Spike Lee’s filmmaking future has been set and it’s going to be a collaboration with the streaming giant Netflix. Lee’s last two feature films were concert documentary American Utopia for HBO and Vietnam war movie Da 5 Bloods for Netflix. He has recently made a TV show spin-off of his 1986 debut film She’s Gotta Have It, also for Netflix.
The deal that he’s signed with Netflix won’t just be for films that Lee directs himself, but also to develop new up-and-coming talent.
Lee is an extremely prolific filmmaker and has made many classics (known as Spike Lee Joints) across the decades including Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, He Got Game, 25th Hour, Inside Man, Chi-Raq and BlackKklansman, for which he finally won an Oscar – for Best Adapted Screenplay. He also won an Emmy for When the Levees Broke – a HBO documentary about Hurricane Katrina.
Lee is also an underrated actor, appearing in many of his own films eg. as Mars in She’s Gotta Have It, Mookie in Do the Right Thing, Giant in Mo Better Blues and Shorty in Malcolm X.
Da 5 Bloods was a Vietnam war movie about four brothers-in-arms who return to the country decades after the war to find the remains of their squad leader who was killed in action and the treasure they believe is buried in the same location.
Lee’s statement about the Netflix deal is as follows; “There Is No Better Way for Me and My Company 40Acres and a Mule Filmworks to Begin the New Year Than Renew Our Partnership With Ted, Scott and Tendo — Da Fearless Leaders of Netflix.”
“Besides My Joints, We Together Will Focus on the New Diverse Storytellers, YOUTH MUST BE SERVED. And Dat’s Da Truth, Ruth. YA-DIG? SHO-NUFF.”
The latter half of Lee’s statement is referencing Netflix’s investment in and financial support for the director’s “ongoing mission to develop new talent and increase representation in the entertainment industry,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
While we wait to find out what Lee is cooking up for Netflix, check out our guide to the best Netflix TV series.