Lee Daniels has selected an actor to play the role of Martin Luther King in his upcoming film called “Selma.” The role will be played by, David Oyelowo, who starred in the films, “Raisin in the Sun” and “The Last King of Scotland.” Several cast members for the film include Hugh Jackman and Robert DeNiro.
This project has seen some obstacles along the way. Initially, the King family was in protest of the film because they wanted to protect Martin Luther King’s legacy. King’s rumored weakness for women and extramarital affairs were at the root of their protest toward the film. The King family was reassured that Daniels didn’t want to include such content in the film:
“This project is still in an embryonic stage. But I can tell you my story focuses on the civil rights marches. It’s not about tapes and prostitutes. It’s about the African-American man who changed history.”
Daniels is now focusing his efforts toward raising funds for the project. Pathe International was supposedly investing heavily in the film, but is believed to be scaling back their initial level of involvement in the film’s development. He had similar issues with the ‘Precious’ project in its initial stages, but Smokewood Entertainment eventually funded the venture.
