Regina King will direct a live-action Bitter Root movie for Legendary, based on the acclaimed Image Comic series. Even though King has been involved in Hollywood for decades, her profile has been on the rise in recent years. She won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in If Beale Street Could Talk and then a Primetime Emmy for HBO's Watchmen. She previously won Emmys for her work in Seven Seconds and twice for American Crime as well. These accolades came right before King delivered her feature movie directorial debut, One Night in Miami.
The ensemble movie featuring Malcolm X, Jim Brown, Sam Cooke, and Muhammad Ali followed the four iconic figures as they gathered for one night and discussed a variety of pressing cultural and political topics. One Night in Miami was one of 2020's best-reviewed films and earned a 98% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It had a major presence through the movie awards season and earned three Oscar nominations, with King also receiving a nomination for Best Director at the Golden Globes. The quality of One Night in Miami left many wondering what she will direct next, and now we know.
According to a report from Deadline, King will direct an adaptation of the Image Comic, Bitter Root, for Legendary. She'll produce the live-action movie through her Royal Ties banner in addition to directing the comic book property. Black Panther director, Ryan Coogler, and other members of Proximity Media are also set to produce Bitter Root. The script is currently being rewritten by Bryan Edward Hill, who previously worked on Ash vs the Evil Dead and Titans, and is developing the upcoming Power Rangers reboot. There is currently no known schedule for the production.
Bitter Root was created by David F. Walker, Sanford Greene, and Chuck Brown in 2018. The story is set during the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s and follows the Sangerye Family, a once-great family of monster hunters who have been torn apart by tragedy. They are forced to reunite to take on an unimaginable supernatural force. The series has 24 issues published to date and has been praised for tackling racial themes. It was also nominated for an Eisner Award for the best new comic series.
Based on King's recent work with One Night in Miami, she should be an excellent fit for a Bitter Root adaptation. It will allow her to tell meaningful stories about race but do it in a very different style than the play adaptation. Now, she'll have horror and action elements to play with and show a new side of her directing vision. If Bitter Root is King's next movie, this likely rules her out from tackling DC's Black Superman movie or Blade for Marvel Studios, as she was recently speculated to be a contender for both. King will still tackle the comic book movie world with Bitter Root, though. Her involvement will hopefully allow the movie adaptation to move forward quickly.
Source: Deadline