoughtfully as DuVernay, which is why Netflix is just as excited about their continued partnership.
"This is one of the most talked-about cases of our time and Ava’s passionate vision and masterful direction will bring the human stories behind the headlines to life in this series," said Cindy Holland, vice president of original content for Netflix. "After powerfully reframing the public conversation about criminality and injustice in 13th, Ava now turns a new lens to a case that exposes deep flaws in our criminal justice system."
Details are limited, but we have two years figure it all out. We can't wait.