12 Years a Slave screenwriter John Ridley to direct L.A. riots movie

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

A couple of months ago, there was talk that Ice Cube and his son O'Shea Jackson Jr. might be teaming up for a thriller set during the 1992 Los Angeles riots, and while the report ended up not being true, a different project about the riots is moving forward at Broad Green and Imagine Entertainment. 12 YEARS A SLAVE writer John Ridley has been set to helm the currently untitled film, and he'll be directing from his own script, which was first commissioned back in 2006.

This won't be Ridley's first time behind a camera though. He helmed the 1997 crime thriller COLD AROUND THE HEART and the Jimi Hendrix biopic JIMI: ALL IS BY MY SIDE, and he's also been directing episodes of his ABC series American Crime. The movie "will cover the events of April 1992, when the acquittal of four L.A.P.D. police officers for the near-fatal beating of King led to devastating riots in Los Angeles that left more than 50 dead and 2,300 injured."

Broad Green founders Gabriel and Daniel Hammond have released a statement saying, "This is a seminal event in our country's history, the reverberations of which are still far too relevant today. We were blown away by John's amazing screenplay and we know that under his direction and the aegis of Imagine, the film will be truly incredible. This is why we started this company. To make movies like this."

Grazer also added that "We have barely seen the tip of the iceberg in terms of John Ridley’s talent. 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." Production on the L.A. riots film will begin in spring of 2016. Which actors would you like to see star in the planned movie?