The film, directed by Quinn Whitney Wilson and Viridiana Lieberman, made its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival

Netflix has acquired a feature documentary on Jean-Michel Basquiat, made with the full participation of the artist’s family, following its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Titled Jean-Michel Basquiat, the film was directed by Quinn Whitney Wilson — making her feature directorial debut — and Viridiana Lieberman, the editor behind the award-winning Netflix documentary The Perfect Neighbor. According to the synopsis, the doc aims to “demystify the story of Basquiat and discover the man behind it all,” drawing on new interviews with close family and friends, including his sisters Lisane Basquiat and Jeanine Heriveaux, as well as never-before-seen works and archival imagery.

We first reported on the project in 2023, when it was still titled King Pleasure and Wilson — then known as the former creative director for Lizzo — was attached as sole director. At the time, the documentary had already secured the full support of Basquiat’s estate, with the family granting access to archival materials, original artworks, home movies, notebooks, and photographs. The project has since grown considerably in scope, adding Lieberman as co-director and landing at the world’s largest streaming platform.

Lisane Basquiat and Jeanine Heriveaux, who executive produce the documentary, said in a statement: “We, his family, are deeply proud to see Jean-Michel’s full humanity brought to light with such care, intention and respect.”

The directors added: “Jean-Michel Basquiat’s legacy is undeniable. We see his art everywhere, from the most historical museums to the clothing moving through the streets. Yet the myth and the man are not one and the same — and across the decades, ‘Basquiat’ has become a moniker that doesn’t capture the entire person. We couldn’t imagine a better home than Netflix, whose global reach matches his own.”

A self-taught artist raised in Brooklyn, Basquiat rose from the New York graffiti scene of the late 1970s to become one of the most celebrated and valuable artists of the 20th century — among the youngest ever to exhibit at the Whitney Biennial and a close collaborator of Andy Warhol. His untitled painting of a black skull sold for more than $110 million in 2017. He died in 1988 of a heroin overdose at the age of 27.

The documentary is produced by Boardwalk Pictures, Indus Valley Media, and Radiant Media Studios, along with Interscope Films, H.Wood Media, and Laurel Canyon Pictures. Producers include Jordan Wynn, Andrew Fried, Harlin Lawal, Lana Barkin, Dane Lillegard, Ileen Sheppard Gallagher, Will Cohen, Whitney Wilson, and David Laven.

Among the film’s executive producers is NFL star Travis Kelce. Additional executive producers include Rob Guillermo, Nihaar Sinha, Louis Krubich, Dan Fried, Ray Maiello, Rhodes McKee, John Janick, Steve Berman, Michelle An, John Terzian, Jeremy Allen, Katherine L. Oliver, Lindsay Firestone, Anthony Konigbagbe, James Cunningham, Emi Stewart, Max Allman, J.M. Harper, Henrik Molin, and Ron Beck.

The deal was negotiated by WME Independent on behalf of the filmmakers.

The Basquiat documentary arrives as interest in the artist’s life continues to expand across formats. A scripted limited series starring and produced by Stephan James, in collaboration with Boat Rocker Studios, remains in development.

Ready to go. Want anything adjusted — the Kelce mention elevated higher, the 2023 callout reworded, or the closing tightened?