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'Prometheus' Actor Rafe Spall Joining Spike Lee's 'Son of the South'

by Ethan Anderton
June 28, 2012
Source: Variety

Right now you can see Rafe Spall in Ridley Scott's stirring sci-fi film Prometheus, and while you might not know him by name, or even recognize his face, there's a good chance you'll remember his bit part as a smart-ass employee at the electronics store from Shaun of the Dead or as one of the Andy's in Hot Fuzz. But Spall is a great rising talent, and he'll get the chance to spread his wings a bit more in Son of the South, a new project being executive produced by Spike Lee. The Do the Right Thing director's frequent editor Barry Alexander Brown, who has directed several films, will be at the helm of this biographical feature.

Variety says the script is based on Bob Zellner's autobiography The Wrong Side of Murder Creek which tells of the author's experience living in Alabama, growing up as the son of a minister and grandson of a KKK member before joining the Civil Rights Movement. He was jailed, beaten, slashed, shot at by police and taken on a terrifying night ride by Klansmen as they debated whether to lynch him. Spall will play Zellner who also ends up near high profile figures like Robert Moses to segregationist stalwart George Wallace. Meanwhile, Jacqueline Emerson (who played Foxface in The Hunger Games) will play his fiance Carol Anne with a supporting cast that also includes Marianne Jean Baptiste, Lou Gossett Jr., Clint Dyer and Saskia Reeves. In an interesting twist, Chaka Forman will play his own father, civil rights leader Jim Forman. This sounds like a great drama with a chance for Spall to really shine.

Filed under Casting, Development, Movie News

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