MGM planning biopic about Black Power protest at 1968 Summer Olympics

The film is a dramatic re-telling of the Black American sprinters who rose their fists in protest during the 1968 Summer Olympics.

TheGrio Staff

Apr 1, 2022

MGM announced a film in the works based on the Black Power protest made at the 1968 Summer Olympics. Titled ’68, the drama will tell the story of Olympic sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos who raised their fists in support of human rights during their medal presentation.

MACRO and Participant are behind the film’s production, alongside MGM. Billy Ray is slated to write the screenplay and Rashaad Ernesto Green, the filmmaker behind Premature and Gun Hill Road, will direct.

Ray wrote Clint Eastwood’s 2019 film, Richard Jewell, about the bombing at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. He also wrote The Hunger Games and Captain Phillips.

Tommie Smith and John Carlos after Smith received the gold and Carlos the bronze for the 200 meters on Oct. 16, 1968, in the Summer Olympic Games in Mexico City. (AP Photo/File)

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In October 1968, Smith and Carlos won the gold and bronze medal for America in the 200-meter dash, respectively. During the medal presentation, as “The Star-Spangled Banner played, Smith and Carlos raised their Black-gloved fists in the air and hung their heads in protest against racial inequality.

Members of Smith and Carlos’ family, including Smith’s wife DeLois Smith, and Carlos’ nephews, Airrion and Shaun McCoy, will co-produce the film with MACRO and Participant. Stacy Sherman will also serve as a co-producer.

Tommie Smith and John Carlos accept the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage at the 2008 ESPY Awards held at NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE on July 16, 2008. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

“We are thrilled to work with Rashaad Ernesto Green and the teams at MGM and Participant to bring this incredible story to the screen,” said Charles D. King, founder, and CEO, of MACRO. “The moment when Tommie Smith and John Carlos took the podium and raised their fists created a ripple effect of change that resonates to this very day and now audiences worldwide will understand the true extent of their bravery.”

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Green says that the Smith and Carlos’ protest is an important piece of history that warrants feature film treatment.

“Still incredibly powerful and relevant, I’m honored for the opportunity to bring Tommie and John’s riveting story to life; to portray the weight of the world these two giants had on their shoulders and the self-determination, courage, and sacrifice it took for them to stand up for all of us.”

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