Precious director may march to Selma

Nov 18, 2009

It is the Alabama town forever associated with the civil rights struggle after state troopers clubbed and tear-gassed activists as they tried to march on the state capital, Montgomery, 54 miles away.

Now the story of the historic marches from Selma in 1965, which led to legislation that finally brought equal suffrage for African-Americans through the 1965 Voting Rights Act, is to be told on the big screen, reports Variety.

Lee Daniels, whose inspirational film Precious is being seen as a potential Oscar contender, is in advanced talks to direct Selma. The film is being put together by the British producer of Slumdog Millionaire, Christian Colson, and its screenplay will be by Paul Webb, who is also writing Steven Spielberg’s long-gestating biopic of Abraham Lincoln.