Coming on the heels of becoming the second Black woman to be nominate for a Golden Globe for Best Director, Regina King (One Night in Miami) is stepping back in front of the camera to lead the Shirley Chisholm biopic from Oscar winner John Ridley, according to Deadline.
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The film, which is being written and directed by the American Crime creator, will center on the groundbreaking presidential campaign launched by Shirley in 1972 and adapt her life story from an exclusive agreement with her estate, providing an intimate and behind-the-scenes portrait of the political leader during a formative era in American history.
“Shirley Chisholm’s fearless determination has been an inspiration to so many of us, and with this film we hope to inspire many generations to come,” King, who has expressed a desire to portray Chisholm in a film for some time, said in a statement. “To collaborate once again with my friend and mentor, John Ridley, and the team at Participant, makes this decade-long journey even sweeter.”
Alongside starring, King will produce the film via her Royal Ties Productions banner alongside Reina King and Participant Media while Jeff Skoll and Anikah McLaren are attached to executive produce the biopic. Production is currently slated to begin on the film later this year.
“Regina’s passion for bringing a complete and very human portrait of Shirley to life has been evident since literally the day we first met,” Ridley said in a statement. “I’m very thankful to both Regina and Reina trusting me to partner in telling the story of this truly remarkable individual.”
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Shirley not only marks a reunion between King and Ridley after working together on American Crime, it also marks the latest project to explore the life of Chisholm following Uzo Aduba’s Emmy-winning turn as the politician in FX and Hulu’s Mrs. America as well as The Fighting Shirley Chisholm with Danai Gurira (Black Panther) set in the titular role and Cherien Dabis (Ramy) directing.
(Photo Credits: Getty Images)
