Candyman star Colman Domingo has signed on to play gay civil rights activist Bayard Rustin in the upcoming film, Rustin.
According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, the film is set to be developed by Michelle and Barack Obama’s production company Higher Ground and released by Netflix.
During the civil rights movement, Rustin was an advisor to Martin Luther King Jr. and an influential figure within the community.
One of his many accomplishments included organizing the March on Washington in 1963 – which featured MLK’s historic “I Have A Dream” speech.
Even though his involvement was extremely important to the movement, he was forced to take a less public role due to him being gay.
The film is expected to follow Rustin’s life and the onslaught of obstacles that he faced leading up to the historic march that changed American history.
Audra McDonald, Chris Rock and Glynn Turman are also set to star alongside Colman in the forthcoming project.
McDonald is set to play “the most influential woman in the civil rights movement” Ella Baker; Rock will be portraying Roy Wilkins, a former leader of the NAACP; and Turman will be stepping into the role of A. Philip Randolph, a co-organizer of the March on Washington.
Taking to Instagram, Colman expressed his excitement for the project in a lengthy statement.
“Words cannot express how honoured I am to portray this icon. Bayard Rustin is a personal hero,” he wrote.
“To be directed by the genius George C. Wolfe again and to be heralded by The Obama’s and Higher Ground and Netflix.
“We are about to get into some good trouble. We have a fantastic cast and crew and I am ready. Let’s go. I’ve got the ancestors with me. Calling on Bayard’s great spirit.”
George C. Wolfe, whose last Netflix project was Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, has been tapped to direct the film.
He is also co-writing the script alongside Oscar winner Dustin Lance Black, who was a scribe on the Harvey Milk biopic Milk.
Details surrounding a release date are still unknown.
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