Martin Luther King Jr biopic in the pipeline

Washington, May 19: Life rights to Martin Luther King Jr have been acquired by DreamWorks and the film studio is bringing a biopic on the slain civil rights leader to the big screen.The movie based on King, who was assassinated in 1968 in Memphis at the age of 39, will be produced by Steven Spielberg, Suzanne de Passe and Madison Jones.

King copyrighted his speeches, books and famous works during his lifetime. The DreamWorks project marks the first film to be authorized by King`s estate and gives the producers the right to utilize King`s intellectual property to create the definitive portrait of his life. "We are all honored that the King Estate is giving us the opportunity to tell the story of these defining, historic events," Variety quoted Spielberg, as saying. "It is our hope that the creative power of film and the impact of Dr King`s life can combine to present a story of undeniable power that we can all be proud of,” he added. ANI