After recent news that Universal bailed on Paul Greengrass's in-development Martin Luther King Jr. film, Memphis, a new untitled, and, most importantly, MLK-estate-approved, biopic is starting to come together.
Combining the resources of DreamWorks with Warner Bros., screenwriter Kario Salem (The Score) is in negotiations to use his three-and-a-half years' worth of research and interviews to pen the project. Dreamworks, founded by Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg, acquired the civil rights activist's official life and intellectual property rights in May 2009. Suzanne de Passe (Jacksons: An American Dream, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) is on board as a producer.
While there's no word on what elements of King's life the movie will entail, it's safe to say that it probably won't be too controversial, since it has the blessing of King's estate.
[Via THR]
