DreamWorks has bought the rights to the life story of Martin Luther King Jr, and is set to make a biopic of the Civil Rights leader. Steven Spielberg, Suzanne de Passe and Madison Jones will produce the film.
This is the first film to be authorised by Dr King’s estate, which holds copyright on all his speeches and books, including the “I have a dream” speech.
“We are all honored that the King Estate is giving us the opportunity to tell the story of these defining, historic events,” said Empire editor Spielberg. “It is our hope that the creative power of film and the impact of Dr. King’s life can combine to present a story of undeniable power that we can all be proud of.”
The project’s something that Spielberg and DreamWorks CEO and co-chairman Stacy Snider have been working on for some time, and they’ve now set it up to go ahead with de Passe and Jones, who among other things co-produced one of President Obama’s inaugural balls.
There’s no word on a screenwriter or casting yet, but let’s hope this moves ahead slightly more quickly than Spielberg’s oft-delayed Lincoln project.
Source: http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=24843
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