Deon Taylor to direct civil rights movie 'Freedom Ride'
Feb 05, 2021
Washington [US], February 5 : American film director-screenwriter Deon Taylor will be helming the upcoming film 'Freedom Ride'. The film will be based on first-person accounts of the original freedom riders (civil rights activists), including the late Congressman John Lewis.
According to Variety, the executive producers of the show will be Taylor and his Hidden Empire Film Group partner Robert F. Smith. They will join the producing team which includes civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump and his company, Brooklyn Media, as well as The Hideaway Entertainment and INDE Companies.
In a statement, Taylor said, "John Lewis once said, 'You are a light. You are the light! Never let anyone -- any person or any force -- dampen, dim, or diminish your light...Release the need to hate, to harbor division, and the enticement of revenge. Release all bitterness. Hold only love, only peace in your heart, knowing that the battle of good to overcome evil is already won.' His words not only resonate with me as human but inspire me to tell his amazing story."
He further said, "Working with our great partners at The Hideaway Entertainment, INDE Companies and the legendary Benjamin Crump is such a blessing. We are going to create an amazing film and really do John Lewis proud, I promise you!"
The target of the film's team is to start production in the summer of 2021. It will be shot in Atlanta and Birmingham, Alabama.
As per the publication, written by Steven Vosburgh and Dusdi Fissette, the film is set in 1961 and details the actions of a multiracial group of young activists led by Lewis as they decide to take matters into their own hands in the fight against racism.