Having accepted the mantle of Captain America in the MCU, Anthony Mackie is looking to tackle a big gig behind the camera. He's set up his film directing debut with Spark, the true story of unsung Civil Rights pioneer Claudette Colvin. And Saniyya Sidney, who recently brought a real-life person to screens as Venus Williams in King Richard, will star.
Niceole R. Levy, who wrote The Banker (which co-starred Mackie), is at work on the script, and the producers have Colvin's life rights. She was 15 when she bravely stood up to racism, getting arrested after refusing to give up her seat on a crowded segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. This was nine months before Rosa Parks became a symbol of the Civil Rights era symbol for courageously doing essentially the same thing. Initially embraced by Civil Rights leaders for her courage, Colvin was brushed out of history when those same civic leaders decided a poor, dark-skinned teenage girl would not be the ideal face for their public campaign.
"67 years ago, when history glued me to the seat of that bus in Montgomery, I could never have imagined that standing up for my rights could spark a movement that would change the course of history," Colvin says. "It is really an honor to have my story retold, by Mr. Mackie, for future generations to learn about our past so they can move forward knowing that progress is possible, and things do get better. I hope my story will inspire youth to continue to fight for civil rights and human dignity."
"Not only was I moved, I was inspired," Mackie tells Deadline. "It’s great to be a superhero in movies but she’s a real live one living amongst us and I’m honored to tell her story."