00:00The Hollywood Reporter has exclusively learned that Spike Lee is teaming up with Get Out
00:04filmmaker Jordan Peele for Black Klansman, the true story of an African-American police
00:09officer who infiltrated the KKK. John David Washington, the son of Denzel Washington,
00:14is in negotiations to star on the dramatic crime thriller that is gearing up to shoot this fall.
00:18The actor is also one of the stars of HBO's Ballers. Lee will direct and produce the movie,
00:23with Peele producing via his Monkey Pop Productions banner. QC Entertainment and Blumhouse
00:28Productions will also produce. Peele previously teamed up with QC and Blumhouse for his groundbreaking
00:33horror thriller that became a box office sensation, Get Out. The film will tell the true story of
00:39Detective Ron Stallworth, who wrote about his experiences in the 2014 book Black Klansman.
00:44In 1978, Stallworth answered a newspaper ad seeking new Klan members in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
00:51He not only gained membership, but rose through the ranks to become the head of the local chapter.
00:55Stallworth, who is black, was able to gather all sorts of intelligence by pretending to be a white supremacist
01:01on the phone, but sent a white fellow officer in his place for any in-person meetings. During his undercover work,
01:07Stallworth managed to sabotage several cross burnings and other activities of the notorious hate group.
01:12Even though the project sounds like it may be ripped from today's headlines, Lee, Peele and the producers have been
01:17quietly working on the movie for at least two years. The team up between Lee and Peele is momentous. It represents two black filmmakers from different
01:25generations working on a socially conscious project. It also couldn't be more timely given the recent racial unrest in America.
01:32For more on this story, check out THR.com. I'm Tiffany Taylor for The Hollywood Reporter News.
01:37This episode of The Hollywood Reporter News is brought to you by American Airlines, Hollywood's favorite airline.
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