Oscar Grant's Mother Confirms Talks on Movie About BART Shooting Case

By: Brian Shields - Tue, 17 Apr 2012 23:42:15 -0800
OAKLAND (KRON) -- Oscar Grant's mother says she hopes a movie about his life and death can help promote racial healing.

"We have talked (to the filmmakers)," Grant's mother Wanda Johnson tells KRON 4's Charles Clifford.  "We have been in conversation back and forth.  We want it to be very successful.  We want people to know that we should all be able to get along.  Racial profiling is unacceptable and we want to get that message out."

The Hollywood Reporter says the movie about Grant would be called "Fruitvale" which is the name of the BART station where the unarmed passenger was shot and killed by BART police officer Johannes Mehserle early on New Year's morning, 2009.  Oscar winner Forest Whitaker would produce the film and another Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer would play Johnson.

Friday Night Lights star Michael B. Jordan is reportedly signed on to play Grant.  There's no word yet on who might take on the role of Mehserle who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Grant's death.

Production on the film could start this summer and be filmed in Northern California.  Critics note the film's timing comes as the country is focusing on the death of unarmed African-American teenager Trayvon Martin in Florida.

(Copyright 2012, KRON 4, All rights reserved.)
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