Regina King To Star In & Produce John Ridley’s Shirley Chisholm Biopic

Regina King is one of the hottest commodities in Hollywood right now. Fresh off a win at the Primetime Emmys for her role in Watchmen, the versatile Oscar winner has secured her next starring role. As first reported by The Wrap, King will team with her fellow Academy Award winner John Ridley for a new biopic about the life and times of Shirly Chisolm.

John Ridley will write and direct the biopic, titled Shirley, with Regina King starring the first Black United States Congresswoman. Additionally, King will produce the feature alongside Reina King via their Royal Ties Productions banner. Moreover, Jeff Skoll (Spotlight) and Anikah McLaren (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) are on-board as executive producers as well.

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In 1968, Chisholm became the first African-American woman elected to the United States Congress. A few years later, she became the first African-American candidate for a major party’s nomination for President of the United States, and the first woman to run for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. Recently, Uzo Aduba portrayed Chisholm in the limited series Mrs. America, for which she won an Emmy Award. Additionally, Avengers: Infinity War, Danai Gurira will portray Chisolm in a separate biopic in the works at Amazon Studios. In a statement, King expresses her excitement to be a part of the project.

“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,” 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.”

Following a remarkable performance in HBO’s Watchmen, Regina King stepped behind the camera to direct the groundbreaking film One Night In Miami for Amazon. For her work on that feature, King is nominated for Best Director at the upcoming 78th Golden Globe Awards. In 2019, King also won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in If Beale Street Could Talk. Up next, King will star in the American Western The Harder They Fall along with Jonathan Majors and Idris Elba.

What do you think? Is Regina King the best choice to portray Shirley Chisholm? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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