It was inevitable… a movie on the much publicized Flint, Michigan water crisis is in the works at Lifetime, from producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (the same pair behind the live TV musicals “The Wiz” and “The Sound of Music”), the network announced today.
The producers, who optioned the rights to TIME magazine’s February cover story by Josh Sanburn, titled “The Poisoning of an American City” (above) say that their intent is to create something comprehensive, tackling the crisis from the political and bureaucratic angles, as well as focusing on how the residents of Flint were impacted by the poisoning.
Given that it’s been argued that the problem of the contamination of drinking water in Flint is tied to the fact that many of the people affected are black and/or poor, casting for any film or TV series on the subject can be expected to feature roles for black actors. Advocates have charged that Flint residents are victims of “environmental racism” – that race and poverty factored into how Flint wasn’t adequately protected and how its water became contaminated with lead, making the tap water undrinkable.
“While it might not be intentional, there’s this implicit bias against older cities — particularly older cities with poverty (and) majority-minority communities,” said Democratic U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, who represents the Flint area. “It’s hard for me to imagine the indifference that we’ve seen exhibited if this had happened in a much more affluent community,” he said.
For the record, according to the census, Flint is 57% black, 37% white, 4% Latino and 4% mixed race; more than 41% of its residents live below the poverty level.
No word on casting at this time.
Barbara Stepansky is attached to write the Lifetime telepic adaptation, with Josh Sanburn serving as a consultant on the film.
Meanwhile, Bruce Beresford will direct the movie which hails from Sony Pictures Television.
Craig Zadan, Neil Meron and Katie Couric will executive produce.
Zadan and Meron’s have a history with the Lifetime network; they also produced the 2012 all-black-cast “Steel Magnolias” remake. Up next, they’ll produce NBC’s live musical, “Hairspray,” and a live staging of “A Few Good Men,” coming in 2017.