Having seen his script about the 1992 Los Angeles riots – first commissioned way back in 2006 – passed between directors including Spike Lee and Justin Lin, 12 Years A Slave** writer John Ridley is taking the big chair himself, aiming to direct the drama next year{
The Oscar-winning writer and producer, who has a couple of films in his directorial portfolio (including **Cold Around The Heart **and Jimi: All Is By My Side) has also been directing episodes of his TV series, American Crime.
He’s now attached to direct the script, which will cover the violent events of April 1992 as the acquittal of four Los Angeles police officers for the near-fatal beating of motorist Rodney King sparked massive riots and protests in the city that ended with 63 dead, more than 2,000 injured and around $1 million in property damage. Production company Broad Green is on board to finance and distribute the film, working with Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment, which originally set the script up back in the day. "We have barely seen the tip of the iceberg in terms of John Ridley’s talent,” says Grazer. “I am confident that he will capture the magnitude of the events that unfolded and the issues that led up to them. He will show the world why the riots cannot and should not be forgotten."
Cameras should be rolling on the film next spring, but it has yet to set a release date.