Ava DuVernay to make Netflix series about the Central Park Five

The teenagers of the Central Five were Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise, and were all between 14 and 16 years of age when they were arrested. DuVernay’s series will consist of five episodes, each episode focusing on a different teenager and following their upbringing in Harlem to the wrongful conviction that resulted in prison terms that ranged between six and thirteen years.

The series is set to air in 2018, is DuVernay’s second collaboration with Netflix. Last year, DuVernay released the documentary The 13th, which addressed the racism inherent in the American criminal justice system. The documentary earned the director an Academy Award nomination for best documentary feature.

“I had an extraordinary experience working with Netflix on The 13th and am overjoyed to continue this exploration of the criminal justice system as a narrative project,” said DuVernay in a statement about the project. “The story of the men known as Central Park Five has riveted me for more than two decades. In their journey, we witness five innocent young men of colour who were met with injustice at every turn – from coerced confessions to unjust incarceration to public calls for their execution by the man who would go on to be the president of the United States.”