R.I.P. James Gandolfini 
Photos: James Gandolfini, 1961-2013 
Warner Bros Sets Morten Tyldum To Helm … 
Zac Efron Thriller ‘The Falling’ Gets Jeremy … 
Why Was Ex-Soft Porn Filmmaker Recently Hired As Movie … 
ReelzChannel Cancels ‘The Big Picture’ After … 
Cillian Murphy Boards ‘In The Heart Of The Sea’ 
John Legend To Produce Comedy Project About Music Managers … 
Hot Trailer: ‘Crystal Fairy’ 
Sam Taylor-Johnson To Direct ‘Fifty Shades Of … 
Inside AMPAS Board Of Governors’ Meeting: Conflict Of … 
Hot Trailer: ‘The Spectacular Now’ 
Glenn Geller To Run Current Programming For CBS & CBS … 
Shailene Woodley’s Mary Jane Role Cut From ‘The … 
New ‘Star Wars’ Film Cast Breakdown Unveiled 
CAA Signs Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck, Oscar-Winning … 
UPDATE: Dan Abrams Named New ‘Nightline’ Anchor … 
RATINGS RAT RACE: ‘The Voice’ Finale On Par … 
Joy Bryant Returns To Longtime Agent Steve Alexander At … 
ITV Pays $30M For Controlling Stake In ‘Hatfields … 
Hot Trailer: ‘Anchorman 2′ 
EXCLUSIVE: In their first substantial project since moving from ABC to HBO, Harpo Films’ Oprah Winfrey and Kate Forte are teaming with HBO to mount America: In the King Years, a 7-hour miniseries about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr based on Taylor Branch’s celebrated book trilogy.
Robert Schenkkan, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of The Kentucky Cycle who most recently wrote four episodes of HBO’s 10-part mini The Pacific, will write seven hour-long episodes. HBO acquired rights to Branch’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Parting The Waters, as well as Pillar of Fire and At Canaan’s Edge.
The HBO-Harpo mini means that, 42 years after his 1968 assassination, King isnow the focal point of three ambitious projects.
Precious director Lee Daniels is gaining traction on the drama Selma. The film has struggled with budget, but I hear it’s gaining steam for a fall production start on a $22 million budget, with Harvey Weinstein circling as the missing piece of the financing puzzle. The Weinstein Co. would join Pathe as financier on a film Plan B and Christian Colson are producing. David Oyelowo (MLK), Liam Neeson (Lyndon Baines Johnson), Hugh Jackman (playing Jim Clark, one of the sheriffs who arrested the civil rights leaders) and others are setting aside time for the fall shoot. (Given Oprah’s ferocious support of Precious, it is interesting to see she and Daniels in rival MLK projects).
The third MLK project is a DreamWorks biopic that Ronald Harwood is writing, with Steven Spielberg among the producers. DreamWorks made a deal with the King estate that reportedly gives it access to exclusive papers and speeches but I’m told that HBO will be using many of the same resources for its mini.
Harpo’s Forte said that the prospect of turning all three Branch books into a mini was a key reason that Harpo left its exclusive deal with ABC in late 2008 to make minis and films for HBO.
“People have tried telling this story using Parting the Waters, but nobody had all three books until now and that was incredibly enticing for us,” she said. “This really is America in the King years, from 1954-68. Dr. King is the most dominant character, but there are so many other players who figure prominently. That includes his relationships with two presidents, JFK and Lyndon Johnson, his relationship with Coretta Scott King and his family, Bobby Kennedy, Stokely Carmichael and SNCC. This will cover the freedom rides, the Birmingham campaign, Selma, and the poor people’s march on Washington that he was organizing when he was killed. It will be the seminal Civil Rights era film. We thought Robert’s work on The Pacific was incredible and he can hit the ground running.”
He will have to, as the intention is to begin shooting next year.
Loading ...
It’s interesting that all three of these King projects are/were written by white writers. I guess there are no African American writers available to tell the story of the man who laid his life down fighting racism. This phenomenon goes right with the white woman hired to write the NWA story. I guess there isn’t a single African American writer working today in Hollywood. And only two Brits for both King projects and a white playwright for the other King project, and a Brentwood yenta to write a story about Compton rappers, makes sense.
I dont think it’s appropriate to label Andrea Berloff as a “brentwood yenta.” It’s not her fault that she got the gig. Blame New Line. I agree with you ‘Honest Abe.’ At least one of these projects should be written by an african-american, sad that they aren’t, but again I wouldn’t blame someone like Berloff. Job’s a job.
The least they could do is hire some black writers for the next 20 Twilight or Russell Crowe films.
Actually, an African American actor and writer put on a one man show called The Man In Room 306 that had a run on Broadway this year.
I had a chance to go see it and it was pretty brilliant. The actor in the role Craig Edwards was literally MLK. He wrote and starred in this production.
I find it sad that all of Hollywood isn’t recognizing that work which was well reviewed in the NY Times and instead hiring old white people to tell this story.
I have a feeling Mr. Edwards is the right person to not only have a hand in telling one of these stories, but also to star as MLK.
And no, I’m not his Mother or agent. Just saw the show a few months back and it resonated with me.
It’s no longer even surprising…
Good Point. I hope some folks from the WGA will comment on that.
Are you kidding me? The WGA is the biggest supporter of the instituionalized bias in the business.
In response to a story about Dr. King you chose to blast the writers for being of the “wrong” race? Have you no sense of irony?
Dr. King dreamed of a world in which race did not matter. Pity you fail to see the world as he did.
@IVY – MLK didn’t die so that white people could take all the writing jobs in hollywood. Or did he? Is that your definition of color blind? Only white people get to work?
Otherwise show me all the black writers on any A-list movie of the past 4 years?
Not quite. Honest Abe is expressing frustration at the fact that forty-two years after King’s death, race does still matter, i.e., black writers still have far fewer opportunities to secure work than their equally talented white counterparts. Dr. King actually dreamed of a world where that would not be the case. I may disagree with Abe’s name-calling but can at least understand the frustration it is predicated upon.
As to “uh no’s” comment: “The race of the writer is completely irrelevant. It should be the “best man or woman” for the job and that’s it.”
Again, what Abe is suggesting is that the race of the writer should be irrelevant but it’s not. In other words, do you believe it’s merely a coincidence that the best man or woman for the job just always happens to be white?
So the writers must be black and the Brits though black must be African-American?! I am in complete agreement with Ivy, Honest Abe is clearly missing the point. King wanted us not to be judged by the color of our skin but the content of our character. Maybe you need to re-read the “I have a Dream” speech, Abe.
you are missing the point. It DOESNT MATTER what the color of the writer is. The point is that black writers are not getting hired on enough projects. Being black doesnt make you the right writer for this miniseries. That is as racist a comment as any. Until we stop thinking about the color of peoples skin as any determining factor racism will be as prevalent as it was during Kings lifetime.
Overkill as usual. This isn’t Amy Fisher. Why do we need three different MLK projects?
@Honest Abe
Does the fact that all these projects will give black actors an opportunity to shine, and possibly sink their teeth into some really great work, not factor into your comment? We definitely need some more creative black talent behind the screen and that fight must and will go on but let’s look at the upside shall we?
Oh, they’re hiring black actors for these projects? I was under the impression they were hiring English or Australian actors. Or maybe Bob Downey,Jr. ala Al Jolson(All you folks under 50, look him up.)
Why is anyone surprised? I need a drink!
Black writers will have trouble with a lot of things in Dr. King’s story. In fact, most people will, but Whites have always cared more about Dr. King than Blacks.
First, Dr. King was a devout Christian. Though a sinner, his affairs definitely puts him in the Jim Bakker or Jimmy Swaggart territory, and that is a problem to present it without white-washing or denigrating his honest struggle with temptation. Black male infidelity is a problematic issue for Black writers (only Tyler Perry has addressed it). So I can see problems right there.
Next, was Dr. King’s social conservatism, and his insistence on a color blind society. Content of Character not color of skin. Dr. King was not the separatist and Black Nationalist like “sexy” Malcolm X, with para-military, tough-guy personas, intimidation, Muslim stuff, and so on. Malcolm X was the tough guy who scared Whites, and got killed in an internal power struggle by Blacks. Dr. King got letters from little White girls, and was killed by a White racist. Dr. King argued for integration, not separation, and not the Black supremacy in vogue (Malcolm X won the hearts and minds, predictably, of Black America).
Finally, Dr. King was a product of the times. David Duke lives in a trailer in Monroe LA (if you believe Wiki). Louis Farrakhan has a mansion bigger than Oprahs. Indeed, Blacks at 12.5% of the population make up nearly all of the major sports stars, OPRAH (beloved idol of White housewives), 90% of actors on commercials, the PRESIDENT! and many major Hollywood stars (Foxx, Washington, Smith, Berry, etc.) The NBA is about 90% Black, and the NFL around 70% or so.
You can find White racism, its pretty rare, and not a money-maker. Meanwhile Black racism, from Jeremiah Wright (mentor to the President), or the near fatal beating of Reginald Denny, or the OJ verdict, puts the lie to Blacks as innocent, racism-free victims of evil White guys. Since the intervening 40 years plus after Dr. Kings murder has shown Blacks as adept at Whites in engaging in violent, racist hate crimes.
It is sad that a man as complex, engaging, HEROIC, and dramatic as Dr. King will get likely a formulaic, martyr prop, for White status-mongering, treatment. Ala Ghandi (a man filled with racist views on Blacks and Whites who nevertheless was also interesting and dramatic and heroic, none of which made it on-screen). For example, Ghandi slept with nubile 19 year olds naked to “test” his will-power, and argued Jews should have simply died without resistance to get the moral upper hand, and that Blacks were spiritually and mentally inferior (flaws carefully hidden). To me, it’s more interesting Ghandi triumphed over his own flaws. Rather than being a cartoon holy man.
Plaster saints always fall apart, the human and heroic side of Dr. King, was always more interesting. There was a reason a little White girl loved him enough to write him in jail after he was nearly killed by a stabbing. Sadly I don’t think we’ll see that part of a genuine American hero.
You have nothing to say here, racist.
I would say Dr. King died fighting for it not mattering what the color of a screenwriter’s skin was…
The race of the writer is completely irrelevant. It should be the “best man or woman” for the job and that’s it. If the writer is Black, then great. If the writer is a Homosexual Japanese Pirate, then great.
That being said… we don’t need another MLK project.
I love how you asses always see “colorblind” when a black person is denied opportunity but see “reverse discrimination” when a white person loses a job to a black person. “Whiskey” above is a proven racist and so no one should take him seriously. Yes, white people appreciated King more. So much so, that they murdered him.
THIS BUSINESS IS RACIST! When it’s a big movie we are never allowed to compete because this is not our business and we always have to beg to be included. Wake up black people, these are not your friends. They only consider you when they have taken care of each other. You are tolerated only because it’s illegal to openly discriminate.
How do you have three MLK projects and not one black writer, not even the one who won an Oscar in the running! It’s a damned joke.
The biggest sin here is that black people aren’t even hiring other black people. Oprah, Lee Daniels and Tyler Perry are an unholy trinity of self-hating blacks who pimp their own people.
The only thing that will bring equality to Hollywood is the threat of black dollars leaving it. this means an independent black creative community who will not stab each other in the back for the crumbs from the table and who will support a quality product made and sold outside of these thieves in H-town.
IF we dont need another MLK movie then we DEFINITELY dont need another Holocaust movie. There’s one every year. There’s not an MLK movie every year.
Similarly, can anyone even imagine a black american writer being given the writing job of a yitzhak rabin movie? For those who see that easily happening have no clue about reality.
I personally know 3 PhDs in African American studies, from Ivy League schools, who have written about the civil rights movements and MLK…so for hollywood to not give writers of color the opportunity to write on a subject they know intimately, let alone an NWA movie, is humorous at best.
Re: Gingerales naive comment, who else would Hollywood get to play MLK…Robert Downey Jr in Black face? Youre missing the underlying point.
I’m sure several of you will look at my comment and see anger,, but what you fail to acknowledge is injustice and lack of opportunity to those talented persons not given the oppty they deserve.
Whiskey is a blathering, bigoted fool. Please return to your rubber room pal.
It’s okay, nobody can finish reading one of Whiskey’s posts without falling asleep. Leave him alone, he lives in his mom’s basement. Poor guy.
Whiskey, homework assignment for you. Something to get you away from FoxNews for a spell.
Tell me what ethnicity Bull Connor was. White.
Robert Byrd, who excoriated King relentlessly. White.
James Earl Ray. White.
And the people who fought to stop Dr King from receiving a national holiday in his honor. White.
I’m sorry, you were saying some nonsense about “Whites have always cared more about Dr. King than Blacks.”
Life’s too short for regurgitating nonsense from talk radio. It doesn’t fly in the real world. And Honest Abe is right. An african American team is what’s needed here. Whiskey’s racist hate-tract clarifies this.
The best a non-black team could do is give us another “Ali’ or a thinly-veiled hit piece masquerading as biopic. Something to warm the empty intellect of astute folks like Whiskey.
That we definitely don’t need.
I have read the SELMA script. Very on the nose and t.v. movie-ish.
Nothing’s wrong with what Whiskey said, but as usual Libtards like JaySmack don’t get it.
Libtards hate to hear anything that deviates from their vision.
BTW, little known is that MLK was a registered REPUBLICAN, not a Democrat.
Anyone who think that 3 white writers writing about the MLK isn’t absurd is out of their mind. This again is a joke and only highlights the fact of underlying racism in Hollywood. We live in the most diverse country in the world, yet Hollywood won’t give anyone of color the time of day. Good luck to anyone trying to make it Hollywood who isn’t white or Jewish.
Exactly.
Apartheid is alive & well in Hollywood.
I agree, Whiskey, you’re a bigot! Save the rhetoric for your toothless friends who can’t follow your BS!
I don’t just blame Hollywood for making 3 “MLK” movies without employing one (1) African-American screenwriter when there are plenty of experienced, qualified, Emmy and now Oscar-winning candidates. If Hollywood were making 10 “MLK” films, this would probably be the case. They would find a reason not to hire a writer of color and use the “we don’t see color” excuse as the reason even though you will NEVER see a studio film about a historical non-Black icon written by a Black writer. Those who see this question as “reverse racism” should first do your homework. Do your research. I challenge you to find a single studio-made historical or “blockbuster” film in the history of Hollywood written by an African-American. And please don’t say that if we were qualified the studios would hire us because there are plenty of qualified African-American tv and screenwriters who are members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA), just like their White counterparts. To me, a 15-year WGA member, the real culprits are not just the studios but the King Family, Oprah Winfrey, Lee Daniels or any other Black producer who sits back and allows this travesty to occur. We have to hold our own more accountable for things like this.
Look at a shows like “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Private Practice”. Two prime time series created and run by an African-American woman (Shonda Rhimes)with some 26 tv writers and not one African-American male writer and just 3 African-American female writers. No one says anything about it because she’s Black. The assumption is that there are no Black male tv writers qualified enough to write for either of these shows when that is far from the case. It’s deeper than that– this African-American woman clearly has issues with African-Amiercan men because you cannot tell me that if a Black male TV writer-producer created two tv shows and did not have a single African-American writer on his staff of 26 Black women would not be up in arms accusing him of having issues with Black women. They would and it would be tough to refute that claim (This analogy applies if the case involved two non-Black series created by a White male or female).
We must all remember that, no matter what color we are or our stations in life, WITHOUT OPPORTUNITY we are not who we are. Even the most successful filmmaker of all-time Steven Spielberg needed someone to give him a chance. That someone was legendary MCA/Universal exec Sid Sheinberg. Even the second most successful filmmaker of all time, James Cameron, needed someone to give him an opportunity to direct. That someone was Roger Corman. Someone has to give you an opportunity to build from. That is not happening for Black screenwriters in Hollywood. I’m not making this up, it’s a fact. Again, don’t take my word for it and don’t try to justify the disparity, just do the research.
The reason why Black tv and screenwriters like me (yes, I’m Black) are not happy with “MLK” situations is because it is an opportunity for one or more of us to shine and work. If we can’t tell our own stories, good people, whose stories can we tell? Yours? Do well-meaning non-Whites really believe there are no Black screenwriters “good enough” to write our own stories?
I’m not pointing my finger at you, I’m pointing mine at the King Family. If The King Family said we would like Oscar-winner Geoffrey Fletcher or Emmy-winner Tina Andrews or Tony-winning playwrights George Wolfe or Suzi Lori Parks considered for at least one or two of these jobs, do you honestly believe the studios who want to tell their dad’s story so badly they are making not one, not two, but THREE films, would not honor their request?
If you believe that, I have a spaceship in my backyard I’d like to sell you.
((THUNDEROUS APPLAUSE!!!!))
As a black woman I hope they hire the best and the best is not based on skin color.