If all had gone to the original plan, Paul Greengrass Memphis would have been in cinemas last year, but the Martin Luther King biopic got delayed (after Universal Studios dropped it), and it’s only now that it’s moving forward. The Wrap reports that the director has found his MLK, with Forest Whitaker in talks for the role.
The film will be about the events that lead up to Martin Luther King’s assassination by James Earl Ray. It could certainly be interesting, as most looks at the man have steered clear of the months leading up to MLK’s death, due to the fact he was at a low ebb, with his marriage on the rocks, his influence in the halls of powers diminished (partly because he was very vocal in his opposition to the Vietnam War), a reported alcohol problem and he had even because a divisive figure within the civil rights movement.
The film is now being made outside the studio system, although there’s no news on exactly when it might shoot. Greengrass’ next film, Captain Phillips, will be in cinemas this later this year.