Chris Rock and Steven Spielberg to collaborate for Martin Luther King Jr biographical drama

Chris Rock and Steven Spielberg have joined forces to bring the life of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. to the silver screen. If reports are anything to go by, Rock is in the final stages of negotiations to direct and producethe highly anticipated project, with Spielberg stepping in as the executive producer.

Universal Pictures is fully backing this biographical drama, having secured the rights to Jonathan Eig's acclaimed biography, King: A Life. Eig's book is hailed as the definitive biography of Martin Luther King Jr., offering an in-depth portrayal of the late civil rights leader as a "courageous but emotionally troubled individual who demanded peaceful protest while grappling with his own frailties and a government that hunted him."

Utilising new FBI information and conducting hundreds of interviews, Eig's work promises to shed new light on the complex and remarkable life of King.

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Given that it's still in the early stages of development, casting details for thisproject have not yet been revealed. However, expectations are running high as Rock and Spielberg unite to bring this important chapter of American history to the big screen.

Universal's senior VP of production development, Ryan Jones, will oversee the project on behalf of the studio, according to Deadline. The untitled movie will be produced by Amblin Partners, with Kristie Macosko Krieger serving as producer alongside Spielberg as the executive producer.

Chris Rock, a four-time Emmy and three-time Grammy winner, is no stranger to the world of filmmaking. He has previously directed notable films such as Top Five(2014), Head of State(2003), and I Think I Love My Wife(2007).

On the acting front, Rock is set to appear in director George C. Wolfe's upcoming film Rustin, where he will star alongside Colman Domingo, who portrays the civil rights activist Bayard Rustin. Earlier this year, Chris Rock made headlines with his Netflix live stand-up special, Chris Rock: Selective Outrage, during which he publicly addressed the infamous Oscars moment when he was slapped on stage by Will Smith.

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