Although it looked back in October like Oliver Stone was set to write and direct a biopic of Martin Luther King, Jr. with Jamie Foxx in the lead, Stone himself took to Twitter today to reveal that the project is no longer moving forward with his involvement.
“Sad news,” begins Stone’s series of Tweets. “My MLK project involvement has ended. I did an extensive rewrite of the script, but the producers wont go with it. The script dealt w/ issues of adultery, conflicts within the movement, and Kings spiritual transformation into a higher, more radical being. Im told the estate & the respectable black community that guard Kings reputation won’t approve it. They suffocate the man & the truth. I wish you could see the film I would’ve made. I fear if they ever make it, itll be just another commemoration of the March on Washington. Martin, I grieve for you. You are still a great inspiration for your fellow Americansbut, thank God, not a saint.”
There’s no word yet on how the project may proceed in Stone’s absence or if Foxx (who previously worked with Stone on Any Given Sunday) remains involved, but check back for details as they become available.
(Photo Credit: Brian To / WENN.com)
