It's hard to believe that one of the greatest men of the 20th century, civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, has never received the royal treatment on the big screen. Director Paul Greengrass (Green Zone) had a MLK biopic titled Memphis in development for a long time, but the project was halted when the King family objected to the script's depiction of King's infidelity, according to "Deadline." However, "Deadline" also reports that the project appears to be back in full swing.
Look I understand the King family's objections but at the same time facts are facts. There's pretty conclusive evidence that King slept around. I don't understand the idea of wanting to make a film about an iconic historical figure that depicts him (or her) as flawless. That just rings false to me. It is one of the reasons I loved Lincoln because Spielberg humanized the man. He wasn't perfect. Neither was King. George Washington by most accounts had hos in various zip codes and JFK basically sported a 24 hour erection 40 years before Viagra. That does not make their historical accomplishments any less relevant or groundbreaking.
Like Lincoln, Memphis will focus on the last few months of MLK's life, FBI director J. Edgar Hoover's relentless wiretaps and surveillance of King, as well as the manhunt for his assassin James Earle Ray.
If all goes well filming should begin mid 2013.
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