Comedian and actor Chris Rock is reportedly in the final stages of negotiations with Steven Spielberg to direct and produce an upcoming biographical drama centered on the life of Martin Luther King Jr., according to Variety. Meanwhile, Spielberg is set to take on the role of executive producer for the film. This exciting project, which is still untitled, is being developed in collaboration with Universal Pictures, which secured the rights to adapt Jonathan Eig’s acclaimed biography, “King: A Life.” The film will be produced by Amblin Partners, with Kristie Macosko Krieger as the producer. Casting details for the film are yet to be disclosed.
Jonathan Eig’s book, upon which the movie is based, has been lauded as the “definitive biography of the late civil rights icon.” It draws on newly unearthed FBI information and interviews to provide a nuanced portrait of Martin Luther King Jr. as a “courageous but emotionally troubled individual who advocated peaceful protest while grappling with his own vulnerabilities and a government that pursued him.”
Martin Luther King Jr., an activist and political philosopher, stood as one of the most prominent figures in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his tragic assassination in 1968.
Notably, Chris Rock, a four-time Emmy and three-time Grammy winner, has previously ventured into directing with films such as “Head of State” (2003), “I Think I Love My Wife” (2007), and “Top Five” (2014). Earlier this year, he made headlines with the debut of his Netflix live stand-up special, “Chris Rock: Selective Outrage,” where he openly discussed the incident where he was slapped on stage at the Oscars by Will Smith, generating widespread attention and discussion.
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