Jordan Peele, Spike Lee team up for KKK thriller ‘Black Klansman’
Get Out's Jordan Peele and iconic film director Spike Lee are coming together for a collaboration: a new thriller called Black Klansman.
Get Out‘s Jordan Peele and iconic film director Spike Lee are coming together for a collaboration: a new thriller called Black Klansman.
The thriller is based on the true story of Ron Stallworth, a detective in Colorado Springs, Colorado, who answered an ad in the local paper in 1978 seeking new Klan members.
Stallworth was not only able to become a member but quickly rose up through the ranks, becoming head of the local chapter. He would pretend to be a white supremacist over the phone and in written correspondence and then send a white colleague in his place for in-person meetings, thus allowing Stallworth to get insider knowledge on the Klan’s activities. Because of his actions, he was able to sabotage cross burnings and other events.
In 2014, Stallworth published a book called Black Klansman in which he detailed his experiences. The film takes its title from the name of that book.
John David Washington, the son of Denzel Washington, is in talks to star in the film, with Peele set to produce and Lee set to direct.
Although the film seems incredibly timely given recent headlines, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Lee and Peele’s production team have been working on it for two years and have been especially excited since the success of Get Out.
