Martin Luther King Biopic ‘Memphis’ Going Ahead With Paul Greengrass

Despite the fact that Universal Pictures dropped a previous production deal, Paul Greengrass, the critically acclaimed English director that took the helm for two BOURNE sequels and UNITED 93, has sought other methods for making his exciting new biopic about the last days of clergyman and activist Martin Luther King, MEMPHIS, the place were the great man was killed.

Producer mastermind Scott Rudin has given the go-ahead to push the project into pre-production, creating some alluring rumours as to who will play the big-man-with-a-dream-himself. We also have the unprecedented rivalry of a DreamWorks Martin Luther King film, but MEMPHIS won’t have that traditional feel of a cinematic biography as we had with Spielberg’s LINCOLN or last year’s Clint Eastwood effort J. EDGAR. Controversially, we will have the unblinking image of King in his final days indulging in alcohol, smoking and a portrayal of his failing marriage as he struggles to garner the approval of King’s estate.

I hope that we can have a realistic take on the pressures that could impact one of America’s political heroes, and bare imagery behind the vulnerability of (even) great men can make breath-taking cinema.The real question of course, is whether or not it will follow the excessively epic and blatantly obvious vision of LINCOLN or we can expect a truly colourful and absorbing work of art and history, a la Attenborough’s classic GANDHI.

Source: Firstshowing