'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Universal Pictures' project on Martin Luther King Jr.'s biopic is in the news again. Talks on setting up the cast and crew have reached the final stages, with news about Chris Rock helming the film along with Steven Spielberg as executive producer coming in last week. Amblin Partners will be producing the film, with Kristie Macosko Krieger serving as producer along with Rock.
The studio has optioned the biographical drama after Jonathan Eig’s National Book Award-nominated book titled King: A Life, which has been lauded for its use of previously untapped sources that include newly declassified FBI information and interviews on the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. With the film coming up, audiences can watch the gripping events pan out on the cinema screen soon.
From Will Smith to Chiwetel Ejiofor, five actors who could be the perfect fit for Chris Rock's Martin Luther King Jr. biopic
Soon after the news about Chris Rock helming the Martin Luther King Jr. biopic for Universal Studios started doing the rounds last week, fans got curious about the final casting for the titular role. Some even put on a sarcastic stance on the same stating unlikely choices of names like Ryan Gosling. However, we believe the following five actors can portray the role brilliantly:
1) Will Smith
Easily the best choice, it will be interesting to see if makers consider the brilliance of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actor Will Smith for the film. Given that the Academy Award-winning actor had a fallout with Chris Rock, it is highly unlikely that the two will collaborate on the project. Nonetheless, Smith could fit well in the role since he has previously worked on biopics like Ali (2001) and King Richard (2021).
2) David Oyelowo
Having previously portrayed Martin Luther King Jr. in Paramount's popular drama Selma (2014), actor David Oyelowo could be the perfect fit for the movie, as he has prior experience being in the skin of Dr. King. His commendable acting in the film earned him Golden Globe and Film Independent Spirit Award nominations, besides winning the NAACP Image Award for Best Actor.
Produced by Oprah Winfrey and Brad Pitt's Plan B, the film received an Oscar nomination for Best Picture in 2015. Besides this, David Oyelowo is also known for projects like Interstellar (2014), Default (2014), A Most Violent Year (2014), Paramount's true-life crime thriller Captive (2015), A United Kingdom (2016), Disney's Queen of Katwe (2016), and Gringo (2018).
3) Samuel L. Jackson
Credited as the highest-grossing actor of all time, it will be exciting to see actor Samuel L. Jackson depict the life of Martin Luther King Jr. The actor has previously portrayed Dr. King in the Broadway play The Mountaintop (2011) and is known for his impeccable acting skills in movies like Pulp Fiction, Jurrasic Park, Captain Marvel, The Hateful Eight, and Snakes on a Plane.
Besides having the strong acting skills required to portray the life and times of the impactful leader, Martin Luther King Jr., the actor also has personal affinity for him, having attended King's funeral in Atlanta as one of the ushers.
4) Jamie Foxx
Jamie Foxx could be a great choice as Martin Luther King Jr., given his previous experience shooting for biopics like Ray (2004) and Tyson (upcoming). His portrayal of iconic singer, songwriter, and pianist Ray Charles in Ray earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor along with a BAFTA, Screen Actors Guild Award, and Golden Globe Award in the same category.
He is also known for projects like Collateral, Django Unchained, and Dreamgirls and will be seen in upcoming projects like Tyson, Not Another Church Movie, Back in Action, etc.
5) Chiwetel Ejiofor
Chiwetel Ejiofor could also be the right fit to play Martin Luther King Jr., as his previous endeavors in the field of biographical drama have been commendable. His role as Solomon Northup in the 2013 biographical drama film 12 Years a Slave, earned an Academy nomination. He went on to win a BAFTA award for the same, besides the AACTA International, BET, and Black Reel awards.
Fans have enjoyed his wonderful acting skills previously in projects like Amistad (1997), Dirty Pretty Things (2002), Melinda and Melinda (2004), Kinky Boots (2005), and more recently in Marvel's Doctor Strange (2016).
While it will be interesting to know who gets cast in the role of Martin Luther King Jr., it will also be interesting to see Chris Rock get in the director's chair once again after delivering impeccable films like Top Five, Head of State, and I Think I Love My Wife. The movie is currently being touted as a “definitive cinematic biopic about the life of Dr. King,” filming for which will begin anytime soon after the cast is finalized.
