We are a society that loves culturally significant anniversaries divisible by 10, so the 20th anniversary of the OJ Simpson trial has only just begun providing material for the airwaves. Since January, the event has been covered in FX’s spectacular limited series and a 12-hour special on Esquire, but this summer ESPN will premiere a five-part documentary entitled O.J.: Made In America.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the film’s director, Ezra Edelman, said:
“This is not a film simply focused on the murders or the trial. It is a much bigger story, one that explores O.J.’s life and how race and his pursuit of celebrity shaped it … while at the same time documenting the racial dynamics of L.A. and the relationship between its police force and black citizens – a relationship thrust front and center into the discussion of the murders, and one that proved a vital determinant in the outcome of the trial.”
O.J.: Made In America premieres June 11. You can watch the trailer below.
Image via screengrab.
DISCUSSION
So basically exactly what The People v. O.J. Simpson did? Except this doesn’t have David Schwimmer or Sarah Paulson, so it is not off to a great start for me.