Assata Shakur documentary and scripted series in development following her death at 78

Brother-sister filmmakers Giselle and Stephen Bailey, known for HBO’s Seen & Heard: The History of Black Television, are producing two projects exploring Shakur’s life and legacy.

Two new projects about the late Assata Shakur are in the works.

Brother-sister filmmaking duo Giselle and Stephen Bailey, who brought us HBO’s “Seen & Heard: The History of Black Television,” are preparing both a documentary and a scripted series on the activist, Variety reported.

“Assata’s story is important to all Americans as it reveals the powers that divide us and our capacity to heal,” the Baileys said in a statement to the outlet.

Shakur, born JoAnne Deborah Byron, was a leading figure in the Black liberation movement as a member of the Black Panther Party and later the Black Liberation Army. She was convicted in 1977 for the 1973 killing of a New Jersey state trooper after a shoot-out on the New Jersey Turnpike, a charge she long maintained was the result of political persecution. In 1979, she escaped prison and later received political asylum in Cuba, where she lived until her death on Sept. 25 at age 78.

Shortly after her passing, her daughter, Kakuya Shakur, shared a heartfelt statement about the loss.

“At approximately 1:15 PM on September 25th, my mother, Assata Shakur, took her last earthly breath,” she said. “Words cannot describe the depth of loss that I am feeling at this time. I want to thank you for your loving prayers that continue to anchor me in the strength that I need in this moment. My spirit is overflowing in unison with all of you who are grieving with me at this time.”

Kakuya has since given her blessing to the projects, according to Variety. Civil rights attorney Lennox Hinds, who served on Shakur’s legal team for decades, has granted the filmmakers exclusive access to archival materials. Meanwhile, fellow activist and scholar Angela Davis is also attached to the project as an executive producer.

No release timeline has been announced, but the Baileys plan to explore both Shakur’s life and legacy, as well as the political landscape that shaped her story.