Oscar-winner Morgan Freeman is teaming up with Marshall director Reginald Hudlin for Powell, where he will play former Secretary of State, Colin Powell. The script was penned by Ed Whitworth and was featured on the 2011 Black List.

The story follows Powell’s time as Secretary of State during the George W. Bush administration. Powell was the first African American Secretary of State who initially opposed the invasion of Iraq but would go on to make a case for war to the United Nations Security Council using evidence that was later discredited.

Hyde Park Entertainment’s Ashok Amritraj will produce alongside side Freeman’s partner, Lori McCreary, at Revelations Entertainment. Freeman, Hyde Park’s Priya Amritraj and Addison Mehr, and Revelation’s Kelly Mendelsohn will executive produce.

Hyde Park is also in the works on the thriller Prey, the period drama Pure Imagination, and an adaptation of The Seagull starring Saoirse Ronan and Annette Bening.

Hudlin helmed the upcoming Marshall starring Chadwick Boseman and Josh Gad. He also wrote and is attached to direct an adaptation of the comic book Shadowman for the Sean Daniel Company. He is represented by CAA.

Freeman was most recently seen in the heist comedy Going in Style and next appears on the big screen in Disney’s The Nutcracker and the Four Realms. He is repped by CAA.

Emily J | Managing Editor