Netflix Reportedly Buys Kanye West Series for Massive Sum

Netflix has bought Kanye West's documentary in a whopping $31 million sale, Billboard reports. A source close to the film reports West has been filmed since the 1990s in Chicago and claims the documentary will focus on the Grammy Award winner's rise to fame, the impact of hip-hop on American culture as well as the world's relationship with celebrities.

In addition to focusing on multiple milestones within the producer and rapper's career like his venture into fashion and his unsuccessful bid for President of the United States, the series will follow a few major moments in the star's personal life, including the death of his mother Donda West, and its impact on his life. There's no word yet on if it will include his seven-year marriage to Kim Kardashian West, who recently filed for divorce.

It's expected to premiere on the streaming service later this year. The mini-series will be produced by production company Creative Control, the same group behind ESPN's 2012 30-for-30 film Benji and the 2019 Netflix documentary A Kid From Coney Island, along with TIME Studios, the Emmy-winning film and TV arm of TIME. The latter studio is responsible for creating the 2020 documentary John Lewis: Good Trouble and Amazing Grace, the 2018 Aretha Franklin concert film.

Sources say West isn't directly involved in the film's creative process, but he's all but given his seal of approval by allowing Creative Control's Coodie and Chike film him for over 20 years. A second documentary based on West's life is in the works. Coming from his former bodyguard, Steve Stanulis, the movie promises to be a real-life 48 hours. "Two studios approached me," Stanulis told Page Six of the potential projects that want to start shooting as soon as next month. "They see this as a 48 Hours for real or a Lethal Weapon for real," he said, referring to the famous movies from the '80s. "It comes from my mouth; I worked with [West] two separate times."