Director Spike Lee is slated to delve into Chicago’s violence problem in a new film that bears the controversial moniker, Chiraq — a term used to describe the city’s danger level to the war zone in Iraq, reports the Chicago Tribune.

Earlier this week, The Wrap reported that Lee is making the film for Amazon Studios and he’s courting some big name celebrities to star, according to the Tribune, who confirmed the report.

The Chicago Tribune reports:

“The Oscar-nominated filmmaker is courting Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Piven, Common and Kanye West for the ensemble cast of ‘Chiraq,’ multiple individuals familiar with the project have told TheWrap.” Three of those four names (minus Jackson) are Chicago-area natives.

Lee was in the city in January reportedly to conduct research with the help of St. Sabina pastor Rev. Michael Pfleger, the report says.

Thanks to Director/Actor Spike Lee,” Pfleger wrote on his Facebook page, “who spent the day at St. Sabina yesterday talking and interviewing….People who cover the violence, Principals who deal with violence in and around their schools, Brothers from the Blocks who live in it every day and Parents who have lost their children to Violence…..He spent the day from early morning till late in the night….listening and asking questions to try and get a deeper understanding of the plague of violence. Thanks Spike for caring and wanting to understand.”

Lee will be in town later this month as part of the Chicago International Movies & Music Festival (CIMMfest), the report says.

SOURCE: CHICAGO TRIBUNE | VIDEO CREDIT: NDN

Watch NewsOne Now guest host Mo Ivory and the Straight Talk Panel discuss the firestorm Spike Lee’s upcoming film has started in Chicago.

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See Also:

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Chicago Anti-Police Violence Group Stages Protest At The UN

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