Antoine Fuqua, the Academy Award-winning director of Training Day, is developing a film about Black Panther icon Fred Hampton, according to numerous media reports. Deadline Hollywood broke the story.
“The untitled movie is a passion project for Fuqua,” reported Variety. “It’s based on Jeffrey Haas’ book ‘The Assassination of Fred Hampton: How the FBI and the Chicago Police Murdered a Black Panther,’ which has been adapted by Chris Smith.”
Hampton was assassinated in 1969 inside of his West Side apartment, located at 2337 W. Monroe St., by a tactical unit comprising FBI agents and Chicago police officers, who were carrying out orders given by the Cook County State’s Attorney. After his death, a 1982 civil lawsuit, filed by family members of Hampton and slain Panther Mark Clark, resulted in a settlement worth nearly $2 million.
Hampton’s brother, Maywood resident and park district commissioner Bill Hampton, said in 2015 that production conversations would begin in January 2016, although he didn’t know a precise timeline for the film’s completion. Hampton said at the time that the film would be loosely based on Haas’ book.
Hampton said at the time that he hopes filming takes place in suburban Maywood, where Hampton grew up, as well as in places in Chicago. He was also hopeful that the film would hire local actors.
“It will be based on Fred’s life all the way up to his death,” Hampton said, adding that he didn’t know which actor will be tapped to play the role of his larger than life brother.
