How Awards Season Paved the Way for Steve McQueen’s Paul Robeson Biopic

It seems that awards season itself played a small part in the formation of a Paul Robeson biopic that “12 Years a Slave” director Steve McQueen announced as his next film on Tuesday.

McQueen disclosed that Robeson’s fellow iconic singer/actor Harry Belafonte will be involved in the film in an unspecified capacity, and it was the director’s “12 Years a Slave” campaign trail that led him to the legendary singer — the two met at the New York Film Critics awards.

Also read: ’12 Years a Slave’ Spat: John Ridley Regrets Not Thanking Steve McQueen

McQueen revealed his plans at an event in New York that was covered by The Guardian.

“His life and legacy was the film I wanted to make the second after ‘Hunger,’ but I didn’t have the power. I didn’t have the juice,” said McQueen, who certainly has the juice now following “12 Years a Slave’s” Best Picture win.

The British director got hooked on the cinematic potential of Robeson’s story after reading a newspaper article about the singer’s support of Welsh miners.

Also read: Oscars: How '12 Years a Slave' Won the Big One

While Robeson may be best known for singing “Ol’ Man River” and starring in “Othello,” he’ll also be remembered as a political activist. He died in 1976 at the age of 77.

McQueen is coming off an Oscar nomination for directing “12 Years a Slave,” which won him Best Picture as one of the film’s producers. His follow-up film is no doubt highly anticipated by film fans worldwide.