THR is reporting that Filmmaker Nzingha Stewart has been tapped to direct Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina, the New Line biopic about Misty Copeland, the first African American woman to be promoted to principal dancer with the prestigious American Ballet Theatre.
Michelle Rosenfarb is writing the screenplay based on Copeland’s bestselling novel. The movie will chronicle Copeland’s rise from her poor and tumultuous beginnings — she only began ballet at the late age of 13 and found herself in the middle of a custodial struggle between her mother and the ballet teachers who were her legal guardians at the time — to becoming a crossover star that has written books, appeared in movies and commercials, and has become a speaker.
“As an African-American woman, I know firsthand that when Misty Copeland leaps, we all soar,” said Stewart in a statement. “As a filmmaker, I am thrilled to bring this hopeful, triumphant and cinematic story to the big screen.”
Adam Shankman and Jennifer Gibgot from Offspring Entertainment are producing the project with Philip Sandhaus.
Stewart directed the Lifetime movies With This Ring, starring Regina Hall, Jill Scott, and Eve, as well as The 10th Date with Meagan Good. She also served as an exec producer for Tyler Perry’s 2010 film For Colored Girls, starring Janet Jackson, Thandie Newton, Whoopi Goldberg, Tessa Thompson, and Kerry Washington. She has also directed episodes of “Major Crimes,” “Good Girls” and almost all of Shonda Rhimes’ series from “Grey’s Anatomy” to “Station 19,”“Scandal,” “How To Get Away With Murder” and “For The People.” She is currently filming her feature directorial debut with Tall Girl, a coming-of-age story for Netflix.
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