Following a couple of brutal action hits in The Equalizer and Olympus Has Fallen, director Antoine Fuqua considering taking a more thoughtful route for one possible future project. He's just attached himself to IM Global's as-yet untitled adaptation of Jeff Hobbs' non-fiction book The Short And Tragic Life Of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark For The Ivy League{
As you might partly infer from that lengthy title, the subject is a working class African American who overcame considerable obstacles to secure a place studying molecular biochemistry and biophysics at Yale. A popular student, he nevertheless struggled to reconcile his two very different worlds: he was on the water polo team but continued to deal drugs as he had in Newark. He was also a habitual drug and alcohol abuser himself.
What could have been a rags-to-riches tale sadly ended in Peace's death. Hobbs, who's been Peace's friend and roommate at Yale, made it his business to chronicle Peace's life. His book was published last month and became something of a hot property among producers looking to secure the rights. IM Global and Fuqua Films were the winners.
When we'll actually see the film remains unclear. Fuqua is also currently attached to any number of other projects, including biopics of Suge Knight and Jesse Owens, crime dramas Storming Las Vegas and Chicagoland, a remake of The Magnificent Seven and a developing Equalizer sequel. His next movie, the boxing drama Southpaw starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Rachel McAdams, is already complete and awaiting a release date.
The Short And Tragic Life Of Robert Peace is available in the US from Simon & Schuster, but hasn't been published in the UK yet.