CELEBRITY
Travis Kelce Is Producing an Upcoming Documentary on Jean-Michel Basquiat, His Second Film
The Kansas City Chiefs star, 34, is producing an upcoming documentary about artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, PEOPLE can confirm.
Kelce has partnered with his My Dead Friend Zoe producing partners, Ray Maiello and Mike Field, for the project, to be titled King Pleasure, according to ArtNews.
The late artist’s estate has given Kelce and co. the go-ahead to produce the project, as well as access to Basquiat’s archives, according to a report from Deadline. The film will utilize “never-before-seen home movies, notebooks, photographs, animation, and interviews” through the access from the artist’s
estate, per the report.
Boardwalk Studios president Jordan Wynn told Deadline that the studio is “honored” that the artist’s estate “granted us such incredible access to their trove of materials and we are excited to collaborate with Quinn who has a dazzling vision for an intimate and emotional portrait of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s life.”
Production on the film begins this summer, and Quinn Wilson, formerly Lizzo’s creative director, will direct the Boardwalk Studios production film, according to Deadline and ArtNews.
Maiello, co-founder of Radiant Media Studios and Field, CEO of The Raymond Corporation, previously worked with Kelce on My Dead Friend Zoe, the NFL star’s first title as executive producer.
My Dead Friend Zoe will premiere at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival on Saturday.
The movie, directed by Kyle Hausmann-Stokes, is the first film financed through renewable energy tax credits, as producers (including Kelce) took advantage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which President Joe Biden signed into law in August 2022. The production used funds from Field’s sale of surplus tax credits, Variety reported.
Kelce and his collaborators will use the same method to fund King Pleasure, according to ArtNews.
Kelce previously told PEOPLE that he’s “definitely interested” in doing more acting and digging into Hollywood life after football.
Speaking about his experience on Saturday Night Live after he hosted the show last year, the tight end said, “It was an experience that was like nothing else that I’ve ever gone through. … I just can’t thank them enough for giving me that opportunity, because I didn’t know I was going to enjoy scripted comedy, or that entire entertainment world as much as I did, until I was on a set and going through the week of preparation and stuff like that.”
So I’m definitely interested [in pursuing more acting projects], but that’s a whole new craft that I feel like I really got to lock in and focus on [before I do],” Travis adds.