Chris Rock and Steven Spielberg have joined forces for an upcoming cinematic project centered around the life of Martin Luther King Jr.
Rock is currently in the final stages of negotiations to take on the roles of director and producer for this venture, with Spielberg on board as the executive producer. U
niversal Pictures has thrown its support behind this biographical drama, securing the rights to adapt Jonathan Eig’s biography, “King: A Life,” which is considered the definitive account of the late civil rights icon.
Eig’s book is notable for its use of recently uncovered FBI information and many interviews, shedding light on King as a figure who exhibited both courage and inner turmoil.
He strived for peaceful protest while grappling with his vulnerabilities and a government that pursued him relentlessly. As the project is still in its early stages, no casting decisions have been revealed yet.
Overseeing the project on behalf of Universal is Ryan Jones, the Senior VP of Production Development.
The movie, which remains untitled at this point, will be produced by Amblin Partners, with Kristie Macosko Krieger serving as the producer and Spielberg taking on the role of executive producer.
Chris Rock, a celebrated artist with four Emmy and three Grammy awards to his name, has previously ventured into directing with films like “Top Five” in 2014, “Head of State” in 2003, and “I Think I Love My Wife” in 2007.
His upcoming appearance in George C. Wolfe’s “Rustin,” where he’ll share the screen with Colman Domingo, further underscores his commitment to projects with civil rights themes.
Earlier this year, he made headlines with his Netflix live stand-up special, “Chris Rock: Selective Outrage,” which garnered significant attention due to his public comments about being slapped on stage by Will Smith at the Oscars.
Lucy Stille of Lucy Stille Literary brokered the option to adapt the book on behalf of the David Black Agency. Chris Rock is represented by CAA, Untitled Entertainment, Yorn, Levine, Barnes, Krintzman, Rubenstein, Kohner, Endlich & Gellman, and Vision PR.
Source: Bnn.network
