Black Panther DP Rachel Morrison to Make Directorial Debut with Flint Strong

Rachel Morrison, the DP behind the cinematography for the 2018 Marvel smash-hit Black Panther and 2017’s period drama Mudbound, will make her directorial debut with Universal’s Flint Strong, as multiple outlets are reporting.

Based on the 2015 boxing doc T-REX, Flint Strong features a script penned by none other than Barry Jenkins, heralded for his work on 2018’s If Beale Street Could Talk and, of course, 2016’s Academy Award winner for Best Picture for Moonlight. Jenkins was eyeing the role of director for himself, but chose to step back and stick to writing and producing, leaving a spot up for grabs for the up-and-coming Morrison.

The biopic traces the story of 17-year-old Flint native Claressa “T-Rex” Shields, who became the first woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. She followed up the win by nabbing a second gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.

Universal acquired the rights to Shields’ story and the Zackary Canepari- and Drea Cooper-directed documentary back in 2016.

A rising star in film, Morrison earned an Oscar nomination for her work on the underrated 2017 Netflix drama Mudbound, a first for any female cinematographer. With a team led by modern cinema greats Jenkins and Morrison, Flint Strong is one to watch.