The Martin Luther King, Jr. biopic Selma is moving forward today as Deadline reports that Oprah Winfrey is set to produce the feature with Paramount Pictures having just come aboard to distribute domestically.
Lee Daniels was formerly attached to Selma, planning to shoot from a script by Paul Webb. The likes of Hugh Jackman, David Oyelowo, Liam Neeson and Cedric the Entertainer were even up for roles in the project, but the production never saw the green light.
Now, Ava DuVernay (I Will Follow), who has rewritten the screenplay, is directing with Pathe UK and Plan B Productions producing alongside Christian Colson.
Paul Greengrass is, meanwhile, developing his own take on the civil rights leader. He’s planning to direct Memphis from his own screenplay while a third, currently untitled, project is in need of a director. The formerly-attached Oliver Stone (who was planning to feature Jamie Foxx in the lead) departed the project last month over creative differences regarding how King should be portrayed.
