Netflix Acquires Stephen Curry and Ben Proudfoot’s Sundance-Winning MLK Speechwriter Doc Short (Exclusive)

The Baddest Speechwriter of All, a documentary short about Dr. Clarence B. Jones, the lawyer and speechwriter for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., has been acquired by Netflix, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. It will drop on the service later this year.

Co-directed by two-time Oscar winner (2021’s The Queen of Basketball and 2023’s The Last Repair Shop) and, in his directorial debut, NBA great Stephen Curry, the 29-minute film was awarded the Sundance Film Festival’s Short Film Grand Jury Prize last month, and seems likely to contend for the best documentary short Oscar a year from now.

In the film, which blends new interviews with archival footage and watercolor animation sequences hand-painted by Brazilian artist Daniel Bruson, Dr. Jones, who is now 95, reflects on his life on the front lines of America’s Civil Rights Movement, and the personal toll experienced by himself and others as a result.

Proudfoot, who is repped by UTA and served as a producer of the film through his company Breakwater Studios, tells THR, “This is a man who not only witnessed but personally shaped the Civil Rights Movement from the inside. Stephen and I are still humming from the incredible response to the film at Sundance and could not be more thrilled that now, millions of people will experience Dr. Jones’ electrifying testimony because of this extraordinary partnership with Netflix.”

Adds Curry and Erick Peyton, who also served as producers of the film through their company Unanimous Media, “We couldn’t be more excited that The Baddest Speechwriter of All has found a home with Netflix. Dr. Jones’ story has long deserved this level of reach and recognition. Through Netflix’s platform, his words and stories will resonate with audiences across borders and generations. We’re deeply grateful to Ben and the entire creative team whose passion and dedication made this film possible.”

The film’s executive producers included Elizabeth Goodstein and Gigi Pritzker for Madison Wells, Peter Rotter and Jane Solomon. Its cinematographer was Brandon Somerhalder and composer was Cameron Moody. UTA Independent Film Group and WME Independent co-repped the sale.