In 1969, Fred Hampton was shot in the forehead during a police raid. Antoine Fuqua said in a statement to Variety that he is developing a movie about the late activist and “Black Panther” affiliate, Fred Hampton.

The story is inspired by a 2009 novel, The Assassination of Fred Hampton, by Jeffrey Haas. In 1969, the novel was adapted into a television series by Chris Smith. It uncovers the controversies surrounding Hampton’s murder. The 21-year-old was shot dead as several officers opened fired during a police raid. Though officials justified the incident, Hampton’s surviving wife and children filed a lawsuit against the police officers and received over $1.8 million in 1982.

At the age of 15, Fred entered the world of activism and organized a chapter of the NAACP at his own school. At the age of 20, he became the head of the Illinois Black Panther Party. The untitled project is a part of Fuqua’s new deal with Sony Studios.

Antoine Fuqua as a filmmaker

For Antoine, the deal is a homecoming of sorts as the studio helmed some of his blockbusters including “Training Day,” “The Replacement Killers,” and “The Equalizer.” The director began his film career about twenty years ago and released various movies with Sony Studios.

Born in January 1966, Antoine Fuqua is a Hollywood producer and director. In 2001, he received an Academy Award for his film, “Training Day.”

Fuqua is the nephew of famous record producer, Harvey Fuqua.

He cites Toni Braxton, Prince, Stevie Wonder, and Coolio as inspirations of his career. From 1998 onward, he continued directing feature films.

His most prominent works are “Tears of the Sun,” “King Arthur,” “Shooter,” “Brooklyn's Finest,” “Olympus Has Fallen,” and “The Magnificent Seven.” He was set to direct “Prisoners,” but left the project due to salary issues.

In 2010, CBS Films recruited Antoine to produce and direct “Consent to Kill.”

In 2016, he was in the news for the remake of “Roots.” Antoine tied the knot with actress Lela Rochon in April 1999.

The two were blessed with a baby boy, Brando, in 2002.

A little about Fred Hampton

Born in August 1948 and died in December 1969, Fred was assassinated during a raid by the technical unit of Cook County, Illinois State's Attorney's Office, in collaborations with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Chicago Police Department. He studied at the Proviso East High School and was an active member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).