John Ridley Directing ‘L.A. Riots’ Movie Based on Penned Script

12 Years A Slave scribe John Ridley has been enjoying the success of his Emmy-winning and critically acclaimed series, American Crime and things are about to get even better for the man who famously butted heads with famed director, Steve McQueen over ownership of the script for the film that won the Oscar for Best Picture in 2014 and also garnered an award for Ridely based on the brilliantly constructed screenplay.

There will be no such friction with his latest ambitious project about the LA riots that transpired in April 1992. Ridley is set to direct the script he penned that will capture the racial calamity that was spurned by the four LAPD officers who were acquitted after nearly beating a black man – Rodney King – to death.

The city of Los Angeles became an inflamed chaos with angered citizens looting and burning down stores as law enforcement tried in vain maintain law and order.

More than twenty years later – the violence and destruction still holds symbolic relevance and in many ways mirrors the current racial climate brought on by what most consider a continuously systematic trend of injustice towards African-Americans.

Ridley will be aligned with Brian Grazer’s Imagine Entertainment as well as the lesser known but up and coming Broad Green Pictures to help bring L.A. Riots to the big screen.

This isn’t the first time Grazer has attempted to get a movie about the riots made. Awhile back, after securing the backing of Universal Pictures with Spike Lee as the attached director – the deal unexpectedly fell through.

But there is every indication that Grazer and Broad Green Pictures have struck gold with Ridley based on his immaculate track record and the timely nature of the film.

Gabriel Hammond and Daniel, co-founders of Broad Green Pictures are confident that their latest investment will pay off in more ways than one, “This is a seminal event in our country’s history, the reverberations of which are still far too relevant today. We were blown away by John’s amazing screenplay and we know that under his direction and the aegis of Imagine the film will be truly incredible. This is why we started this company. To make movies like this”.