Teaming up with director Lee Daniels, Jackman is set to topline 'Orders to Kill', which chronicles the infamous 1968 Memphis killing from an unconventional perspective.
- Aug 1, 2012
AceShowbiz - Amid his busy schedule filming "The Wolverine", Hugh Jackman plans another movie project with director Lee Daniels. Courtesy of Los Angeles Times' 24 Frames, the "Real Steel" hunk will team up with Daniels in "Orders to Kill", which chronicles the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
The movie project, which is developed at Millennium Films, is said to tell "an alternative version of the King shooting." The story reportedly will be told from the perspective of an activist named William Pepper, who will be portrayed by Jackman.
Pepper is a controversial attorney and activist who has argued for decades that convicted killer James Earl Ray was not the one who shot MLK. Ray himself recanted his confession about killing the iconic figure and he died arguing his innocence.
"Orders to Kill" will be based on Pepper's book which was adapted by scribe Hanna Weg. It follows Pepper over the years when he wages a one-man campaign, interviewing witnesses and gaining support for his theory that other interests were behind the 1968 Memphis killing.
Before teaming up for "Orders", Jackman and Daniels once planned to develop a movie called "Selma", which revolved around the Alabama civil-rights march led by MLK. Unfortunately, the planned project was scrapped due to financial problems.
Jackman will soon be seen in "Les Miserables", which will hit the U.S. theaters on December 14. Daniels, meanwhile, is busy directing his high-end drama "The Butler" about a man who served more than six presidents in the White House.
