Lee Daniels’ upcoming civil rights drama, “Selma,” based on the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery marches, is now set to begin lensing this fall with The Weinstein Company circling a potential role as finance partners.
Originally slated for May, production on “Selma” was hindered by a missing piece in its financing puzzle with the Weinsteins now set to partner with Pathé on the Plan B (Brad Pitt’s shingle) and Christian Colson production that already has a star-studded cast attached. Actors mentioned by name in the piece include Hugh Jackman who is signed on to play Sheriff Jim Clark, Liam Neeson who’ll portray Lyndon Johnson while David Oyelowo will play Martin Luther King, Jr.
While it is noted that other talent are also signed on, it remains to be seen if or how the new start date will affect other previously announced cast members; Robert De Niro was attached to star as racist governor George Wallace, Cedric The Entertainer was set to play minister and activist Ralph Abernathy while Daniels’ “Precious” co-star Lenny Kravitz was also on board as activist Andrew Young.
With production slated so far ahead and with Daniel’s new-found stature after the success of “Precious,” we’d imagine the majority of the attached cast will resume duties for the sure-to-be Oscar bait: the ever-likable Jackman as a violent, racist villain seems like it’s taken straight from Mo’Nique’s comedienne-to-villain-to-Oscar-winner book.
Daniels also has an adaptation of “Les Miserables” creators Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil’s “Miss Saigon” — a glib, sentimental retelling of “Madame Butterfly” — in the works and will shoot a multigenerational and multiracial family drama from Amy Bloom sometime this year for HBO.
