The moment when Black Olympians Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their black-gloved fists into the air during a medal ceremony at the Olympics in 1968, during the playing of the US national anthem went down in history. Now, it’s getting its own film for MGM, Participant Media, and Macro, which will be directed by Rashaad Ernesto Green.
The movie will be titled ’68 and center around that moment in history in Mexico City.
American screenwriter Billy Ray will pen the movie. According to the Hollywood Reporter, family members of Smith and Carlos will be co-producing the film — Carlos’ nephews, Airrion and Shaun McCoy; Smith’s wife, Delois Smith. Stacy Sherman, Participant, and Macro will also be producing.
“Still incredibly powerful and relevant, I’m honored for the opportunity to bring Tommie and John’s riveting story to life; to portray the weight of the world these two giants had on their shoulders and the self-determination, courage and sacrifice it took for them to stand up for all of us,” Green said in a statement. Green is known for his films Gun Hill Road and Premature.
Ray has done screenwriting for many well-known movies like The Hunger Games, Shattered Glass, The Comey Rule, and The Last Tycoon.
MGM Film Group chairman Michael De Luca and president Pam Abdy released their own statement stating, “We are deeply grateful to Tommie and John, along with Rashaad, Stacy, Bill, Participant and Macro, to entrust MGM to bring their story to the world.”
So far, there hasn’t been any information regarding the release date. There is also no word on who film creators are hiring to do the casting or who will be cast in the movie.
Tommie Smith and John Carlos are both retired athletes. Smith is 77 years old, and Carlos is 76 years old.
