Netflix commissions Nike founder Phil Knight's biopic based on his autobiography Shoe Dog

Netflix has acquired the movie rights to Nike founder Phil Knight’s autobiography Shoe Dog which chronicles the highs and lows of building the company. One of the major focal points in the book is his relationship with his former track coach, Bill Bowerman. Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski have been recruited to write the screenplay who already have Ed Wood, and The People vs. Larry Flynt to their credit. [caption id=“attachment_4836121” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Philip Knight. Screenshot from YouTube.[/caption] “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.” Head of Netflix’s film group, Scott Stuber expressed is excitement making Shoe Dog with Phil Knight and commended his efforts on creating a brand and a company that became much more than the swoosh. Shoe Dog was published in April 2016 and has been on the New York Times’ best-seller list ever since. Knight launched Nike in 1963 with a $50 loan from his father to import high-quality, low-cost running shoes from Japan. The business grossed $8,000 in that first year and today, Nike’s annual sales are over $36 billion.