For those of you uninitiated in the awesomeness of American Ballet Theatre’s soloist Misty Copeland, you’re in luck: Deadline reports that New Line Cinema has optioned the rights to her best-selling memoir Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina. Considering the variety of barriers the star has leapt in her lifetime, that’s great news even for film-goers who aren’t versed in the dance world.
For a taste of what the film may have to offer, here’s a PBS NewsHour clip with Copeland reading an excerpt from her memoir.
Copeland is only the second African-American woman ever to dance as a soloist for the prestigious American Ballet Theatre, and next month she’ll become the first African-America ballerina to dance the lead role in ABT’s Swan Lake. On the side, the groundbreaking bad-ass has also found time to serve on President Obama’s Fitness Council and to star in a viral Under Armour ad that ignited debate over whether or not dancers, for all their obvious athleticism, are “real” athletes.
Stephanie Allain (Hustle & Flow) and Lenore Kletter are on board to write the script, which Deadline says will focus on the ballerina’s teen years and relationship with her mother. I am beyond stoked that Copeland’s story will now be shared with an even larger audience–not only will this female-led movie feature a physically and emotionally strong woman, her story is a reminder that we are not limited by the way lesser minds view our bodies or our background.
(via Jezebel, image via Kent G. Becker on Flickr)
Are you following The Mary Sue on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, & Google +?
