Will Smith is reportedly set to produce a film focusing on Michael Jordan's first retirement from the NBA in 1993 up until he returned to the league in 1995. Specifically, the MJ biopic, dubbed "The Prospect," will look into Jordan's time with the Chicago White Sox affiliate, Birmingham Barons.
Jordan decided to pursue a baseball career shortly after his father was murdered in the Summer of 1993, and by February of 1994 he had landed a spot on the White Sox's Double-A affiliate.
According to SportingNews, "The Prospect," was part of 2017's Black List, which chronicles an industry vote on the best unproduced screenplays each year. Will Smith is the producer of the film but Ben Epstein, who wrote "You Get Me," a Netflix thriller starring Bella Thorne and Halston Sage, wrote the screenplay.
According to the report:
"The Prospect," written by Ben Epstein, chronicles (how) Jordan uses a year as a baseball prospect to find himself after his father’s death. James R. Jordan Sr. was murdered by two men on the side of the highway in July 1993. In February 1994, four months after the first of his three retirements from the NBA, Michael Jordan signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox.
During his time with the Barons, MJ batted .202 (88 for 436) with three home runs, 51 RBIs, 30 stolen bases, 114 strikeouts, 51 base on balls, and 11 errors.
