Harriet Tubman Biopic in Development From 'Homeland' Director
Harriet Tubman, between 1860 and 1875 (Photo: Library of Congress/AP)
By Dave McNary, Variety
A movie about iconic abolitionist Harriet Tubman is in development from Homeland director Seith Mann.
The project has a working title of Harriet.
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Tubman was born into slavery, escaped in 1849, and made more than a dozen missions to rescue about 70 slaves though the Underground Railroad. She served as a spy for the Union Army during the Civil War and campaigned for women’s suffrage.
The U.S. Treasury announced last month that Tubman will replace Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill in 2020.
Mann will direct from a script by Gregory Allen Howard. Production is expected to begin in early 2017 with Macro and New Balloon co-financing.
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Producers are Debra Martin Chase (The Princess Diaries), Gregory Allen Howard (Remember the Titans), Macro founder/CEO Charles D. King, Beasts of No Nation producer Daniela Taplin Lundberg, and Macro’s production president Kim Roth.
Executive producers are New Balloon’s Elizabeth Koch and Kristina Kendall; Macro’s Poppy Hanks and Bill Benenson. Co-producers are Kristen Konvitz and Charles Pugliese.
King is the only African American to rise from the mailroom to partner in WME’s 118-year history. He founded Macro last year and recently partnered with Paramount Pictures and Bron Studios to produce and finance Fences, starring Denzel Washington, and Viola Davis.
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Howard is repped by WME and The Gotham Group. Chase is repped by CAA and Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein & Lezcano. Lundberg is repped by WME. Mann is repped by CAA, Writ Large and Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein & Lezcano.
The news was first reported by Deadline Hollywood.
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