Martin Luther King Jr. Tagged Articles at Cinematical
MLK Won't Make it To the Big Screen ... Unless Family Finds Some Unity
Filed under: Drama », Deals », Celebrities and Controversy »
A few days ago, I wrote about Steven Spielberg's upcoming Martin Luther King Jr. biopic. But there was one thing that I didn't mention, and it looks like the whole project will come down to how it's all resolved. See, there's a whole storm of dissension festering between MLK's children, and if it doesn't die down, the project won't happen. The Hollywood Reporter posts that DreamWorks still wants to make the feature, but only if the bickering dies down. It seems that after this deal with King's estate was announced, one made with son Dexter who oversees the estate, daughter Bernice and son Martin the III threatened legal action since they weren't involved in the negotiations. Rather than just going ahead, visions of blockbusters in the eyes, a DreamWorks statement says: "The purpose of making a movie about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is to tell a great story which could bridge distances and bring people together. We remain committed to pursuing a film chronicling Martin Luther King's life provided that there is unity in the family so we can make a film about unity in our nation. We believe this is what Dr. King would have wanted."
It can be taken two ways. Either Spielberg and DreamWorks are upping the class of Hollywood, which would be a welcome change, or they remembered all the trouble that Watchmen had over rights and money. Either way, I can't think of a better way to kick off a film like this than to have it come by way of unity. Then again, I think seeds of familial discord might be a little too powerful for Hollywood.
Steven Spielberg Has a Dream About Martin Luther King Jr.
Filed under: Deals »
There was a weird FBI thriller flick in the works, then an assassination project, but now we're finally going to get an authorized look into the life of Martin Luther King Jr. Variety reports that Steven Spielberg has nabbed the whole kit and King kaboodle. This new film will be the first project authorized by King's estate, and Spielberg will have access to the man's intellectual property -- which includes, of course, his uber epic speech, "I Have a Dream." So, why now? Well, I'm sure it doesn't hurt that Lincoln has been struggling. If one biopic flails while trying to find cash, why not grab another passion project that would undoubtedly have an easier time getting funded? But there's also the timeliness factor. As DreamWorks co-chair Stacey Snider explains: "The answer lies in MLK's own words: 'All progress is precarious.' With every step forward, new obstacles emerge and we must never forget that his life and his teachings continue to challenge us every day to stand up to hatred and inequality."
But the bigger question is: Who will play Martin Luther King Jr.? This is a biopic of a different beast. King wasn't an icon without voice or video like Lincoln or John Adams -- historical figures who can be easily cast because we have no workable memory of them. Nor is he the same as Ali or Ray -- icons, for sure, but not as far-reaching. Is there anyone under the age of 39 who can really become King and do his memory justice?
Universal to Tackle Martin Luther King's Assassination
Filed under: Drama », Thrillers », Deals », Scripts », Politics »
In another example of adaptation rights being picked up before a book is done, Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream is finally making its way to a feature biopic. Variety reports that Universal has bought the rights to I Am a Man, a book currently being written by Hampton Sides about King's assassination in Memphis, and the hunt for James Earl Ray. The decision was made from an 11-page proposal that's being described as "a compressed historical thriller" by the author, who has a history with the King story -- his father's law firm had repped King, a friend's father was the neurosurgeon who operated on King, and Ray's lawyer was his dad's best friend. Mark Bowden, the pen behind Black Hawk Down and the upcoming Killing Pablo, has already been tapped to adapt it.As the story goes, King had gone to Memphis to lead a garbage workers protest. While on the balcony of his hotel, he was shot and subsequently died. Two months later, James Earl Ray was caught, and later plead guilty to avoid a trial conviction and death sentence. This seems to be as far as the movie will take it, but considering the studios' addiction to dueling pictures, I wouldn't be surprised if we later see one about his work before, or the aftermath of his assassination. There has been much chatter about a conspiracy theory, which is further strengthened by the fact that King's family believes Ray didn't do it. But that's another story. Is his assassination and the hunt for Ray what you want to see hit the big screen?
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