Justin Lin is an interesting, and certainly unexpected choice for direct a film based on the Los Angeles riots that followed the acquittal of four LAPD officers charged with beating the late Rodney King.

Spike Lee was once the man for the job several years ago, but he couldn't get the project financed. So consider this yet another story Spike Lee wanted to tell on film but didn't get the opportunity to, and will instead be told by someone else (Jackie Robinson being the other).

According to a Vulture exclusive this morning, Justin Lin (whose Fast Five was an international box office hit last year) is apparently Universal Pictures' choice to direct the project for Imagine Entertainment (Ron Howard, Brian Grazer). And I assume with a whole new script (John Ridley penned the version Spike was going to direct way back when).

With this team (Howard, Grazer and potentially Lin), what kind of film about the LA Riots can we expect? 

I can't answer that question just yet; I need to know more.

But what we can say with some certainty is that there should be a few starring roles for black actors in this – starting with Rodney King most likely.