Morgan Freeman will portray former South African President Nelson Mandela in indie drama "The Human Factor", an adaptation of the John Carlin upcoming book.
- June 22, 2007
AceShowbiz -
Set to take the similar step made by fellow thespian Forest Whitaker in "The Last King of Scotland", Morgan Freeman has given his commitment to play real-life leader of former South African President Nelson Mandela in independently financed drama "The Human Factor."
Based on John Carlin's upcoming book "The Human Factor: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Changed the World", the project is set after the fall of apartheid, when South Africa hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Mandela was in his first term as the president of South Africa, and he used the event as a means to end decades of mistrust and hatred between whites and blacks.
Tapped to pen the script is Anthony Peckham, whose last big screen stint was Gary Fleder's 2001 crime thriller "Don't Say a Word" starring Michael Douglas. Meanwhile, Freeman will also handle producing matters via his Revelations Entertainment alongside Lori McCreary and Mace Neufeld. The Oscar-winning actor and McCreary traveled to South Africa last year to discuss the project with Mandela himself.
"I have known Nelson Mandela personally for quite some time, and am continually in awe of his enormous presence in the world," so he remarked. "The opportunity to portray him in this film is a great honor."
