I for one would have loved to see Memphis, the Paul Greengrass-Scott Rudin project about Martin Luther King that Universal has just scuttled, possibly over “factual liberties” taken by Greengrass’s script but more likely about the MLK estate having sided with a competing MLK DreamWorks project that has a script by Ronald Harwood (The Pianist). Rudin and Greengrass are presumably shopping Memphis around so here’s hoping.
I’ve written that Greengrass’s shakycam shooting style has run its course, but something tells me it might work very well on a script that focuses on the hours before and after King’s assassination on 4.4.68. I’m presuming, incidentally, that the “factual liberties” and “controversial directions” that the MLK estate reportedly has issues with in Greengrass’ script involves King’s legendary tomcatting…but maybe not. Anyone who can toss me PDFs of either the Greengrass or the Harwood would have my sincere gratitude.
