You Only Think You Know Jim Thorpe's Story Chris Eyer Unveils The Athlete In Lit By Lightning On History

The History Channel introduces the new documentary film, Jim Thorpe: Lit by Lightning, which profiles one of the greatest American athletes of all time and the first Native American Olympic gold medalist. (See the trailer). From executive producers LeBron James & Maverick Carter, the film follows Jim’s life and legacy from growing up on the reservation in Oklahoma to his formative years as a young athlete in Pennsylvania to his victories at the 1912 Summer Olympics – all while facing prejudices against Native Americans who were perceived as threats to Western expansion. Despite the obstacles, Jim followed his Olympic career by playing professional baseball, football and basketball. The film was directed by acclaimed Indigenous filmmaker Chris Eyre, a member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes. Chris made history with his directorial debut Smoke Signals, which swept the Sundance Film Festival, and is currently executive producer and director of AMC's Dark Winds, alongside executive producers George R.R. Martin and Robert Redford.