Regina King will play Shirley Chisholm in Shirley, a new film written and directed by John Ridley about the 1972 presidential campaign about the first Black congresswoman.
King, an Oscar, Golden Globe and Emmy winner, who just made her directorial debut with One Night in Miami, will play Chisholm under a life-rights agreement with the Chisholm Estate. Participant, which will produce, said the film will offer “an intimate, behind-the-scenes portrait of one of the most ground-breaking political leaders of our time during a seminal period in modern American history.”
Regina King and Reina King of Royal Ties Productions will produce. Jeff Skoll and Anikah McLaren will executive produce. Production is expected to begin this year.
Also Read: Regina King Breaks Through (Again) With Directorial Debut One Night in Miami
“Shirley Chisholm’s fearless determination has been an inspiration to so many of us, and with this film we hope to inspire many generations to come,” Regina King said. “To collaborate once again with my friend and mentor, John Ridley, and the team at Participant, makes this decade-long journey even sweeter.”
King and Ridley worked together previously on Ridley’s TV series American Crime.
“Regina’s passion for bringing a complete and very human portrait of Shirley to life has been evident since literally the day we first met,” Ridley said. “I’m very thankful to both Regina and Reina trusting me to partner in telling the story of this truly remarkable individual.”
Participant CEO David Linde added: “Shirley Chisholm’s life as a politician and her groundbreaking career in Washington is a critical part of American history that is far too often overlooked. We are thrilled to partner with John, Regina, Reina and a tremendously talented creative team to share the story of this remarkable woman with audiences everywhere.”
In addition to directing and executive producing One Night in Miami, Regina King recently starred in HBO’s Emmy Award-winning Watchmen. She is represented by ICM Partners, John Carrabino Management and Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman.
Ridley currently is writing, producing and directing the new limited series Five Days At Memorial for Apple TV+. He is represented by Brillstein Entertainment Partners and Rohner & Walerstein.
Regina King is also featured on the cover of the latest MovieMaker Magazine, where she discusses her entire career and One Night in Miami. You can also listen to our interview with her on Apple or Spotify or here:
Main image: Regina King with Aldis Hodge on the set of One Night in Miami.
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