Oliver Stone drops out of Martin Luther King Jr. project
**UPDATED
With Martin Luther King Jr. Day right around the corner, Oliver Stone announced Friday that he is no longer on board to write and direct a biopic about the Civil Rights leader. Stone took to Twitter to explain that his rewrite of the script, which dealt with “issues of adultery, conflicts within the movement, and King’s spiritual transformation” was not well received by producers. It’s unclear how or if Stone’s leaving will affect Jamie Foxx, who was attached to star in the DreamWorks and Warner Bros production.
Warner Bros. declined to comment on the news. EW reached out to Stone and the studios for further comment, but had not heard back at press time.
Read Stone’s explanation below, ending with a note to King himself:
Sad news. My MLK project involvement has ended. I did an extensive rewrite of the script, but the producers won’t go with it.
— Oliver Stone (@TheOliverStone) January 17, 2014
The script dealt w/ issues of adultery, conflicts within the movement, and King’s spiritual transformation into a higher, more radical being — Oliver Stone (@TheOliverStone) January 17, 2014
I’m told the estate & the ‘respectable’ black community that guard King’s reputation won’t approve it. They suffocate the man & the truth. — Oliver Stone (@TheOliverStone) January 17, 2014
I wish you could see the film I would’ve made. I fear if ‘they’ ever make it, it’ll be just another commemoration of the March on Washington
— Oliver Stone (@TheOliverStone) January 17, 2014
Martin, I grieve for you. You are still a great inspiration for your fellow Americans—but, thank God, not a saint.
— Oliver Stone (@TheOliverStone) January 17, 2014
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