Netflix has optioned the movie rights to Nike founder Phil Knight's autobiography "Shoe Dog." According to Variety, Knight will produce with Frank Marshall, while Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski have reportedly signed on to write the screenplay.
"Shoe Dog," which was published in April, 2016, and remains on the New York Times Best Seller list, will take viewers through Knight's journey, starting with his humble beginnings in Oregon to the launch of Nike in 1963 and the company's meteoric rise to the top of the athletic footwear and lifestyle space.
“I look forward to working with my friend, the great Frank Marshall, in bringing my story and the story of Nike to the screen,” Knight said. “I have been gratified by the reception my book has received and think that we can explain my journey and the story of Nike to an even larger audience in collaboration with Netflix.”
Co-produce Frank Marshall, who has been nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award five times for “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “The Color Purple,” “The Sixth Sense,” “Seabiscuit” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," first met Knight back in the 1980’s, during the production of “Back To The Future.”
“Ever since our collaboration on ‘BTTF’ and being a runner myself, I’ve always been fascinated by Phil’s story and how the company came to be,” Marshall said, according to Variety. “It’s an amazing tale about what the path to success really looks like, with its mistakes, struggles, sacrifice and even luck. It’s about how a company can grow with the right people, dedication, a belief in the power of sport and a shared mission to build a brand that would change everything.”
