IN "BECOMING KING," PREMIERING FEBRUARY 19 ON PARAMOUNT+, DIRECTOR JESSICA OYELOWO TRACKS HUSBAND DAVID OYELOWO'S CAREER-DEFINING JOURNEY TO BECOME DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

From MTV Entertainment Studios and Yoruba Saxon, Documentary Feature Is a Behind-the-Scenes Look at Oyelowo's Transformation in Paramount Pictures' Oscar(R)-Winning Film 'Selma'

February 14, 2024 - Paramount+ announced today that BECOMING KING, from Yoruba Saxon and MTV Entertainment Studios, will premiere exclusively on the service beginning Monday, February 19. The documentary feature, directed by Jessica Oyelowo, is an emotional portrait of David Oyelowo's seven-year journey portraying the legendary civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the 2014 film SELMA. Featuring behind-the-scenes footage, intimate home videos and interviews with friends and mentors like Ava DuVernay, Lee Daniels, George Lucas and Oprah Winfrey, BECOMING KING follows the NAACP Image Awards and Critics' Choice Awards winner and Emmy(R), BAFTA, Golden Globe(R) and SAG nominee from his humble beginnings in Nigeria to the long, grueling road toward the role of a lifetime and a destiny fulfilled.

"I felt a deep need to document David's intense preparation for his career-defining role even before Selma was greenlit," says Jessica Oyelowo. "Although BECOMING KING would mark my foray into documentary filmmaking, I knew I was the only person my husband could trust with such an intimate story. I was ready to embrace the challenge and am so happy to play a pivotal role in bringing David's incredible journey to the screen."

Commemorating Black History Month, BECOMING KING is the marquee title in the Black Voices Collection on Paramount+, which features a broad array of films, TV series, documentaries, comedy specials and more. The collection highlights the stories and boundless contributions of Black trailblazers in the arts, culture, and history, including the David Oyelowo-starring films SELMA and THE BUTLER, and the series LAWMEN: BASS REEVES.

BECOMING KING marks Jessica Oyelowo's directorial debut. She is a multi-faceted actress, TV and film producer, singer, and songwriter whose acting credits include Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow and Alice in Wonderland. Executive producer of the critically acclaimed series LAWMEN: BASS REEVES, she also is co-chief executive officer of Yoruba Saxon, the production company she founded with husband David Oyelowo in 2014. Last year, she released her storybook album titled "(M)other".

BECOMING KING is directed by Jessica Oyelowo and produced by David Oyelowo and Jessica Oyelowo for Yoruba Saxon and, MTV Entertainment Studios.

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