Director Lee Daniels and leading man Hugh Jackman are teaming for an adaptation of William F. Pepper’s nonfiction book Orders to Kill, The LA Times reports. Pepper, who was a personal friend of Martin Luther King, Jr., has spent years arguing that the confession of James Earl Ray was part of an elaborate conspiracy. He describes his book as follows:
Here is the myth-shattering expose which reveals the truth behind the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr… Shocking and controversial revelations from James Earl Ray’s attorney On April 4th, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stepped out onto the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, and into his killer’s line of fire. One shot ended Dr. King’s life and forever changed the course of American history — setting into motion a massive cover-up that has withstood a quarter-century of scrutiny. Now, after 18 years of intensive investigation, William F. Pepper tears away the veil of subterfuge that has hidden the truth of King’s death — proving the innocence of convicted assassin James Earl Ray and revealing the evil conspiracy behind the murder of our nation’s greatest civil rights leader.
Jackman, who can next be seen in Les Miserables, will play Pepper with the project set up at Millennium Films. Daniels’ next, meanwhile, is The Paperboy, a romantic drama set to hit theaters on October 5th in a limited release.
