A new biopic about Martin Luther King Jr. is in the works with Chris Rock and Steven Spielberg at the helm of the project. Rock is set to direct and produce the movie while Spielberg will be its executive producer.
Universal Pictures optioned Jonathan Eig’s biography “King: A Life” (which was published in May) and will be backing the film.
The book contains hundreds of interviews and FBI information that show King as a “courageous but emotionally troubled individual who demanded peaceful protest while grappling with his own frailties and a government that hunted him.”
“King: A Life” has also been nominated for a National Book Award. Casting for the project has not been announced. Rock directed the popular film Top Five, He also directed I Think I Love My Wife and Head of State. Universal’s Senior Vice President of Production Development Ryan Jones will manage the Martin Luther King Jr. production on behalf of the studio.
Rock has made headlines over the last year for a much different reason in the aftermath of the 2022 Oscars ceremony where he was slapped by Will Smith for making a tasteless joke about wife Jada Pinkett Smith.
Rock’s March 4th Netflix standup special, Chris Rock: Selective Outrage made headlines when he used the platform to verbally attack Pinkett Smith in a disgusting and derogatory way.
Rock’s habit of disrespecting Black women was called out in a big way and the star hasn’t been in the spotlight that much since Chris Rock: Selective Outrage aired (though Rock was spotted at Burning Man and Paris Fashion Week). Hopefully, he’ll continue to stay behind the scenes.