Barry Bonds' riveting life will be documented by some of Hollywood's most renowned storytellers.Â
Deadline first reported Wednesday that HBO and Words+ Pictures are launching production on a new documentary about baseball's home run king.
Award-winning filmmaker and Bay Area native Keith McQuirter will direct the film, which is backed by a plethora of acclaimed producers.
Ezra Edelman, director of the Oscar-award winning documentary "O.J.: Made in America"; Connor Schell, creator of ESPN's award-winning docuseries "30 for 30"; and Libby Geist, executive producer of the mega-hit Michael Jordan and Chicago Bulls documentary "The Last Dance" are all attached to the project.
The untitled Bonds film will chronicle his Bay Area upbringing and his rise into baseball legend while playing for the San Francisco Giants in the 1990s and 2000s, "when he rewrote the record book in his late 30s amid controversy," according to a release shared with Deadline.
That controversy refers to rampant allegations and speculation that Bonds used performance-enhancing drugs during his ascent to the top of the baseball world. It's never been proven that Bonds used steroids, though he was indicted on perjury and obstruction charges in 2007 for allegedly lying to a grand jury during the federal government's investigation into BALCO, a Burlingame-based drug company at the center of baseball's drug scandal. Those charges were dropped in 2015.
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The documentary will include perspective from a "diverse cast of influential figures" in Bonds' life, using both archival footage and original interviews. In addition, the release notes that "the opportunity for Bonds to actively participate and share his firsthand experiences remains available," indicating he isn't currently involved in the project.
"Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1990s, Barry Bonds was the ultimate superstar," said McQuirter, who's most known for directing the docuseries "By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem," in a statement.
"You couldn't escape his name or his game, his story, or his personality," McQuirter said. "Every time he stepped up to the plate, the energy was electric — because he wasn't just competing with his contemporaries, he was competing with history. Bonds was undoubtedly controversial, but no matter how you felt about him, his pursuit of becoming the greatest player of all time was mesmerizing."
No release date has been announced, and it's unclear how long the film will be or if it will consist of multiple parts. "O.J.: Made in America" was a five-part documentary, while "The Last Dance" had 10.
HBO is widely considered one of the premier documentary platforms, having produced a swath of critically acclaimed films. Last year it released a documentary called "Say Hey, Willie Mays!"Â which chronicled the life of the Giants icon.
