Rejoice, University of Miami Hurricanes fans and local documentary aficionados: The U is getting an official sequel.
The original, which details the rise and fall of the University of Miami's football program from the '80s until the early '90s, has become a sports doc cult hit and one of the most watched and talked-about documentaries aired on ESPN. Well, now the sports network has officially ordered The U: Part 2 and plans to air it later this year.
"The original film followed the transformation from a Miami football program that went largely unnoticed to 'The U' and all that [associated with it] both on and off the field," an ESPN Films spokesperson told Sports Illustrated. "It became a cult classic and remains one of the most talked-about '30 for 30' films we've ever done. But that narrative didn't end in the early 90s, and this sequel will pick up where the original left off."
The original director and producer -- Billy Corben and Alfred Spellman -- the guys behind local documentary house Rakontur, will return for the sequel. In fact, filming has begun, with the crew having already sat down last week with the Dolphins' Bryant McKinnie, a member of UM's 2001 national championship team.
The original series climaxes with the team's 1991 national championship, which would be their last one for ten years. Though exact details of the sequel's focus have not been released, the filmmakers have plenty of topics to chose from, including the team's struggles and Pell Grant scandal in the mid-'90s, being shut out of the 2000 national championship, the 2001 national championship win, the 2002 national championship loss, the team's struggles throughout the mid-'00s, the 7th Floor Crew "scandal," and, of course, the Nevin Shapiro scandal.
No word on whether University of Miami administrators will be more accommodating with interviews for the sequel than they were with the original. We're gonna guess probably not.
The two-hour film is expected to air on ESPN this winter.
Follow Miami New Times on Facebook and Twitter @MiamiNewTimes.
