Regina King to Produce, Portray Shirley Chisholm in Upcoming Biopic

Talented and seemingly busy Regina King has been tasked with playing the role of political icon Shirley Chisolm.

Participant, the leading media company dedicated to bringing inspirational stories to the masses that will motivate them to engage in positive social action, has announced that it will produce the feature film SHIRLEY. The biopic will star Academy Award®, Golden Globe®, and four-time Emmy Award®-winning actress Regina King as Chisholm.

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“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 written statement. “To collaborate once again with my friend and mentor, John Ridley, and the team at Participant, makes this decade-long journey even sweeter.”

The biopic is slated to be written and directed by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Ridley (12 YEARS A SLAVE). The production duties will be done by King and Reina King of Royal Ties Productions, while Jeff Skoll and Anikah McLaren will executive produce the film. Production is anticipated to start later this year.

“Regina’s passion for bringing a complete and very human portrait of Shirley to life has been evident since literally the day we first met. I’m very thankful to both Regina and Reina trusting me to partner in telling the story of this truly remarkable individual,” Ridley states.

The biopic tracks the presidential campaign that took place in 1972 by the country’s first Black congresswoman, Shirley Chisholm. The film will offer an intimate, behind-the-scenes portrait of one of the most ground-breaking political leaders of our time during a seminal period in modern American history.

“Shirley Chisholm’s life as a politician and her groundbreaking career in Washington is a critical part of American history that is far too often overlooked,” said Participant CEO David Linde. “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.”