'The Last Dance' Director Jason Hehir Talks Creating Michael Jordan Documentary

In order to create his new documentary series, The Last Dance, director Jason Hehir had to watch countless hours of Michael Jordan footage. About 10,000 hours, actually. And unlike what fans can find on YouTube and NBA.com, this was all archival. Few people, beyond those who lived it, knew all that was included in the tapes.  

That footage has been distilled into 10 episodes set to air weekly on ESPN starting Sunday, April 19—a date that was moved up to accommodate an eager audience stuck at home because of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Hehir spoke to Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press about the filmmaking process:

"Normally, to do an hourlong archival documentary from start to finish, it takes about a year from the inception of the idea to the research to doing all the shooting to getting it all together, storyboarding it out, mapping it out, editing, getting notes back, it takes about a year. We're doing 10 of those. And we had a little bit over two years to do it so we're already working at five times our normal rate."

The result is an unprecedented look at the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls—the final year of the Jordan era and a turning point in league history. Hehir said while the season is the main backdrop for the story, the series will follow Jordan's complete basketball life from his time in North Carolina to the height of his stardom. 

Featuring taped interviews from Jordan, his former teammates and basketball luminaries from all corners of the game, The Last Dance has positioned itself as the definitive report on Jordan's time in Chicago.

"I wouldn't call it a challenge," Hehir said. "I would call it a privilege."

Hehir knows there's some added pressure given the circumstances of the release. With sports fans craving content, he's hoping the project will allow viewers an opportunity to see a side of the game that hadn't previously been accessible.

"I'm happy if we can bring a little bit of light to people in a dark time here," Hehir said. "Sports are such an indelible part of our cultural fabric and lacking that ... there's a significant hole in enjoyment that people feel, the escape that people can feel from everyday life that sports brings us."