A documentary about acclaimed artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, the driving force behind the Neo-expressionism movement in the 1980s New York City, has been acquired by Netflix, which has been relentlessly adding documentaries to its library lately. Netflix has become one of the largest hubs for non-fiction films and shows, catering to discerning audiences’ growing appetite for true stories told in the most raw and novel way possible.

The addition of the Basquiat documentary is the latest example of this trend. The documentary, made with the artist’s family's collaboration, is due on Netflix soon this year.

Netflix has acquired the Jean-Michel Basquiat documentary, which was produced with the artist's family's involvement, ahead of its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, per The Hollywood Reporter. The documentary, Jean-Michel Basquiat, was helmed by Viridiana Lieberman, the editor of the critically acclaimed Netflix documentary The Perfect Neighbor, and Quinn Whitney Wilson, making her feature film directing debut.

According to the summary, the documentary unpacks Basquiat's biography and reveals the man behind it all. It tells the story of the renowned artist through never-before-seen pieces, archive imagery, and fresh interviews with close relatives and friends, including his sisters Lisane and Jeanine.

The documentary is produced by Boardwalk Pictures, Indus Valley Media, Radiant Media Studios, Interscope Films, H. Wood Media, and Laurel Canyon Pictures. Jordan Wynn, Andrew Fried, Harlin Lawal, Lana Barkin, Dane Lillegard, Ileen Sheppard Gallagher, Will Cohen, Whitney Wilson, and David Laven are the documentary's other producers. Furthermore, NFL player Travis Kelce is one of the documentary's executive producers.

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As the documentary is all set for Tribeca and has now been acquired by Netflix, it makes one curious to know about the personality on whom the documentary is based.

Raised in Brooklyn, Jean-Michel Basquiat was a self-taught artist who gained recognition for his pieces that blended punk sensibility, street art, and graffiti. His life and body of work have stood the test of time. The prime example is his groundbreaking 'Untitled' painting of a skull from 1982. It became one of the most expensive works of art ever made when it sold at auction in 2017 for an incredible $110.5 million.

Unfortunately, he passed away in 1988 at the very young age of 27. Jean-Michel Basquiat celebrates his legacy, and now it can be seen by millions through Netflix. The streamer has previously made similar acquisitions, where it snagged documentaries directly from their film festival debuts, like The Perfect Neighbor (2025) and Free Leonard Peltier (2025). This year alone, Netflix has several more documentaries scheduled for release.

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Would you watch Jean-Michel Basquiat coming to Netflix this year? Do let us know.