I could not imagine being Steve McQueen, trying to decide what his next film will be. 12 Years a Slave was a riveting and challenging piece of work that won him a Best Picture Oscar. Following up a Best Picture winner is hard enough, but when it was a winner that was actually of a very high quality, that makes the followup even more difficult. McQueen has chosen the subject of his next project, which will be singer and Civil Rights activist Paul Robeson.
McQueen has wanted to make a film about Robeson for a long time now. He told The Guardian:
His life and legacy was the film I wanted to make the second after Hunger. But I didn’t have the power, I didn’t have the juice.
After winning Best Picture, he certainly has the power. McQueen is also currently working on a pilot for HBO called “Codes of Conduct“, about a young black man (newcomer Devon Terrell) entering New York’s high society.
As far as I am concerned, McQueen is three for three with his films so far. He has tackled two real figures before, and he is able to approach them in a very unique way. Robeson is a fascinating figure, and I am looking forward to how McQueen portrays him.
Original report from The Guardian.
