Regina King to step into Shirley Chisholm's shoes for biopic; calls her 'an inspiration'

Award-winning actor, Regina King is all set to feature in and bankroll Shirley, which is the feature film biopic about America’s first Black Congresswoman, Shirley Chisholm, reported Variety. The outlet reported that the upcoming biopic will be produced by Participant and will be written and helmed by the Oscar-winning filmmaker, John Ridley. The production is expected to go on floors later this year. 

Regina King calls Shirley's fearless determination 'an inspiration'

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The story will showcase Shirley’s 1972 presidential campaign, which was a historical moment. The flick will be an intimate ad behind-the-scenes’ portrait of the ‘most ground-breaking political leaders of the time’, reported Variety. The report mentioned that Regina King called Shirley’s fearless determination ‘an inspiration’ and with the film, she hopes to inspire future generations. She continued that her collaboration with John Ridley, whom she considers a friend and a mentor, and Participant’s team, will make the ‘decade-long journey’ sweeter.

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According to the outlet, John Ridley stated that Regina’s passion for bringing a human portrait of Shirley to life has been ‘evident’ since the day he met her. He extended his gratitude to Regina and Reina for trusting him and helping him be a part of the film which tells the story of a ‘truly remarkable individual’. Participant’s Chief Executive Officer, David Linde said Shirley’s life as a politician and her ‘groundbreaking career' in Washington, D.C. is a critical part of the USA’s history to date and he admitted that it has been often overlooked. He expressed his excitement to partner with John Ridley, Regina and Reina and the creative team to share the story of the remarkable woman.

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Regina King's movies like Shirley come within a year after she picked up her fourth Emmy Award for her film, Watchmen, and her feature directorial debut titled One Night in Miami (for which she has become the first Black woman nominated for Best Director at the Oscars Award). Alongside her feature as the political icon, Regina will also be bankrolling the project under Royal Ties Productions with Reina King. Participant’s Jeff Skoll and Anikah McLaren will be the executive producers of the biopic. 

Image Source: Regina King's Twitter

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