’12 Years a Slave’ director Steve McQueen to direct Paul Robeson biopic

Lupita Nyong’o and director Steve McQueen pose with their awards for ’12 Years a Slave’ backstage at the 2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica, California March 1, 2014. (Source: Reuters)

The ’12 Years a Slave’ director Steve McQueen is planning another biopic, this time on civil rights activist Paul Robeson.

The director, whose slavery drama based on a memoir fetched the best film award at the Oscars this year, is developing a movie about real-life actor, singer, and Civil Rights activist Paul Robeson. He announced his next project at the Hidden Heroes Awards in New York.

“It was about this black guy who was in Wales and was singing with these miners,” McQueen said.

“I was about 14 years old, and not knowing who Paul Robeson was, this black American in Wales, it seemed strange. So then, of course, I just found out that this man was an incredible human being.”