Spike Lee’s ‘Rodney King’ Starring Roger Guenveur Smith Acquired by Netflix

By Dave McNary, Variety
Published March 7, 2017, 2:13 p.m. ET

Netflix has bought the rights to Rodney King, directed by Spike Lee and performed as a one-man show by Roger Guenveur Smith. The streaming service has scheduled the project to premiere on April 28.

In addition to starring in Rodney King, Smith also serves as an executive produces. Steven Adams and Bob L. Johnson are producing for Luna Ray Media and Matthew Helderman, Luke Taylor, and Patrick DePeters are executive producing for Buffalo 8 Productions.

The date for airing Rodney King has been chosen to coincide with the upcoming 25th anniversary of the state court acquittals of the four LAPD officers who were videotaped beating King in 1991. The acquittals, which took place in Simi Valley, sparked three days of rioting that left 53 dead.