Precious director Lee Daniels has been scouring to find the right man to portray civil rights leader Martin Luther King in Selma, and now he has found him in British actor David Oyelowo.
Selma tells the tale of the historic Selma to Montgomery marches of 1965 which marked the emotional and political peak of the American Civil Rights campaign, with hundreds of activists left bloodied and gassed as they marched for the right to vote. The resultant reaction to the atrocities dealt out to protesters, was an exponential growth in support that led to the change of racial equality.
Oyelowo will be seen next In George Lucas’ Red Tails, a story that centres on the first African American pilots to fly in combat in World War II. But, he is best known in the UK with his work on the BBC, with his roles in Spooks and The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency. Though, his appearance as Dr. Junji in The Last King of Scotland is very creditable, and provides Oyelowo with accumulation of projects that merits in substance and depth.
Selma could well be a breakthrough role for Oyelowo, who will star opposite Hugh Jackman, as a racist sheriff who is charged with stopping the march at any cost. However, the project is currently under threat due to financial reasons. Pathe International had offered to invest a large financial backing to the project, before then scaling back its interest. Producers are currently shopping the script to other studios in order to generate much needed capital to get the project off the ground.
Given the importance of Selma's historical context, with this era fundamentally shaping the modern world, the project deserves its chance. On the back of Daniels success with Precious, and the bankable Jackman on board, executives may just take the gamble within the confines of realistic budget, due to the small market the film will resonate with.
MATT RICHARDSON
No comments:
Post a Comment