New Line is moving forward on its Misty Copeland biopic “Life In Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina” with “Remember the Titans” writer Gregory Howard attached to adapt her memoir.
Offspring Entertainment’s Adam Shankman and Jennifer Gibgot are producing with Philip Sandhaus. New Line picked up the rights to the memoir in 2014.
Copeland became the first black woman to be promoted to principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre last year at the age of 33. She co-wrote her memoir “Life In Motion” with author Charisse Jones, which made the New York Times bestseller list after being published in early 2014.
The film will focus on Copeland during her teenage years. She began training in ballet at age 13 while living in a welfare motel with her mother and siblings.
She spoke at Variety‘s Power of Women event New York in April about the lack of diversity in the world of ballet.
Copeland was the subject of the Nelson George documentary “A Ballerina’s Tale,” centered on a critical part of her career. The film made its world premiere at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival and was picked up by Sundance Selects.
That documentary follows Copeland’s career from her lead performance in Igor Stravinsky’s “Firebird,” through her painful injury and recovery that followed, to her return to the American Ballet Theater. The documentary also examines issues of race and body image in the elite ballet world.
Howard wrote “Ali” and “The Magician: The Marlin Briscoe Story.” Howard is also writing Harriet Tubman biopic “Harrriet” with Seith Mann attached to direct for New Balloon/Macro. He is repped by WME and the Gotham Group.
The news about Howard was first reported by Deadline Hollywood.
