Spike Lee has done it all, and has never let the method of delivery stop him from telling a story. From low-budget independent features to star-studded studio pictures to crowdfunded flicks to television documentaries to web shorts to music videos, you name a format, and the director has probably done a project in that arena. And now, the filmmaker is stepping in to the world of streaming with Amazon lining up his next feature film. And it sounds promising.
The Wrap reports that Samuel L. Jackson, Kanye West, Jeremy Piven and Common are being courted to star in Lee’s "Chiraq." The title is a nickname for the crime-and-murder riddled Chicago (emphasis on that last syllable if you’re still not getting it), where West, Common and Piven are all from. Meanwhile, Jackson is a regular collaborator with Lee, and has made five films with the director.
Nothing is official just yet, but it seems the pieces are in play, although scheduling and deals will all need to work out for this lineup to happen. It’s promising stuff, and we hope this project finds the filmmaker bringing his A-game to the material after missing with his last couple of feature efforts.