Apple TV+ has ordered “Big Man on Campus,” a new documentary series that will tell the coming-of-age story of basketball phenom Makur Maker as he navigates the highs and lows of his freshman year college experience against the backdrop of the Black Lives Matter movement and the global pandemic. The series is directed and executive produced by Seth Gordon, producer of “Undefeated” which won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, and will be produced for Apple by Exhibit A, Boardwalk Pictures and Sony Pictures Television.
“Big Man on Campus” is the story of a historic moment in America told through the lens of a young athlete with the power to create change. In 2020, a year marked by social unrest, basketball sensation, NBA prospect and top NCAA recruit, Makur Maker, made the groundbreaking decision to play college basketball for Howard University in support of Historically Black Colleges and Universities rather than join one of the many top-tier programs offering him a full ride. Balancing extraordinary pressures both on and off the court, and with the eyes of the nation focused on his every move, Maker’s journey – from fleeing war-torn South Sudan as a child through to the movement he has sparked today – has put a face on the socio-political complexities of America during this unprecedented time.
Nikki Calabrese, Andrew Fried, Dane Lillegard, Sarina Roma and Jordan Wynn also serve as executive producers alongside Gordon.
The docuseries will premiere alongside an expanding offering of unscripted films and series from award-winning storytellers on Apple TV+ including “Greatness Code,” a short-form unscripted series directed by Gotham Chopra and co-produced by Uninterrupted and Religion of Sports that spotlights untold stories from the greatest athletes in the world; a new, six-part documentary series from Box to Box Films and the World Surf League (WSL) that will provide a behind-the-scenes look at the WSL Championship Tour; “The Jet,” a new documentary series from the Emmy-nominated filmmakers of “McMillion$” that tells the compelling true story behind the “Drink Pepsi, Get Stuff” promotional campaign; “Dear…,” from Emmy and Peabody Award winner R.J. Cutler; Emmy Award-nominated docuseries “Home”; and upcoming documentary event series “The Supermodels,” from Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Documentaries.
