Spike Lee Says His Joe Louis Biopic is a "Major Priority"

I absolutely love Spike Lee. Hels is one of the great auteurs still working, and every movie he makes seems to have a gravity and a touch that make it a must-see. While it's hard to believe, Lee has a movie he's been chasing for half his life that he's been dying to get made.

That movie is a biopic of the boxer Joe Louis. Lee actually co-wrote with the late screenwriter Budd Schulberg, who also wrote On the Waterfront.

The movie is about the relationship between rival boxers Joe Louis and Max Schmeling.

Lee told the LA Times, “I promised Budd on his deathbed that I would get this made.”

I am so interested in this movie. If you know your history, then you can assume that the film is set to explore the remarkable life and career of Joe Louis, a figure who transcended the world of sports to become a potent symbol of American strength and racial pride.

There was a complex and compelling relationship between Louis and his German rival, Max Schmeling. Their two epic bouts in the 1930s were more than just boxing matches; they were politicized spectacles that pitted American democracy against the rising tide of Nazism.

Their first fight in 1936 saw Schmeling shockingly defeat the seemingly invincible Louis. The victory was swiftly co-opted by Adolf Hitler's regime as proof of Aryan supremacy.

But their 1938 rematch was a different story. In a stunning and brutal first-round knockout, Louis reclaimed his dominance, a victory that resonated deeply with a nation on the brink of war and served as a powerful blow against Nazi propaganda.

To me, this is a timely movie I'd love to see done with Spike Lee's usual flair.

Lee is 68 and shows no signs of slowing down. The auteur has Highest 2 Lowest, which opens in theaters on August 15th and then on Apple on September 5th.

Over the last 40 years, he's been making movies at a high level, but with Hollywood circling the wagons and focusing on franchises, it's hard for an independent voice like Lee to get financing at times.

And that's what makes his big releases something to celebrate — and why getting big budgets for his next films matters even more

Let me know what you think in the comments.