Regina King Is Bringing Shirley Chisholm's Historic 1972 Presidential Run to the Big Screen

Regina King is stepping back in front of the camera to bring the story of Shirley Chisholm, America's first Black Congresswoman, to the big screen. On Feb. 17, Deadline revealed that King will lead the cast of Shirley, a Participant produced film expected to start production later this year. John Ridley signed on to write and direct the feature with the Academy Award-winner serving as producer alongside executive producers Jeff Skoll and Anikah McLaren.

Shirley follows Chisholm's historic presidential campaign, which began in 1972. According to Deadline, the filmmakers reached an exclusive agreement for her life story rights with the Chisholm Estate, allowing the feature to give audiences a more intimate portrait of the pioneer's life during her ground-breaking campaign.

"Shirley Chisholm's fearless determination has been an inspiration to so many of us, and with this film we hope to inspire many generations to come," King said in a statement. David Linde, CEO of Participant, added, "Shirley Chisholm's life as a politician and her ground-breaking career in Washington is a critical part of American history that is far too often overlooked. We are thrilled to partner with John, Regina, Reina, and a tremendously talented creative team to share the story of this remarkable woman with audiences everywhere."

King is the latest to take on the task of bringing Chisholm's story to life, following Uzo Aduba's acclaimed portrayal in the Hulu miniseries Mrs. America and the announcement that Danai Gurira will play Chisholm in the biopic titled The Fighting Shirley Chisholm. She and Ridley previously worked together on American Crime, which earned King two Emmys. If that doesn't promise we'll see from magic from this production, King's very involvement should do the trick!