Chris Rock and Steven Spielberg are teaming up to make a movie about the life of Martin Luther King Jr., according to NBC News.
Rock will likely direct and produce the movie, with Spielberg hopping on board as the executive producer. After they got the rights to Jonathan Eig’s biography “King: A Life,” Universal Pictures announced they will be the one supporting the funds for the biographical drama.
Eig’s biography is like the holy grail when it comes to knowing everything about Martin Luther King Jr.’s life. Per NBC News, the book paints a picture of King as a “courageous but emotionally troubled individual who demanded peaceful protest while grappling with his own frailties and a government that hunted him,” by utilizing new FBI information and hundreds of interviews.
Because it’s still early days, they haven’t released any casting decisions for the untitled film.
Senior VP of production development at Universal, Ryan Jones, will oversee the project for the studio, and the movie will be produced by Amblin Partners. Kristie Macosko Krieger has been selected as the producer and Spielberg as the executive producer for the film.
Four-time Emmy and three-time Grammy winner, Rock, has a bit of director experience, as he directed 2014’s “Top Five,” 2003’s “Head of State,” and 2007’s “I Think I Love My Wife.” You will also be able to spot him in director George C. Wolfe’s “Rustin,” which stars Colman Domingo as the civil rights activist.
Rock’s Netflix live stand-up special “Chris Rock: Selective Outrage” debuted earlier this year, and received quite a bit of attention as it was one of the first times he publicly brought up the Oscars incident between him and Will Smith – you know, that time when Smith slapped him on stage while Rock was presenting an award.
It will be interesting to find out more about the film and who they select to play the role of MLK.
