Chris Rock & Steven Spielberg Teaming Up For New Martin Luther King Jr. Biopic
Written by djfrosty on October 6, 2023
Source: Arnold Jerocki / Getty / Chris Rock
A Martin Luther King Jr. biopic directed by Chris Rock? Yes, this is actually happening.
Spotted on Variety, the victim of Will Smith’s mighty hand, Chris Rock, is in final talks to team up with Steven Spielberg to bring us a new film focusing on the life of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr.
The website reports that Rock will serve as a director while Spielberg will be onboard as an executive producer on the upcoming film.
The film will be back by Universal Pictures and will pull all its information from Jonathan Eig’s biography “King: A Life,” which the film studio has already optioned.
Per Variety:
Eig’s book has been called the definitive biography of the late civil rights icon. It uses new FBI information and hundreds of interviews to paint a portrayal 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.” Since it’s early in the development process, casting has not been announced.
This will not be the first time Rock will sit in the director’s chair for a film. His previous directing credits include 2014’s Top Five, also starring Rosario Dawson, 2003’s Head of State, and 2007’s I Think I Love My Wife.
If you’re itching to see Rock in front of the camera again, he will be starring alongside Colman Domingo in the upcoming Netflix film Rustin, which follows the man who was an advisor to MLK.
Earlier this year, Rock used a Netflix Live standup special, Chris Rock: Selective Outrage, to finally break his silence about the infamous slap moment and other topics.
It’s good to see Chris Rock is out here working, but MLK biopic? We’re not sure this is something we want to see him directing.
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Photo: Arnold Jerocki / Getty