Soon: A $30 Million Netflix Documentary On Kanye West

$30 Million Netflix Documentary on Kanye West’s career

I don’t know about you, but for many people, documentaries were all the rage in 2020, and Netflix docuseries have filled plenty of our lonely pandemic time. There is a new documentary in the making, a Kanye West documentary. Billboard reports that Netflix has paid $30 million for the rights to Coodie & Chike’s career-spanning Kanye docuseries. Clarence Simmons Jr. and Chike Ozah (Coodie & Chike) are film directors, screenwriters, cinematographers, and producers who, in 2003, directed Kanye West’s video ‘Through the Wire,’ which was nominated for an MTV Viewers Choice Award and won a Source Award for Best Music Video of the Year. The duo also directed the music video for ‘Two Words’ and the third version of ‘Jesus Walks’ off Kanye’s ‘The College Dropout’ album. Yes, a third version.

Coodie Simmons has apparently been filming Kanye since the late ‘90s and has had the intention of making a documentary about West’s life and career since 2002. So this $30 million deal with Netflix seems to be the concretization of his efforts.

‘Although West isn’t creatively tied to the project, a source shared that West has given his blessing. The untitled documentary is said to more than likely premiere in multiple parts later this year,’ you can read in the article. It is probably a wise move, as, with Kanye’s involvement, the deal would have never stayed at $30 million, and God knows which convoluted tale the storyline could have taken. You don’t want this for a documentary.

Coodie & Chike’s Creative Control company will co-produce the series with TIME Studios, while the project will feature never-before-seen footage and will cover Kanye’s life and career. Kanye’s life could already fill many episodes, from his music career with his 10 studio albums and numerous awards to his very public life: his marriage with the most famous of the Kardashians, the death of his mother, his (miss)adventure into fashion design and athletic shoes, his meltdown(s), his mental health crisis, his Yesus obsession, his born-again religious awakening, his hip-hop-turned-Christian-music career, his failed presidential campaign, and his recent divorce… this would sound like a soap opera if Kanye hadn’t also attempted to compose real opera.

But will the filmmakers mention the multi-million dollar lawsuit the rapper is facing for mistreating and refusing to pay employees? Will they mention his illegal presidential campaign practices? Or will the story told in the $30-million Netflix documentary be grossly inflated just like Kanye’s reported net worth?