Project Roundup: 'MLK,' 'Swingles'

By Sarah Sluis

It seems like most of the troubles with a biopic aren't the creative aspects, like, say, figuring out how to condense a life into two hours, but the legal drama required to gain the "life rights" of a person. That's the case with the recent announcement that Steven Spielberg will helm a biopic of civil rights visionary Martin Luther King, Jr. Earlier this week, DreamWorks said it was able to secure the life rights and intellectual property rights (i.e. the "I Have a Dream" speech) to MLK's life from his son, Dexter King, but now it seems that the other two siblings (Bernice and MLK III) are contesting the decision, stating they had no say in the matter when they deserved one. This kind of fighting could potentially put brakes on the project, as it did to an earlier book deal about Coretta Scott King. I'm not sure if this argument is about money or about control of the MLK legacy. Certainly, Spielberg has one of the most stellar track records in Hollywood, and has a history of directing projects that resonate strongly with social justice: Amistad, Schindler's List, and The Color Purple are the most obvious examples, but his characters often display strong senses of morality, which are often highlighted through a conflict with a person or group who is far less scrupulous. Since DreamWorks doesn't want the negative publicity generated by a sibling dispute, it's possible the movie will be shelved until the studio can reach a solid agreement. However, it would be nice to see Scorsese's biopic of Frank Sinatra (which also took years of legal wrangling to clear) go head to head with Spielberg's biopic of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Zach Braff joins Diaz in Swingles

While I've expressed my distaste for the romantic comedy project Swingles since it was announced, the attachment of Zach Braff to the project changed my tune. The project was pitched as a Cameron Diaz star vehicle. She would play a hired replacement for a wingman who abandoned his friend--a "wingwoman" if you will. Because Braff does well with "sad sap" characters, I'm guessing the leading man will look less like an uber-man who needs to learn to be more considerate (i.e. Gerard Butler in upcoming The Ugly Truth), but rather an unassertive moper who needs to develop some "game." If the male character is played as someone empathetic, the whole project becomes slightly more endearing. Braff will star, co-write, and direct the project, which I'm officially upgrading from "ick" to "maybe."