Jamie Foxx is reportedly in talks to play civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. for a biopic in the works at DreamWorks and Warner Bros. Oliver Stone, who has directed several biopics in the past, is in talks to direct.
The Wrap, which first reported the news, reports that Kario Salem has written the latest version of the script, following an earlier draft by Ronald Harwood. The site notes that Warner Bros. did not comment on the project.
The film’s producers will include Steven Spielberg, Suzanne de Passe, Madison Jones and Sam Nappi. Members of the King family are expected to give the project their blessing and be executive producers.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Stone and Foxx, who worked together on Any Given Sunday, have not been given formal offers but are interested.
DreamWorks has had the rights to King’s story since 2009 and also have the rights to use the famous “I Have a Dream” speech, which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year. TheWrap notes that Warner Bros. entered the picture in 2011, as that studio was also working on a King film written by Salem.
Captain Phillips director Paul Greengrass had been trying to get his Memphis film off the grouped for years, but the King family refused to support it.
Stone recently directed Savages and his resume includes two Best Director Oscars (Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July) and biopics like JFK and The Doors.
Foxx recently appeared in Django Unchained and is working on The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Annie. His Oscar came for the Ray Charles biopic Ray.
