If all had gone to plan, Precious director Lee Daniels would have been shooting Selma by now, his movie about the pivotal civil rights marches in Alabama that helped lead to real change for black people in America in the 1960s. However financing issues have held that movie up, and it seems he may now make another movie before that one goes before the cameras.
Deadline reports that Daniels is busy working on The Butler, and has even talked to Denzel Washington about the lead role. The director is apparently trying to get all the pieces in place quickly, and may even begin shooting before the year is out.
The movie will be about Eugene Allen, an African American who worked in the White House through eight presidencies, from 1952 to 1986, going from the lowly position of pantry man to being the highest ranked butler in the house. The film will be based on a series of articles about Allen and his life, written by Will Haygood, with Daniels now busy rewriting the original draft of the script by Danny Strong.
Apparently Selma could still be Daniels’ next film, as it looks like financing could be coming together, but no deals are signed yet, so he’s getting The Butler ready as well. The director is apparently exasperated that despite the Oscar nominations for Precious and a great cast including Hugh Jackman, Liam Neeson, David Oyelowo, Ray Winstone, Robert De Niro and Cedric the Entertainer, he still couldn’t get the relatively modest budget together to make Selma as planned earlier this year (Jackman apparently ever gained 30 pounds for the role, but then had to lose it without shooting a reel of film, so he could go and make Real Steel). So it seems that while Daniels is keen to make a movie soon, it isn’t decided yet which film it will be.