One of Spielberg's greatest triumphs of the last few years was his Abraham Lincoln biopic, with Daniel Day Lewis giving one of his typically brilliant turns as the American president instrumental in the emancipation of black slaves in the post-Civil War US. Based on Doris Kearns Goodwin's Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln was a historically accurate but still engaging film. So learning Spielberg hoped to make a similar film about Martin Luther King, Jr was pretty exciting. In 2009 it was announced that Spielberg had bought the civil rights campaigner's life rights and intended to not only produce but direct a biopic, which would mark the fourth time he had tackled issues of race in American history (along with Lincoln he also helmed Amistad and The Colour Purple). Except it turned out he'd only gotten approval from one of King's sons, not the entire estate, and so now it doesn't look like the film's going to get made. More's the pity.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
