Spielberg Snags MLK Movie Rights

By Harry Kimball,  Newser Staff
Posted May 19, 2009 5:23 PM CDT
Spielberg Snags MLK Movie Rights
Martin Luther King III, son of Dr. Martin Luther King.   (AP Photo)

The first authorized biopic of Martin Luther King Jr. will be a Steven Spielberg production. The filmmaker's DreamWorks studio has obtained the rights from King's family, NPR reports. No word yet on whether Spielberg himself will direct or who will play the main role (Denzel? Jamie Foxx?). King’s children are notoriously protective of his legacy, and approval apparently came from son Dexter, who runs the estate. “We hope that this will be the definitive film on his life and legacy,” he said. (More entertainment stories.)

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