Producer and director J.J. Abrams wants to bring Martin Luther King Jr. back to life through a television drama. Abrams' production company Bad Robot is working with author Tavis Smiley to deliver a show about King's final days. The series would be based on Smiley's book Death of a King that tells the lesser known story of King’s last year leading up to his 1968 assassination. During that year, King fought with police and activists and was smeared by the media, including the President.
Bad Robot has acquired rights to the book in association with Warner Bros Television. Death Of A King received favorable reviews and will either be a drama or a miniseries. The project will reportedly be taken to networks in the fall.
Another MLK biopic received an Oscar earlier this year. Selma told the story of King's journey for equal voting rights in 1965.
[via AV Club]
